One of the terms you may encounter in professional literature focused on employee education and development is "micro-learning". This is an effective method of employee training, which is gaining importance and relevance, especially in the current era of hybrid working and increasingly fast pace of life and work. Below is an overview of the specifics, advantages and potential disadvantages of this form of learning.
What micro-learning means
Micro-learning is an educational approach based on short, occasional, and easily digestible learning segments. Instead of multi-hour or even full-day workshops and training sessions, it may consist, for example, of a series of short videos, tips or interactive exercises. The advantage of micro-learning lies in its high flexibility. It can be easily integrated into daily work, and each participant may choose their own pace.
How to apply micro-learning effectively at your company
- Define the skills and knowledge you want employees to acquire. According to eLearning Industry, the first step is to clearly define what exactly you want employees to learn.
- Prepare training in short segments. Micro-learning should be divided into very short, engaging, and ideally two- to five-minute long educational segments.
- Integrate micro-learning into employees’ workday. Find an optimal way to incorporate micro-learning into the everyday work and life of your employees so that it does not inconvenience them yet remains effective.
- Obtain feedback. Evaluate the established system and collect feedback from employees.
Potential disadvantages of micro-learning and how to avoid them
By its nature, micro-learning carries the risk of excessive fragmentation. Employees may complete several short segments in a row, then not return to the topic for a long time, and later forget what it was about. It is therefore essential that learning segments follow one another in a logical sequence. Employees should have some autonomy in incorporating training into their daily routines, yet progress should remain consistent rather than sporadic.
Micro-learning also has certain limits. Above all, it cannot be used to convey knowledge of genuinely complex topics which require long concentration and extended learning sessions. If employees need to be trained in a complex subject matter, micro-learning should serve only as one of the supplementary forms of education, not the sole method.
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