Traditionally, corporate training meant employees had to be engaged in hours-long sessions to learn something new.
In the modern day, however, this approach is outdated and, if followed, may even lead to lower productivity levels in employees.
However, this does not mean employees have no wish to learn and grow further.
According to research published by The Learning Organization in July 2023, employees today are still eager to learn new skills.
To tap into this motivation and allow employees to continue to benefit the business in the most efficient manner possible, businesses are now looking into what is dubbed: “the future of corporate learning”.
In this post, we take a deep dive into what microlearning is and why it is the most beneficial approach for your corporate training.
Let’s begin!
What is Microlearning?
Microlearning is a modern educational approach that delivers information in bite-sized pieces to learners.
It focuses on delivering targeted and concise lessons that may last a few minutes.
According to research by Forrester, 62% of employees would stay in a business that offers microlearning opportunities.
Reasons why you should use a Microlearning Platform
- Time Efficiency
In corporate, time is one of the most valuable resources.
Unlike traditional training methods, microlearning platforms are highly time-efficient, and help learners consume focused training in short spans of time.
According to a study by the Association for Talent Development (ATD), microlearning modules are 50% shorter than traditional training sessions, resulting in higher productivity and better skill acquisition for corporate workers.
These platforms break down complex topics into smaller modules, allowing learners to acquire targeted knowledge.
Microlearning also helps integrate learning into daily routines, making it suitable for learners or professionals handling multiple corporate responsibilities simultaneously.
- Targeted Learning
Other training programs usually offer two types of information: need-to-know and nice-to-know information.
On the other hand, microlearning only focuses on the need-to-know, providing targeted information that is to the point and relevant for the learners.
Additionally, it removes the confusion of what is essential and what is not for the learners and only highlights the vital information to get the job done.
All the knowledge gaps in microlearning are filled promptly without the need to go for lengthy courses.
- Flexibility
Microlearning is highly flexible, allowing the learners to fit learning sessions into their workload anytime and anywhere.
For corporate workers, it is not always possible to stop what they are doing and go for long training sessions.
Microlearning comes to the rescue as it efficiently accommodates employees’ workdays and schedules.
Additionally, it delivers short bursts of knowledge on the smartphones or trainee devices of the learners to make it easier for them to access it and study at their convenience.
- Cost Effective
Microlearning is a viable and cost-effective alternative to conventional training sessions.
In terms of content creation efforts, microlearning helps with a significant amount of cost savings.
The microlearning platforms consist of small modules that require reduced resources, allow for quicker development cycles, and only adapt to the evolving learning needs of the learners.
With microlearning platforms, the high expenses of instructor-led training sessions, employees’ travel costs, and the cost of printed materials can easily be avoided.
Additionally, since the microlearning sessions are completed in short periods, employee downtime is significantly reduced, which adds to the cost-effectiveness.
- Rapid Content Updates
Microlearning platforms undergo rapid content updates to ensure that the information provided is relevant and up to date.
For corporate workplaces, easily updating the learning modules is quite essential to stay relevant to the learning needs of staff.
Since the content on microlearning platforms is in short modules, it is easier to update than the content for longer training sessions.
- Easy Integration
With the available technology, you can easily integrate microlearning into corporate businesses.
It can easily fit into an existing LMS (Learning Management Systems) or other corporate training programs without much disturbance.
Additionally, it can align with various learning platforms, whether you use it as standalone modules, broader training initiatives, or complementary components.
The ease of integration of microlearning allows it to adapt quickly to the evolving and changing learning needs of staff.
- Enhanced Retention and Engagement
According to research by the Aberdeen Group, microlearning can increase engagement of learners by up to 80%.
It is an excellent tool for retention because it delivers information in focused and targeted segments.
Microlearning platforms strategically offer information in smaller portions alongside providing learning aids, such as videos and quizzes, multimedia elements, interactive features, and gamification.
These features allow learners to focus on specific pieces of information, promoting a deeper understanding of the topic.
