A Handy Checklist for Implementing Microlearning in Your Organization

What is Microlearning Anyway?

Is microlearning just taking classroom material (or an online course), dividing it into small chunks, and delivering it to your learners? Though many seem to think so, microlearning is more than just a clever way of chunking training content into small modules, and its implementation… even more so! Microlearning is a learning strategy that delivers learning in small chunks. Each microlearning module deals with one learning objective, with a duration ranging from a few seconds up to 15 minutes or more—short enough for learners to retain the information and use it to improve their work performance.

About Microlearning

What is Microlearning? Microlearning is a learning strategy that delivers learning in small chunks. How is Microlearning Implemented?

1. Analyze the Existing Content
   • Convert the classroom content into microlearning modules
   • Use microlearning along with classroom training and e-learning
2. Get Your Stakeholders & SMEs On Board
3. Choose the Appropriate Microlearning Asset(s)

Let’s take a deeper look at how microlearning can be implemented and where it fits in your overall training strategy.

How is Microlearning Implemented?

Before converting instructor-led training (ILT) material to an online format, it’s important to understand that not all classroom training content can be converted into an online format like microlearning.

Download this handy guide to get started with microlearning.

Also, as I already mentioned, simply slicing and dicing classroom content will only make smaller courses; it will not make the content suitable for online learners. That will require a proper instructional strategy, as we shall see.

Let’s take the example of an organization looking to change from classroom training to eLearning and microlearning.

A 3-Step Process for Implementing Microlearning

1. Analyze the Existing Content

Analyze the existing training content first, and then determine the format that most suits the content—e-learning or microlearning. Here are a couple of ways you can add microlearning into your training strategy. Convert the classroom content into microlearning modules. A classroom-based sales training material can be converted into multiple, short microlearning modules instead of hour-long online learning sessions. This works well because sales personnel find it difficult if not impossible to sit through long eLearning courses as they are often in the field. On the other hand, microlearning is short, need-based and, more importantly, does not interrupt their work schedule as it only takes a few minutes to go through the micro course. There are other types of training that can be delivered in the microlearning format, for example:

• Software Training
• Compliance Training
• Health and Safety Training
• New Hire Training

Having said that, note that microlearning may not always be the right choice for your ILT content, especially when you need learners to learn complex skills and processes, and when hands-on practice is necessary. For these, go for eLearning as your choice of training strategy. Use microlearning along with classroom training and e-learning. Microlearning modules can be used along with other formats of training for a more holistic and engaging experience.

• Microlearning for Pre-training: Introduce the basic concepts of the training content via microlearning videos and case studies to introduce the training before the classroom or eLearning session.
• Microlearning during Training: Augment the classroom sessions with short learning videos and infographics to demonstrate complex processes and procedures.
• Microlearning Post-training: Q&A sessions at the end of classroom training can be turned into micro FAQ modules to offer performance support at the point of need. Conventional quick reference guides can be turned into ‘how to’ micro demo or explainer videos or interactive PDFs.

2. Get Your Stakeholders & SMEs On Board

Successfully implementing a microlearning training program takes team effort. So, involve your stakeholders (line managers, functional heads, or anybody with a stake in the training) and the subject matter experts (SMEs), project managers, reviewers in the conversion project. Here is how your stakeholders and SMEs can help you.

• Your stakeholders will be able to provide you information on the objectives of the course, the target audience, the conditions and criteria under which the performance is supposed to occur, and the type of content at your disposal (as we discussed earlier). This information is also crucial for choosing the right microlearning format for your training.
• Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) are your most important assets as they have first-hand experience in the concerned domain/field. Get them to plug any instructional gaps the training content may have.
• SMEs are also involved in classroom training, which means they are in a better position to offer suggestions to the development team—internal or external—on how to teach a concept.
• If your organization already has an internal development team, check if they have the required expertise—such as experience with rapid authoring tools and scaling up/down the microlearning development process—to pull off an ILT-to-microlearning conversion project; otherwise, outsource the project to an eLearning vendor. (Either way, use a style guide for streamlining the microlearning design and development process.)
• Form an internal review team consisting of SMEs and various stakeholders such as reviewers, functional heads, and quality analysts. As already discussed, SMEs should ensure content accuracy; reviewers can collect and resolve conflicting feedback. The reviewers need to check the microlearning courses on various mobile devices (Android smartphones and tablets, iPhones, iPads) as well.

3. Choose the Appropriate Microlearning Asset(s)

You may have noticed that I have used examples of microlearning modules (micro videos, micro FAQs, and infographics) throughout the blog. That’s because there are many different types of microlearning assets, and each asset has its own unique strength and role.

E xamples of Microlearning Assets Below is a table showing a few microlearning assets and how each can be used in your corporate training strategy.

Concluding Remarks

As you can see, there is more to implementing microlearning than just slicing and dicing—although that it just one small part of the overall process. Right from analysing the content for microlearning to picking the right kind of microlearning asset(s), its implementation involves careful planning and strategizing. Rapidly developing and delivering bite-sized learning to learners is the need of the hour. Here is a webinar recording on the proven rapid development techniques for microlearning!

 Editor’s note: This post was originally published in November 2019 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.