Introduction
As a full-time worker, you need the comfort and flexibility of learning on your terms. It enables you to select the appropriate, noise-free setting for the best focus. You can take these short courses in any free time (such as lunch breaks, daily commutes, or workouts) with microlearning. However, even though microlearning makes the process simpler for workers, you must rush the planning.
As per RPS research, microlearning enhances focus and long-term retention by up to 80%. So how do you create microlearning content? Well, we’ll offer you a detailed guide on how to do so in this article.
Table Of Contents
- What Is Microlearning?
- Who Needs Microlearning?
- How To Create Microlearning Content?
- Features Of E-learning Authoring Tools You Need To Produce Microlearning Content
- Tips for Creating Microlearning Content
- Final Thoughts
What Is Microlearning?
Microlearning is a kind of instructional training that divides material into manageable chunks to help ease digestion.
What’s the point of this? And «Will we be tested on this?» are likely questions that everyone who has gone through formal education has asked themselves. Microlearning seeks to address the discrepancy between training objectives and course material.
Who Needs Microlearning?
Microlearning is tailor-made for individuals who need to maximize knowledge retention as quickly as possible. But anyone can enjoy microlearning – because the core of this approach entails short, focused, and applicable content.
Regardless of age, educational background, or career, you learn best when you feel at ease with the process. Simply put, the content should focus on daily skills, be informal, and be available when needed.
How To Create Microlearning Content?
Step 1: Do research on and select a highly focused topic.
Picking a specific topic is as easy as it sounds in this step. Developing customized, outcome-driven content will be simpler the more you simplify it. Yet, once you’ve chosen your subject, resist the temptation to dive headfirst.
Suppose you want to spend your time, money, and effort well. In that case, you must put yourself in the position of your trainees and ensure that the course material is completely relevant to each responsibility within your company. As a result, you’ll increase the learners’ perception of the training’s worth and, so, their levels of engagement.
Step 2. Know your audience.
Your audience should be your primary concern while developing micro-courses. Once you’ve selected and honed your topic, you can begin limiting your audience based on which of your coworkers or test subjects will most likely find your topic valuable. All after choices should be based on the needs of your target audience once you have identified them.
Step 3. Choose a single learning aim.
The precise abilities you want your students to master from your course are outlined in the learning outcomes. For example, imagine you’re giving managers, supervisors, and team leaders broad training on improving their leadership capabilities at work.
Write your learning objectives down using action verbs to prevent getting carried away or diverted from them. The agentive nature of the verb «understand» versus «identify» is what distinguishes a learning outcome that is written poorly. While knowing leadership qualities is an abstract process that cannot be evaluated or judged, identifying them is a concrete, quantitative effort.
High-quality learning objectives are essential for building successful courses. Your course’s success will depend on how well you define your learning outcomes because microlearning strongly emphasizes targeted, action-based teaching.
Step 4. Compose your material in chunks.
Once you have defined clear learning outcomes, the curation process becomes much simpler. You can now brainstorm and start developing your ideas. «chunking» involves breaking up your content into as many different portions as possible.
The goal is to reduce each part to its «atomic state,» rendering it impossible to decompose further. Each of these bite-sized chunks corresponds to one of your scripts. Therefore, each micro-course should relate to one of your learning objectives.
Step 5. Create a microlearning course.
We leave the planning process behind and move on to the development process. In this situation, you’ll need authoring software to combine all the contents. Thanks to many tools, you can complete this in a few minutes without writing a single line of code.
Text, graphics, and video can all be used to construct adaptive training, which can improve through knowledge checks.
Step 6: Distribute the finished piece.
When your course is finished, and you are happy with the outcome, consider releasing a pilot version to a test group to iron out any kinks and unforeseen problems. Due to its many advantages, many businesses opt to deliver training using a learning management system (LMS). You can automate the training process with an LMS by uploading your course to the platform, assigning it to your students, and monitoring their performance.
You can try EDUardo simulation (a tool designed by a Europe-based company) if you still need to choose an LMS.
Features Of E-learning Authoring Tools To Produce Microlearning Content
User-friendly interface
An authoring tool is essential for getting you going. For instance, the drag-and-drop course maker in Easygenerator makes it simple for anyone, regardless of background in business, to develop material.
Interactive components
An engaging experience can also be created by allowing students to engage with the learning materials and make decisions using the information they have learned. As a result, learner retention rates are increased by interactive learning as well.
Cloud-based tools
Using a cloud-based authoring tool, you can access your material from any internet-connected device. As many individuals work today, this might be practical. For instance, you can finish a course you started on a tablet at work and continue it from home.
Media components
Multimedia components, as was already mentioned, make learning more interesting. For example, to integrate photographs, infographics, or videos, your writing tool should have options to connect to, upload, or embed your resources.
Simple content upkeep
It is unavoidable in the company that you should update your learning materials. You’ll also need a writing tool that makes it simple to update your content for the same reason. It will save you time and money in the long run by avoiding starting a completely new course on the same subject from scratch.
Tips for Creating Microlearning Content
Employ various learning modalities.
Some people learn better by hearing things, while others learn best by reading or seeing things. Microcourses are an excellent option because of this. They can incorporate multimedia and be provided as digital learning (e.g., videos, images, and infographics).
Choose a flexible authoring tool.
Mobile responsiveness, or the capacity of your training content to «react» or reformat itself to any screen size or width, is the way of the future because everyone is on the go. On the other hand, you’re sure to cause problems if you restrict your audience to desktop computers. And as you are aware, the essence of microlearning is convenience.
Include storytelling whenever you can.
It’s no secret that experiences are the best way for people to learn. They can be imagined and given life through narrative. Stories are not only immersive, dynamic, and engaging, but this higher degree of engagement also improves knowledge retention in students.
Final Thoughts
The future of eLearning is micro-learning, which is gaining popularity. Today’s students need help with time management and have short attention spans. They may consume and absorb bite-sized content anytime, in a short time, with the help of microlearning.
So, what are you waiting for? Create microlearning content that is laser-focused on a certain subject, is linked for more information, and is packaged in a way that can interest your audience if you want to get the best learning outcomes.