The targeted and short nature of the learning modules aligns with how the human brain retains information, therefore, maximizing the potential for long-term memory storage.
The bite-sized modules offered by microlearning platforms keep learners engaged and help them maintain interest throughout without any information overload.
Overall, given the modified approach of microlearning, employees tend to learn better and may remember the information for longer, extended periods.
- Highly Adaptable
Microlearning offers flexible and personalized learning paths catering to individual needs and is, therefore, considered a highly adaptable learning solution.
Learners are free to enjoy a tailored educational experience because they can easily choose modules that align with their specific learning goals.
Additionally, the ability of microlearning platforms to easily update and modify their content adds to their adaptability.
With the dynamic nature of the corporate world, microlearning can go through real-time adjustments and continuously align with the learners’ needs.
- Continuous Learning
Microlearning promotes a continuous learning culture that easily integrates into daily routines.
This regular and bite-sized learning opportunity motivates the employees to engage in ongoing skill development and thus work on continuous improvement.
Since the content on microlearning platforms is easily accessible and understandable, learners can stay up to date with the latest industry trends and improve their expertise over time.
With this continuous learning approach, staff can contribute significantly to not only personal but also organizational growth.
Factors to consider when choosing a Microlearning Platform
Now that you know the reasons why you should opt for microlearning platforms, here are the factors you should consider when choosing a microlearning platform.
Accessibility
The platform’s learning content should be easily accessible on mobile phones and handheld gadgets, given that around 64% of learners find learning on mobile phones effortless.
Captivating
The microlearning platform you opt for should be captivating and communicative.
It should have learning aids like images, simulations, e-learning games, etc.
Also, the platform should contain a variety of assessments to check the student’s progress and, in the end, should reward the learners for their performance.
Video learning is best for explaining complex processes, and a good microlearning platform will always contain tools like kinetic typography and whiteboard animations for better understanding.
Online Forums
The platform should have online discussion forums, too.
These forums promote collaborative learning through easy interaction between mentors and learners.
LCMS
Lastly, the microlearning platform you opt for must have an LCMS (Learning Content Management System).
It enables generating content that covers targeted subjects instantly.
FAQs
Why is microlearning an essential platform for corporate learners?
Microlearning is the latest effective way to train corporate learners.
It efficiently levels up an organization’s learning and development (L&D) program.
With microlearning, organizations can motivate and engage employees by providing flexible and personalized learning solutions.
Additionally, microlearning helps boost corporate learners’ productivity, retention, and performance.
What is the main benefit of microlearning?
The main benefit of microlearning is improved knowledge retention.
Microlearning is very effective because it is designed to be engaging, ensuring that the learners don’t get distracted and provide undivided attention in order to be able to remember information longer.
Additionally, microlearning begins with easy stuff, and each session gets more complicated as the learning progresses.
The learners use the knowledge they retained in the previous session in order to learn the next, resulting in better concept-building and information retention.
How does microlearning help to enhance learning and transfer of training?
Microlearning helps enhance the transfer of training and learning by designing brief training modules that focus mainly on specific areas of knowledge.
It offers the learners a certain level of control, giving them the choice to choose when and where they want to engage with the provided training.
For corporate companies, microlearning works as a powerful L&D tool.
It allows the corporate workforce to have better accessibility to the content to access it anytime, anywhere, and on any device of their choice.
Conclusion
Overall, microlearning is an excellent tool for accommodating the busy schedules of corporate workers while promoting better understanding.
The platforms are designed to respect the time constraints of the learners and break down complex topics into focused and targeted segments.
In the world of fast-paced corporate environments, microlearning caters to the wavering attention spans of modern learners.
At Wranx, we provide engaging and interactive learning experiences tailored to individual needs.
Our platform delivers bite-sized training programs on a daily basis and that too on a wide range of topics.
For more information details, you can contact us at +44 (0) 151 312 8207 or email us at support@wranx.com.
