An uncertain business climate coupled with challenges of remote working, virtual meetings, and The Great Resignation has forced businesses to rethink their internal strategies regarding employee-employer relations. Finding the best talent and retaining existing or high potential employees is now crucial for businesses looking to keep pace in a highly competitive and ever-changing world.

Upskilling and learning & development strategies and tools are now taking precedence within organizations; but they require constant review and scrutiny. Learning disengagement, measuring the success and value of learning, and keeping employees upskilled and regularly motivated, are some of the factors that employers and trainers need to keep in mind when creating and implementing L&D modules. In this regard, micro learning can play a significant role in enhancing the learning experience within businesses.

The micro learning market size is projected to reach $4.04 bn by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 12.34% from 2021 to 2028, according to a recent report. As mentioned, this growth forecast is due to “an increasing need for skill-based and result-oriented training that can provide measurable results for enterprises.”

Why Micro Learning?

As the name suggests, micro learning offers smaller, bite-sized chunks of learning, which can be delivered across a variety of platforms, mediums, and by leveraging new and emerging technologies. These can take the form of video, audio, e-games, educational tools like quizzes or puzzles, or leverage greater interactivity for enhanced employee engagement. Additionally, with attention spans dramatically shrinking, owing to a barrage of available content, endless social media feeds, and greater access to the internet via smartphones, L&D trainers need to tailor their modules to find the right balance between entertaining, engaging, and educational content. Further, smaller chunks of learning content have already proved to be more effective owing to decreased memory retention spans, according to recent studies. 

Thus, traditional methods of learning need to give way to newer means. Micro learning can leverage current trends and emerging technologies to provide short, sharp bursts of quality and more engaging learning to keep employees up to speed. Granted, micro learning works best where the topic is not too complex or where there is room for active participation. For longer, session-based learning, micro learning may suffer as, on average, a session may only last up to 13 minutes.

Fig. 1: Benefits of Micro Learning

With more companies offering hybrid environments and virtual, work-from-home options, micro learning can play a big part in both team building and providing ‘real’ learning outside the confines of the physical office space. This can also help save both time and money as there is no need to incur costs on training equipment and related infrastructure or hire rooms or space. Further, since micro learning tends to be modular in nature, it relies less on training manuals and handouts and more on practical learning and experiences. 

Leveraging Technology for Better Learning

With the advent of new and emerging technologies like AI/ML, AR/VR, and analytics, learning – and micro learning in particular – can become more immersive and valuable for businesses. Additionally, for any learning to be effective, it must be examined and reviewed to ensure learners are actually benefiting from what is being taught. Here, analytics – in real-time – can assess the micro learning experience, identify effective or ineffective content, and amend accordingly. Thus, with smaller content chunks this can be easier as there is more room to tweak and flexibly work through such elements. 

Suggested read: Gamification – The Bridge Between Learner Motivation and Competitive Behavior

New technologies can also provide platforms to mimic real-life scenarios. AR/VR tools can be leveraged to provide engaging and almost life-like scenarios using virtual avatars. AI/ML can help create simulations wherein learners can participate across devices or platforms and from remote locations. These benefits can ensure ‘all-across’ learning, heightened engagement, and provide better analysis leading to deeper learning insights.  

Thus, as already mentioned, micro learning can provide short, sharp learning ‘bursts’ to employees and can “boost engagement by more than 50%,” according to a recent survey. In fact, in the same survey, “58% of learners said that they would be more likely to use an LMS if the learning sessions were shorter.” With these conditions at hand, and the advent of new and exciting emerging technologies, micro learning can provide the right ingredients for better learning experiences for employees and help businesses retain and keep their talent motivated. 

Want to know how to implement micro-learning in your business? Talk to our experts today.