Last Updated on August 15, 2024 by Owen McGab Enaohwo
Constantly upskilling and reskilling your employees, especially in this rapidly evolving digital age, is important if you want to stay ahead of the curve as a business owner. Unfortunately, many business leaders are still using traditional training methods to train their employees, even though there is abundant proof that these methods no longer work.
If traditional training methods aren’t effective anymore, what should you do as a team manager or business owner? Simple: adopt microlearning and continuous learning.
In this post, we will explore the concepts of microlearning and continuous learning. We will dive deep to understand the benefits they offer and how to make the most of them.
Let’s get into it!
What is Microlearning?
Microlearning can mean many things to different people. But generally, it refers to an educational strategy that delivers information in small, focused chunks, hence the name.
Instead of requiring learners to engage with large volumes of content over extended periods, microlearning provides them with concise lessons that can be consumed quickly, typically in just a few minutes.
Microlearning comes in many forms, including:
- Short videos: Quick, engaging videos that explain a concept or demonstrate a skill.
- Infographics: Visual representations of information that make complex data more accessible.
- Quizzes: Interactive assessments that reinforce knowledge and provide instant feedback.
- Flashcards: Digital or physical cards with key facts or concepts for quick review.
- Articles or blog posts: Brief, targeted written content that explains a single idea or topic.
Why would you want to invest time and money in implementing microlearning for employee upskilling?
Well, for starters, microlearning can potentially drive up engagement with online training. You don’t have to take our words at face value. Studies have shown that 58% of employees are likely to engage with their company’s online training if it’s broken into small bits.
Another reason why microlearning should be on your front burner is that can greatly improve productivity and drive up job satisfaction among your employees.
Other benefits microlearning offers include:
1. Smoothens Employee Onboarding Process
Onboarding new employees can sometimes be time-consuming and cost-prohibitive if not handled properly. This is because, more often than not, the new hire would have to consume a ton of material to familiarize with your company’s work culture, mission, and goals. Plus, they might have to be retrained to get equipped for the task ahead.
All this can take weeks, if not months, to accomplish. However, implementing microlearning for the onboarding process can potentially shorten it, while at the same time making it smoother.
2. Offers Flexibility and Accessibility
One of the most significant advantages of microlearning is its flexibility. Traditional learning methods often require a substantial time commitment, which can be challenging when time isn’t abundantly available.
Microlearning, on the other hand, delivers content in small, easily digestible chunks that can be accessed anytime, anywhere. This makes it easy for employees to soak themselves in learning even when on the go because they can easily access training materials with their mobile devices.
3. Improves Knowledge Retention
How do you feel when you have a large block of text without any kind of breaks put right in front of your eyes? Intimidated right? You will likely balk and skip the text. But if it’s broken into short paragraphs, you will be motivated to read it.
It’s literally the same psychology that’s at play with microlearning. People tend to retain information better when it is presented in small, focused segments rather than in long, drawn-out sessions. This is because the brain can more easily process and store small bits of information, leading to improved recall over time.
As such, employees will likely retain knowledge if it’s broken up into smaller chunks.
4. Cost-Effective and Scalable
As we pointed out earlier, microlearning can help you save considerable costs on employee training. The reason is that traditional training programs often require significant resources in terms of time, money, and personnel. In contrast, microlearning content can be created and distributed at a fraction of the cost, making it an attractive option for businesses of all sizes.
5. Offers Personalized Learning Experience
Personalizing your employees’ learning experience can boost engagement and knowledge retention, which is very important in today’s digital age. This is another reason to choose microlearning over traditional training methods.
Microlearning gives learners a chance to choose the topics and modules that are most relevant to their needs and interests, allowing them to focus on areas where they need the most improvement.
Best Practices for Implementing Microlearning
Are you looking to implement microlearning, or have already implemented it but want to see more results? Here are some of the best practices to keep in mind:
1. Pick the Right Hosting Solution
To ensure employees can access your training modules anything and anywhere, it’s important to ensure that you pick the right hosting solution.
The best hosting service ensures your website stays up at all times and also loads fast. You wouldn’t want your website plagued with frequent downtimes, which might defeat the whole purpose of implementing microlearning.
2. Keep Content Short and Focused
The essence of microlearning is delivering content in small, manageable chunks. Each microlearning module should focus on a single topic or concept and be concise enough to be completed in just a few minutes. To this end, aim to keep them short and focused – 3 to 7 minutes in length per module is ideal.
The short and focused approach not only makes learning more accessible but also enhances retention by preventing cognitive overload.
3. Leverage Multiple Content Formats
For microlearning to be effective at keeping learners engaged, use a variety of formats, such as videos, infographics, quizzes, flashcards, and interactive simulations. Different formats cater to different learning styles and hence better outcomes.
For example, you might use a short video to introduce a concept, followed by an infographic to highlight key points, and then a quiz to assess understanding. This multi-modal approach ensures that learners stay engaged and can process the information more quickly and effectively.
4. Standardize Your Processes
Unifying employees’ onboarding and training can go a long way in ensuring microlearning delivers predictable results. Technically, this is known as process standardization.
Process standardization not only ensures consistency but can also save you costs, improve employee productivity, and give you a competitive edge.
Conclusion
As a business owner or team leader, empowering your employees for better performance boils on your ability to effectively implement microlearning and continuous learning. Adopting microlearning allows you to foster a culture of lifelong learning, ensuring that their employees remain engaged, adaptable, and ready to tackle the challenges of the future.
Author bio
Cecylia Nejman
Meet Cecylia, a writer with a deep focus on tech, security, IT, software, and their interconnected realms. With her expertise and passion, she effortlessly communicates complex ideas in a concise and engaging manner. Through her insightful writing, Cecylia empowers readers by bridging the gap between technology and its users. Her ability to distill intricate concepts into accessible content makes her a go-to source for understanding the ever-evolving tech landscape. Cecylia’s dedication to empowering others through her words shines through in her work.