Getting your colleagues to learn is sometimes difficult. The first sessions, everyone is enthusiastic. Every participant shows up for class and assignments are neatly prepared.
Then motivation gradually ebbs away. Busy diaries full of meetings take over and fewer and fewer colleagues still participate in their training every week.
This is true for classroom lessons but also - if not more so - for e-learning courses. A recognisable problem!
For contact moments with your trainer, we have a solution at BLCC. Read here how we increase your colleagues' attendance in group training.
But how do you increase learning activity in e-learning courses?
One word: microlearning.
And we tell you why!
What is microlearning?
Microlearning is a modern & digital learning method where we learn and process new information through short learning activities. Typically, learning modules take less than 10 minutes, where traditional e-learning requires a longer turnaround time.
Did you know that some microlearning modules require only 1 minute of your time? Ideal for your busy schedule!
They rest on 3 principles:
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They are short. You provide only the essential information your target audience needs.
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They are visually attractive. Illustrations, videos, bullet points, lists, ...
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They ensure repetition. They ensure repetition. Because it is not enough to show content to your target group only once.
What does microlearning look like?
We sometimes refer to microlearning as learning snacks or mini e-learning. That snackable content can take different forms:
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Explanatory videos that explain theory to you
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Interactive videos
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Infographics
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Sound clips from podcasts
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PDFs
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Slides
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GIF files
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Error messages when you answer a question incorrectly …
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Micro-exercises such as fill-in-the-blank questions, open-ended questions, polls, …
The possibilities are endless!
These different forms make it possible to show the same info in a different, varied way. And thus repeat it in a fun way!
Why choose microlearning?
Recent research from the US shows that 60% of trainees would learn more if their online learning modules (e-learning) were divided into shorter learning snacks
But why is this so?
The answer is simple: Ebbenhaus' forgetting curve - everyone in learning & development is familiar.
Ebbenhaus states that when you learn something new, you quickly forget it too. For instance, 1 month after their last lesson, learners are said to remember only 20% of that lesson. Only 20% of the info that sticks.
Then investing in training doesn't seem worth it, right?
Wrong!
At BLCC, we have long known that you don't learn a language just by being present in classes with the trainer. It takes effort! During the lessons, but also outside them through preparation and repetition.
And let repetition be the secret ingredient for the success story of any training course. Because with every repetition session, you increase the retention of your learners, Ebbenhaus argues.
Microlearning lends itself perfectly to that repetition.
On the one hand, these short learning moments fit perfectly into your busy working day. On the other hand, they also allow you to show the same information several times in a varied and interactive way.
In a nutshell, microlearning for the win!
Which L&D manager wouldn't want such a high retention rate with every training course? 😉
Microlearning can guarantee that for your training programmes.
Not only does microlearning ensure sufficient repetition - after all, so can a classic e-learning.
But the power of microlearning also lies in the short learning modules, which are also interactive, visually appealing and motivating. Because in less than 10 minutes, you go through a module.
And the barrier to learning online? That disappears altogether!