Developing a Microlearning Course: Hints & Tips

Today's article is about microlearning, microlearning is best defined as an instructional training method that divides information into bite-sized chunks for better absorption before delivering it. It takes a different approach to traditional learning, where corporate learners are frequently overloaded with and evaluated on theoretical concepts that aren't always relevant to their goals.

Microlearning is designed for people who need to achieve maximum knowledge retention in the shortest time possible. This knowledge is often applicable, practical, and relevant to the learner. Micro-courses are highly focused, target a single learning goal, and have a maximum length of around 5-7 minutes after eliminating irrelevant information.

But, before you create a micro-course, do you need to be an expert? 

The simple answer is no. But how does one get started? This article will provide you with practical advice on how to develop a successful micro-course. 

Who Should Use Microlearning, and Why?

Formal learning approaches frequently need to consider the inherent needs and complexities of corporate learners, who often work full-time while juggling multiple tasks. These are the situations when the benefits of microlearning are evident and can adapt to corporate learners' psychology.

However, because the core of this method consists of short, extremely focused, and highly applicable material, anyone can benefit from Microlearning.

Learners learn most effectively when they perceive they have received a customized training solution focused on skills required in their daily lives, which is informal and accessible at the point of need, regardless of age, educational background, or career.

Assume your company plans to offer a course on workplace safety and health. You already have extensive training and experience but should review your hazardous materials control measures again. Your training should ideally consist of logically organized micro-courses, accessible whenever you need them, and do not require you to watch the entire video and concept to find this section. This training material enables you to get this information quickly with the least disruption to your work process. 

Microlearning examples you can use

1. Short videos: Short videos that explain a concept or a process are a great example of microlearning. They can be 2-3 minutes long and can be watched on any device, making it easy for learners to consume information quickly.
2. Infographics: Infographics are visual representations of information that are easy to read and understand. They can be used to convey complex information in a simple and concise way.
3. Interactive Quizzes: Interactive quizzes are a fun and engaging way to learn. They can be designed to test learners' knowledge of a specific topic or to help them remember key concepts.
4. Bite-sized Courses: Bite-sized courses are short courses that focus on a specific topic or concept. They can be completed in a short amount of time and are ideal for learners who want to quickly gain knowledge on a particular subject.
5. Podcasts: Podcasts are a great way to learn on the go. They can be listened to while commuting or doing other activities and can cover a wide range of topics.
6. Short articles: Short articles that explain a concept or a process are another example of microlearning. They can be read quickly and are ideal for learners who want to gain knowledge in a short amount of time.

Overall, microlearning is all about providing learners with small, bite-sized pieces of information that can be consumed quickly and easily. 

Benefits of microlearning

1. Increased Retention: Microlearning presents information in smaller, easily digestible chunks, which can improve the learner's ability to retain information.
2. Better Engagement: Microlearning is highly interactive, and it can engage learners in a variety of ways, including through quizzes, games, videos, and other multimedia content.
3. Time-Saving: Because microlearning modules are typically brief, learners can complete them quickly and efficiently, even during short breaks in their busy schedules.
4. Cost-Effective: Microlearning can be less expensive to create and deliver than traditional training methods because it requires fewer resources, such as time, money, and equipment.
5. Personalized Learning: Microlearning can be customized to meet the needs and preferences of individual learners, allowing them to focus on the specific skills and knowledge they need to acquire.
6. Continuous Learning: Microlearning allows for ongoing learning, enabling learners to build their skills and knowledge over time, and to stay up-to-date with new developments and trends in their field.

How To Create A Professional Micro-Course Like An Expert 

Begin Your Lesson By Defining The Goals

 To begin your training, provide learners with an overview of your learning goals. If you want them to make an effort and take time out of their busy schedules, you must tell them immediately what they stand to gain.

Although bullet points are a reliable way to outline your learning goals, it always helps to get your creativity flowing by coming up with alternative ways to deliver this information.

Before creating your learning objectives slide, write every lesson to ensure maximum efficiency. This way, you can ensure that your entire content and learning goals are in sync.  There are numerous microlearning platforms available to aid you in producing micro courses. However, when creating a course, here are a few aspects to take into account.

Explore And Select A Highly Focused Topic

This step is as easy as it sounds: select an extremely focused topic. The more you simplify it, the easier it will be to create learner-centered, outcome-driven content.

However, once you've decided on a topic, don't do yourself a disservice by diving in headlong.

Suppose you want a worthwhile return on the investment of time, money, and effort. In that case, you must put yourself in the shoes of your corporate learners to ensure that the subject matter perfectly associates with each of their particular roles within your organization. As a result, the level of engagement and perception of the value of the instruction among learners will rise. 

Keep It Simple And Short

If there's one thing we can all agree on, we're all short on time. This situation is where micro-learning excels because its condensed format enables rapid completion of efficient training.

While providing as much information as possible in your lessons may appear to be the most practical approach, our brains will disagree because they can only grab so much. Also, microlearning aims to keep your learning material brief but meaningful. 

Consistency Is Vital

Create a method that works for your material and stick to it to provide a unified learning experience that your employees will appreciate. A consistent framework in your lessons demonstrates that they have been well thought out and designed. While it may appear pointless, the little details and nuances make a difference, from keeping the same color schemes throughout your slides to employing the same navigational buttons with which your corporate learners are already familiar. 

Use A Dynamic And Approachable Tone​

 When creating micro-learning content, use an active voice to ensure your message is clear and concise. It will help learners draw conclusions and fill in knowledge gaps more quickly. A conversational tone that conveys courses in the same way corporate learners communicate in their daily lives can also enhance relatability.

Keep It Interesting​

There needs to be more than just keeping content brief and specific to keep corporate learners engaged. Consider alternating text with interesting visual effects or interactive elements. 

You can also deliver your content in a more engaging format. Videos offer an auditory and visual multisensory learning experience that can help learners retain more information.

Make Impactful Interactions​ 

The ability to interact with courses rather than simply reading static text or watching a video can significantly increase learner interest and engagement with your training content. Add interactive elements to your course modules to spice them up and break up the repetition for your corporate learners.

Use game elements such as polls, quizzes, and exercises to engage learners with your content. Like with visuals, only use them when necessary and make sure they're not being used as a gimmick.

When creating your course modules, imagine yourself in the place of your learners, experiencing micro-learning for the first time. By adopting this mindset, you can eliminate any pointless complexity in your work and enjoy all the advantages of this strategy.

Create And Segment Your Content

The content management process becomes tremendously easier when you've developed evident learning outcomes. You can now start brainstorming and figuring out your ideas.

Once you have sufficient talking points, create an outline for your microlearning courses using them. The practice of separating your content into as many segments as possible is known as chunking.

Microlearning aims to give quick responses and solutions to particular concerns; these serve as practical guides.

Each of the bite-sized sections represents one of your storylines. Each micro-course should ideally relate to one of your learning goals. As a result, if your training has five learning objectives, you should create five micro-courses that directly address each.

Wrapping up 

Microlearning is gaining popularity as a quick, straightforward, hands-on learning method. It has a place in the workplace, even if it only partially replaces formal learning as an instructional method.

Make your content as relevant and exciting as possible. Once you have decided on your training objectives and can see how microlearning fits into your overall training strategy, you are prepared to develop online training and learning programs and include them in your toolkit for your training program.