There are many ways to provide engaging training programs for your employees, and among the most effective are microlearning tasks. Microlearning lessons are short training sessions. They are easy to follow and fit into the busy schedules of on-the-job learners. Workers can access these lessons at their own pace and get straight to the point of the lesson. Through microlearning, employees can avoid information overload and retain information better. If you’re considering using microlearning tasks in your L&D program, here are some microlearning examples to inspire or boost employee training.
1. Word or fact of the day
A word or fact of the day provides a small nugget of information that learners can easily digest. You can use them to help your team understand industry terminology, processes, or the company’s history. For example, La-Z-Boy provides small tablets for their employees to carry on the sales floor. They also provide plenty of quick snippets of learning so that those employees can grab some training while they’re on the sales floor. Then they can put the information to immediate use.
Vocabulary flashcards are often used to help employees have small bits of training content at their fingertips that they can easily access and memorize. Mobile flashcards can be available on the worker’s mobile device to be accessed and used throughout the day during their workflow. Battlecards are commonly used by sales reps and present short talking points on a wide range of topics that commonly arise during conversations with customers. They also help members of your sales team to have quick responses when they need them.
2. A short video or audio file with a quiz
Close to the top of the list of effective microlearning examples is watchable media. As explained by Deakin Learning Futures Teaching Development Team, using audio and video files for learning tasks allows organizations to enable different forms of interaction with learners. Audio or video can depict real-life examples, explain concepts, observe social groups, and offer expert viewpoints. The ability to rewind and pause a microlearning video or audio file helps ensure that those completing the audio or video task have unlimited opportunities to grasp the training concept.
3. Gamification
LinkedIn notes that gamification is one of the best ways to maximize the effectiveness of training. It turns learning important work concepts into a game. The most popular downloaded game apps typically involve games where the player can achieve something within a matter of minutes and feel productive. Rewards such as points, badges, and leaderboard positions can make these games even more enjoyable and can help with memory retention as learners.
A 2023 survey from The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development found that 42% of L&D professionals cited lack of time as the biggest challenge to training. This was an even greater challenge than a lack of employee engagement. A gamified approach allows you to address both challenges at once. You’re providing an engaging way for workers to learn the skills needed for their jobs in less time than traditional learning methods.
4. Checklists
Looking for microlearning examples that directly tie to work use cases? Try checklists. In many industries, the order in which the steps of a process are completed is crucial. When teaching these processes to workers, a step-by-step checklist can be a way to ensure that they’re learning the proper order and they haven’t made any mistakes. The use of checklists can help a company ensure that the services they’re providing are consistent from one employee to another.
Because of the step-by-step nature of the checklist, it can also be used for microlearning. Combine it with mechanisms such as quizzes to ensure that the worker grasps each individual step. Compliance training is one area of employee learning where checklists are particularly beneficial.
5. Infographics
Studies show that around 65% of the population prefers visual learning. This means they learn best by visual reinforcements. An infographic contains a collection of information that is presented in pictures with graphs or charts and very little text. It allows learners to see the meat of the microlesson immediately. Well-designed infographics can become a valuable tool everywhere, from the classroom to the workplace. Infographics can be an effective way to present data. For example, they can compare and contrast data. They can also help people understand the relationship between events over time.
6. Podcasts
Podcasting is a popular and effective method for reaching audiences, even if those audiences are onboarding employees. It is relatively simple and cheap to create a podcast. But the impact of influencing the conversation and taking the training initiative in your organization to a whole new level through regular podcasting is huge.
You have the ability to create a series of audio files that your learners can access on demand. You can provide a greater connection between groups of workers through stories, lessons, and interviews. Not only are there plenty of teaching opportunities to be found in a podcast, but the increase in communication and common culture to be gained through the use of this microlearning tool cannot be understated.
7. Spaced repetition
Do you remember when you were in math class, and you had to take timed quizzes on your multiplication tables every few days? That’s an example of spaced repetition, and it has been used as a teaching tool for generations. With spaced repetition, the worker studies a particular set of information at increasing intervals. It works as a microlearning method because studying the information generally takes only a few minutes a day. Seeing the same information over and over again increases memory retention.
Spaced repetition is particularly effective for worker performance support when it involves information that the worker will use frequently, such as procedural or safety checklists.
8. Ordering steps
Ordering steps is another engaging elearning task that can help with memory retention. Microlessons involving ordering steps generally present the steps to a work process in mixed-up order. The participant in the training courses must then correct the order. A variation of this learning strategy is to present the steps of the process in the right order but have one of the steps include wrong information. The participant then must determine which information is wrong.
Each of these microlearning examples is an effective microlearning strategy. They only require a few minutes. But they engage the learner in the lesson, making them interact and consider the steps of the process in a different way.
9. Branching scenarios
As a child, did you ever play Mad Libs®? It is a popular game in which random words are used to fill in the blanks and create funny stories based on the words the player chooses. Branching scenarios are similar to Mad Libs®. You can even compare them to a “choose your own adventure” activity in which the learner’s decisions alter the course of the story or information being provided. A branching scenario challenges the worker to make a decision. Then it presents the consequences that occur as a result of that decision.
Microlearning examples like branching scenarios can provide a risk-free environment for the learner to grasp new skills. They can understand how to handle situations, such as dealing with angry customers. Branching allows them to see how their choices improve or damage the situation.
10. Action-based content
According to the Learning Pyramid presented by Ferris University, learners only retain about 5% of the information they are provided through a lecture. If they receive the information through a video, they can retain about 20%. If they watch a demonstration of a concept, they are likely to retain around 30% of the information.
When lessons require immediate action, such as participating in a discussion group, learners retain about half of the information they get. Immediately doing the task covered in the lesson helps boost retention to about 75%. For 90% retention of the information, learners should not only immediately put the lesson to use but also teach it to someone else.
Incorporating short bursts of action-based content into the instructional design of your L&D program often boosts engagement and knowledge retention. Also, it can provide instant evidence as to the effectiveness of the learning solution. One of the important takeaways is that employees are 69% more likely to stay with a company for at least three years if they are satisfied with the onboarding training they received.
Provide microlearning tasks for your team through Docebo
Many types of these microlearning examples, including short video or audio file assignments, games, and other types of quick and interactive training, mimic the kind of content learners are already engaging with through social media. These tasks should boost learner engagement while avoiding the workflow disruptions of longer lessons.
Using these microlearning examples paves the way for workers to understand various concepts for your business. But creating these training courses can be labor-intensive for your L&D team. Docebo embraces the power of AI and machine learning to provide an LMS platform where you can create microlearning modules. Then your workers can access them for quick, mobile learning opportunities.
