I remember being a kid and anxiously awaiting what was as arguably the most exciting night of the year: Halloween. The costumes and the decorations were fun, but the adventure of traversing the neighborhood, at night on a quest for candy was downright exhilarating. Door after door, treat after treat we would accumulate our bags until we ran out of porch lights that were turned on to welcome us. Often that would cue a frantic dash, shortcutting through connecting backyards so we could hurry home and inspect our candy treasure. Then, that hallowed moment came- the dumping of the bag. And there it sat, the result of all my efforts, an enormous pile of various sweet treats. The variety, the choices….the feeling of accomplishment! I loved having the ability to have choices and selections and little tastes of so many different options. If they were all the same type of candy, it just wouldn’t have been as satisfying. Big, full-sized candy bars were certainly fun to find mixed in; but looking back it was the enormity of choice and selection that made the difference. Maybe the same can be said about topics I like to learn more about.
Microlearning is one of the buzziest trends in the adult learner arena. Simply put, microlearning is the concept that one general topic is presented in a series of small, bite sized segments. Or it might be just small, fun sized bites on a variety of topics. By presenting information in this manner, several goals may be accomplished.
First, you are meeting the learner where they are. As attention spans decrease and distractions increase, this format provides a student the opportunity to absorb small pieces of the puzzle rather than an entire concept all at one time. Depending on the audience, long periods of concentration may be challenging. Microlearning a topic in segments is what many, particularly younger employees, are accustomed to experiencing via social media. It also provides a valuable interjection of knowledge if the audience is prone to multi-tasking. Or maybe there is a scenario where a deep dive into details is not a requirement. Rather, a concept, a best practice or an illustration needs to be conveyed. This would be a time to enlist microlearning.
Many employers voice the same complaints. They are frustrated that their staff does not read long, detailed emails. They are challenged with employees who desire repeated breaks and are challenged with maintaining consistent focus for long periods of time. These are all symptoms of the culture in which we all live. Life is coming at us faster. There are so many distractions that are vying for our coveted attention at any given time. Messages must be delivered, so perhaps the most efficient way to do this is to meet the employees where they are. Provide the bite sized informational nuggets and allow them to select what they would like to sample or absorb a general concept in piecemeal fashion. By doing so, your employees will approach training as a treat, rather than a trick.