The quick closing of skill and knowledge gaps is called microlearning. It is a fairly new learning strategy and has become an instructional approach for many situations, especially when information changes frequently.
Essentially, microlearning takes a large chunk of data and breaks it down into little pieces to make learning easier. Examples could include a short video about a new product, a quiz about safety procedures, or a presentation outlining key company policies. Microlearning is more apt for the current generation where attention spans are short. But in today’s busy work world, all generations can benefit.
Unlike the traditional approach, microlearning is done in small steps. It is conducted through small, well designed sections of units of training activities that are short, straightforward and easy to manage. The method is perfect for suiting the tolerance of the human brain relative to its attention span. Microlearning is supportive of the research that proves people learn better in sessions that are short and to the point, instead of sessions that are long and overwhelming. The time span for microlearning is 3 to 7 minutes at the most, which is perfect to match the human attention span.
Microlearning is not really a newly discovered training method, but it’s simply a realization of how long the human attention span actually is. For new age learners, this method is perfect and the most effective of all. It is great for today’s fast paced working environment and correlates well with other learning strategies, such as spaced repetition and information recalling.
In the world of training and development, microlearning has really made it easy for trainers because the content has to be short and can be delivered anywhere. Another benefit of microlearning is it gives employees more control and a feeling of autonomy. They are given the liberty to pick and choose what they want to learn and when they want to learn. They can direct themselves, which is important for high employee satisfaction. Microlearning is also believed to result in better information retention because information is accessed whenever the user needs to complete a task.
Microlearning can be done in many ways, such as gamification. You can also incentivize it through recognition of employee’s efforts or integrate it in a coaching scenario. Whatever the training activity mode of delivery, it only needs to match the human attention span.
If you’re interested in having MicroLearning developed and need assistance, please contact us today!
