Some time back, I happened to watch few project managers take their mandatory training. The thing was that, though these courses would be beneficiary, yet the fact that it was forced upon remained. This toned down the interest to a great extent and to add to that the courses were really long. A few of them took numerous breaks before they finally made it to the end, and the whole time they grumbled, made faces- Oh yes! Even managers behave childishly.
As learning and development professionals such incidents often get us thinking. How do we change this, what is the better way to approach this etc. The answer is right in front- nothing but the right dose of short bursts of learning. So, what are the aspects that make microlearning an apt choice for corporate training?
- No Grumbling and Frowning-Engagement
Though not essentially the best way to put it, this is what happens in many cases. Learners in the corporate sector lack time and interest, so the best way to catch their attention is by creating something short and interesting. The shorter size works well when it comes to making the learners choose a particular course, and whether or not the course is completed depends on how interesting it is- microlearning can take care of both aspects at the same time.
- Keeping the Learning In-Retention
As kids, we have often read short moral stories and long elaborate stories too. Which of these have we retained? Microlearning is known to be sticky. The shorter bursts, tiny-chunks of learning are absorbed more easily and retained for longer time period in comparison with its longer counterpart. This aspect makes microlearning an ideal choice for corporate training.
- No Why Do We Need It Attitude-Relevance
Corporate training is no mean task. Mostly because the learners here are adults who need extra motivation to undergo training. Microlearning is targeted, focused on particular topic. This makes more relevant too. Also, microlearning is classically used to deliver just-in-time learning which is entirely based on the context.
- One Module, Different Use-Customizability
Microlearning is usually designed to deal with a particular topic. In case of corporate training the same topic can at times be a part of different courses. In such cases microlearning can easily be used as a part of both the courses, creating customized courses for different employees etc.
- When Budget Cuts are an Issue-Low Cost
Corporates have occasions where the training budgets have to be sharply reduced. In such situations, microlearning comes in as a wonderful aid as it can be created in lesser time and at lesser cost in comparison to full-fledged eLearning modules.
- For Learning That Needs to Be Everywhere-Multidevice
Corporate training can be for any kind of employees, the busy ones, the constant travelers, or the ones that use various devices. In any case microlearning with smaller file sizes, multi device compatibility, low bandwidth consumption etc. becomes a tool of choice for corporate training.
There are various studies that have proved the effectiveness of microlearning. For corporate training, it can be used to give the learners just what they need in midst of the constant rush and competition.
We have already discussed about the ways to use microlearning as a part of the learning strategy. So, try it now, see how it can enhance the learning experience. And if you have any queries, feel free to pop your questions to info@www.knowzies.com.
