What is Microlearning? A Guide to Creating Your First Microlearning Course

Are you looking to create effective and engaging online courses? If so, then microlearning might be just the solution you need! In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the world of microlearning, understanding what it is and how you can create your first microlearning course. We’ll also dive into some examples of microlearning lessons and discuss best practices to help you make the most of this innovative learning approach.

Understanding Microlearning

Microlearning is a modern, learner-centric approach to education that delivers small, bite-sized chunks of information to learners. Unlike traditional long-form courses, microlearning presents concise and focused content that can be easily consumed in short periods of time, typically ranging from 5 to 15 minutes, however, I’d personally recommend that the videos be on the shorter side. This approach not only maximizes engagement but also enhances knowledge retention among learners.

Why is it that microlearning is so effective? Aside from short attention spans, one of the biggest reasons is that many people have been conditioned to short form video content. Think about the endless reels, shorts and TikTok videos that we mindlessly swipe through each day. According to a statistic, 17 million watch hours of 90 second Instagram Reels are consumed on a daily basis. Thats incredible! Also video content tends to work best since it’s visual and because you can provide your students real life examples and demonstrations that aide in their learning experience. It’s quite powerful!

The key characteristics of microlearning can be summarized as follows:

1. Short: Microlearning segments are designed to be short and to the point. Learners should be able to complete a segment within 5 – 15 minutes. This helps maintain learner focus and prevents information overload.
2. Focused: Each microlearning session should have a singular focus. It is not intended to cover broad topics but rather to address specific learning objectives. By keeping the content focused, learners can easily grasp and retain the information.
3. Dynamic: Microlearning is often presented in dynamic and interactive formats, such as videos, quizzes, infographics, or interactive presentations. This helps captivate learners’ attention and enhances their learning experience.

Now that we have a basic understanding of microlearning, let’s delve into the steps you can follow to create your first microlearning course.

Creating Your First Microlearning Course

When creating a microlearning course, it’s crucial to start with a clear vision and an understanding of your learners’ needs. Here are the key steps to follow:

Step 1: Define Learning Objectives

Identify the specific learning outcomes you want to achieve through your microlearning course. Clearly define what your learners should be able to do or understand after completing each lesson. For example, if you are designing a sales training course, your learning objectives could include teaching effective sales techniques, overcoming objections, or building customer relationships.

Step 2: Break Down Content into Microlearning Lessons

Once you have defined your learning objectives, break down your course content into small, self-contained microlearning lessons. Each lesson should focus on a single topic or concept. For instance, if your course is about customer service, individual lessons could cover topics like active listening, empathy, or handling difficult customers. You could even take those topics and break those down into multiple lessons. Perhaps there are 3 techniques you can teach to help with active listening. Keeping the lessons basic, short and to the point is the objective.

Step 3: Choose Engaging Content Formats

To make your microlearning lessons engaging and effective, consider using a variety of content formats. Video lessons can be powerful tools for explaining concepts or demonstrating skills. Infographics are great for presenting data or visualizing processes. Interactive quizzes can test learners’ understanding and promote active recall. Experiment with different formats to find what works best for your learners and content. WP Courseware supports various content formats like video, audio, text, downloadable documents such as PDFs or spreadsheets, and infographics.

Step 4: Optimize for Mobile Learning

One of the advantages of microlearning is its compatibility with mobile devices. Ensure that your microlearning course is accessible and responsive across various devices, such as smartphones and tablets. This allows learners to access the content anytime, anywhere, making it convenient and flexible for their individual needs. When using WP Courseware for your WordPress LMS solution, you can rest assured that the various elements are mobile friendly so long as your theme is mobile friendly. Most modern themes are mobile friendly which will give great presentation on mobile devices.

Step 5: Provide Short Assessments

To gauge learners’ comprehension and reinforce their learning, include short assessments at the end of each microlearning lesson. These assessments can take the form of quizzes, short assignments, or reflection questions. By providing immediate feedback, learners can identify areas for improvement and solidify their understanding of the content. WP Courseware’s quiz feature is robust and can be a used to reinforce your student’s learning.

Now that we have covered the essential steps in creating a microlearning course, let’s explore some examples of microlearning lessons and best practices.

Examples of Microlearning Lessons

1. Time Management: Create a microlearning lesson on effective time management techniques, exploring strategies such as prioritization, goal setting, and avoiding procrastination.
2. Product Demonstrations: Develop short video lessons showcasing how to use specific products, electronics or software features. These lessons could provide step-by-step instructions or highlight key functionalities.
3. Language Learning: Design microlearning lessons that focus on individual words or phrases, accompanied by audio pronunciation and example sentences. This approach helps learners gradually expand their vocabulary and improve their language skills.

There are literally endless possibilities. One thing to keep in mind is that microlearning does not fit every niche. If the primary learning objective is very complex and requires a lot of curriculum, it may not be a good fit for a microlearning course.

Best Practices for Creating Effective Microlearning Courses

To ensure the success of your microlearning courses, keep the following best practices in mind:

• Keep it concise: Remember that the essence of microlearning is delivering focused and bite-sized content. Avoid unnecessary fluff and deliver information in a straightforward manner.
• Engage with multimedia: Utilize different forms of media, such as videos, infographics, or interactive presentations, to make your microlearning lessons captivating and memorable.
• Encourage interactivity: Incorporate interactive elements such as quizzes, or gamification to promote active participation and reinforce learning.
• Support spaced repetition: Implement a spaced repetition approach by revisiting key concepts in subsequent microlearning lessons. This technique helps reinforce learning and enhances long-term retention.
• Offer opportunities for reflection and application: Include exercises that encourage learners to reflect on the content and apply it to real-life scenarios. This helps learners connect theory with practice and deepen their understanding.

By considering these best practices and creating microlearning courses with these principles in mind, you can deliver engaging, impactful, and effective learning experiences for your audience.

In conclusion, microlearning is an innovative approach that allows course creators to deliver focused and concise content to learners. By breaking down complex topics into small, digestible lessons, learners can easily engage with the material and retain information effectively. With the right approach and the support of WP Courseware, you can create engaging microlearning courses that drive knowledge acquisition and skill development among your learners. So why wait? Start creating your first microlearning course today and transform the learning experience for your audience!