Microlearning in Instructional Design: A Modern Approach to Efficient Learning

Hello viewers, 🙏

Thank you so much for all the love and support for my previous article and making me reach 1k+ followers☺. In this article I have drafted to explain what microlearning is and provided examples of four distinct efficiencies afforded by microlearning Instructional Design as compared to that of traditional training.

Microlearning is one of the most discussed trends in corporate training nowadays. The traditional methods of learning are being challenged by the emerging trend of microlearning.

Microlearning is an instructional design strategy that delivers content in short, focused bursts, typically lasting a few minutes. This approach is gaining popularity due to its ability to cater to the modern learner’s preferences for quick, targeted learning experiences.

What is Microlearning? 🤔

Microlearning is a learning strategy that involves bite-sized learning nuggets designed to meet a specific learning outcome. It breaks down information into smaller, easily digestible modules, thus preventing cognitive overload and making it easy for learners to absorb and recall. This results in better learning retention.

The Efficiency of Microlearning in Instructional Design 📈

Microlearning offers several efficiencies over traditional training methods. Here are four distinct efficiencies:

1. 🎯 Interactive and Engaging: Microlearning needs to be interactive and engaging, with a usable interface design. It often incorporates various formats such as videos, quizzes, games, or interactive modules, making learning more enjoyable and effective.
2. 🕰️ Just-in-Time Learning: Microlearning is delivered in short durations either as stand-alone micromodules or part of a whole as just-in-time support to boost retention. This allows learners to access information on-demand to solve issues.
3. 📈 Outcomes-Focused Evaluation: The evaluation of learning in microlearning is outcomes-focused. This means the success of a microlearning module is measured by the learner’s ability to meet the specific learning outcome, rather than the amount of content covered.
4. 💰 Cost-Effective Implementation: Microlearning is cost-effective to the institution. As it requires less time and resources compared to traditional training methods, it provides a high return on investment.

Microlearning vs Traditional Training 🔄🔀

• 🎓 Traditional training also known as the classroom experience, workshops, and online courses, is the conventional method of education. This strategy often involves lengthy, planned sessions that last hours or even days. In contrast, microlearning modules are generally 5 to 15 minutes long and can be accessed anywhere, anytime, at the learner’s convenience.
• 📚 The content of microlearning is small and bite-sized, enhancing engagement due to its short duration and various interactive ways to deliver training. On the other hand, the content of traditional training is lengthy, and it can take hours to days to finish a single module.

Examples of Microlearning in Action

1. 🎮 Serious Games: Incorporating game elements such as levels and points with learning materials, serious games offer a fun and exciting way to learn within minutes.
2. 🌐 Social Media Tips: Utilizing social media platforms to share quick tips and links to eLearning resources offers informal microlearning opportunities.
3. 📖 eLearning Video Demos: Short video demos can provide step-by-step walkthroughs of tasks, improving performance and productivity.
4. 📚 Weekly eLearning Blog Prompts: Offering brief bursts of information on a regular basis through blogs can improve knowledge retention and recall.

Conclusion

Microlearning is revolutionizing the field of instructional design by providing a more efficient and effective way of learning. It caters to the needs of modern learners who are overwhelmed, distracted, and impatient. By delivering content in bite-sized, focused chunks, microlearning makes learning more convenient and manageable, leading to improved knowledge retention and recall. As such, microlearning is not just a trend, but a powerful tool that is here to stay in the realm of instructional design.

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