Why Microlearning works

Why do we continue to educate ourselves? We humans are capable of lifelong learning, which not only increases professional and social success, but also benefits our mental health. Seneca once said, "You must learn while you do not know, you must learn while you live." The 70:20:10 model was developed in 1996 and is still popular with education experts and human resource developers today. It gives indications of how much learning takes place and in what context. According to it, we learn 70% of what we need through practical experiences in everyday life, 20% we learn from role models, through imitation or in conversations with colleagues and friends, and 10% we learn in the context of non-formal and formal education, i.e. in educational institutions. There are newer models that ascribe different values to the three areas of learning, but they make the same point: the proportion that we learn through our own actions is the largest.

Microlearning, often referred to as 'learning nuggets', is an effective and efficient way to gain hands-on experience. This form of eLearning typically lasts between two and ten minutes, and utilizes videos, animations, and other multimedia materials to deliver condensed information. With mobile learning in mind, microlearning has a variety of advantages that make it an ideal addition to any mobile learning strategy. It is user-friendly, engaging, and provides learners with the opportunity to acquire knowledge quickly and effectively.

5 Reasons to get Learning Nuggets for your team

1. Attention

It is common knowledge that our attention span is steadily decreasing. In this day and age of instant gratification, mobile apps and constant distractions, it is difficult to demand continuous concentration from learners. Not only that, but retention behaviour decreases after just a few minutes. For example, on Facebook, videos are rarely watched for more than a minute and even on YouTube, a platform tailor-made for videos, rates drop after 4-5 minutes. Therefore, when creating eLearning content, in whatever form, it is essential to take into account the attention span of modern learners. Microlearning adapts to the fast lifestyle, short attention span and interaction of modern learners.

2. Information Retention

Much eLearning, especially when it comes to compliance, is often mandatory in organisations. Unfortunately, engagement with this type of knowledge is often not as high as expected. Mandatory training is usually not the most exciting for learners and, as previously noted, the average internet user loses focus after a few minutes. As a result, completion rates cannot be used to determine an organisation's compliance or how interested learner's are in the material. The solution to this problem is to break down the content into smaller portions through microlearning. This makes it far simpler for learners to retain the given information. Additionally, mobile learning provides flexibility, allowing personnel to learn and remember knowledge at a time and place of their choosing.

3. Engagement

Given the condensed nature of modern learning materials, microlearning is often more successful in keeping learners engaged and motivated to take initiative. An apt analogy for this phenomenon is "falling down the rabbit hole" - a phrase used to describe the rabbit hole of content services such as YouTube or Netflix. By providing shorter, bite-sized pieces of content, learners are more likely to keep searching for more. This same principle applies to microlearning, which takes advantage of an individual's reliance on mobile devices. Self-directed, continuous learning is now a key element of the L&D landscape, providing a way to measure the effectiveness of learning engagement.

4. Achievements

No matter your role in an organization (or life), ticking off a to-do list gives a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. Breaking down tasks into smaller, more manageable parts increases the likelihood of completing them due to the motivation of getting more wins. Similarly, microlearning activates the reward system in our brains when we complete an item, making us feel good and closer to our goals. However, all training that exceeds 30 minutes up to several hours on mobile devices can be demotivating for learners.

5. Time

Today's employees are likely to be working harder, taking fewer breaks, and producing more than ever before. With ever-tightening schedules, L&D must adapt to ensure engagement and completion levels don't suffer. Microlearning, combined with our Day to Day Office Routine, provides greater flexibility for learners' timetables. Whether a worker has five minutes prior to a meeting or a few moments at the end of the day, these are ideal moments to catch up on mandatory training and just-in-time learning. Gather.Town provides the perfect platform for microlearning anytime, anywhere with its virtual office Day. This makes it an ideal solution for meeting your training and development needs.