MICROLEARNING

TECHNIQUES
Driving Results by Empowering Learners
 INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . 2

WHAT IS MICROLEARNING? . . . . . . . . . 3
< table of contents

IS MICROLEARNING RIGHT FOR YOU?. . . . . . . . . 4

MICROLEARNING IN THE LEARNING LIFECYCLE. . . . . . . . . . 5

MICROLEARNING IN READINESS. . . . . . . . . 6

MICROLEARNING IN DISCOVERY. . . . . . . . . . 7

MICROLEARNING IN REINFORCEMENT. . . . . . . . . . 8

DEVELOPING A MICROLEARNING STRATEGY. . . . . . . . . . 9

REFERENCES. . . . . . . .1 0

MICROLEARNING TECHNIQUES WWW.ALLENCOMM.COM

 INTRODUCTION
As technological changes transform more.” Microlearning can serve more
our everyday lives, we must address personalized and relevant informa-
the influence technology has on how tion closer to the point of need. By
we learn and work. Whether it’s using micro elements in your curricu-
simply new habits or a total overhaul lum, learners are able to choose only
in the way we think, technology has what is most relevant to their job and
changed the way we do our jobs and experience level – ultimately creating
the way we look for information to a personalized experience.
help us do those jobs.

That is why companies need to adapt

the way they train employees. Micro-
learning can help organizations
adjust to this change in the way
employees learn. AllenComm’s CEO
Ron Zamir says microlearning is more 80% More with MORE
than a trendy buzzword. “It’s a





response to growing learner and








workplace complexity,” he says. “As






technology changes more quickly, it’s
allowed us to incorporate microlearn-
ing faster than any other transforma-
tion in our approach to education.” Microlearning is an important modal-
ity for you to consider when develop-
As learners become more informed, ing your training strategy. You can
and have more control over when, empower learners and drive produc-
where and how they access informa- tivity by expanding access to
tion in their day-to-day lives, your focused, relevant content. With the
employees and customers expect a large amount of information we are
similar level of access and control in expected to know to be effective at
their training. Employees also have work, microlearning helps by letting
expanding job responsibilities and learners engage with what they need
are being expected to do “more with to and easily look up the rest.
WHAT IS
MICROLEARNING?
3 critical components

There are three elements that define microlearning. With rare exceptions, Perhaps the characteristic most commonly thought to be essential to micro-
these three criteria will guide your creation of training with a big impact. learning – brevity – is a result of the first two elements. When you ensure that
We’ll use the example of one of our clients, Domino’s, to demonstrate how a module is strategically designed to focus the activity to achieve a specific
the three should be intertwined. objective, you will create something shorter than traditional training.

1 .
2 .
3 .
Microlearning is targeted to a Microlearning includes a focused Microlearning is usually part of a
specific performance objective. learning activity. larger strategy.
Microlearning is, by its nature, specific in To accomplish that specific objective, Finally, microlearning does not typically
what it is trying to accomplish. One microlearning uses a single learning activity. exist on its own. It should be part of an
microlearning module is aimed at introduc- It might be a game, a discussion or an organization’s broader strategy. Rather
ing one concept, changing one behavior or interactive video, but that activity is than simply slicing and dicing a 2-hour
exploring one idea – in short, it is linked to focused on just one behavior or concept. course into shorter segments, those
one performance objective.
microlearning elements should be used
To meet their objectives, the Domino’s strategically to complement a broader
Domino’s has created micro courses that courses were designed as games, with each learning strategy.
are each targeting something specific, game helping employees learn one aspect
such as food waste reduction or a decrease of how to quickly and accurately make Although the Domino’s games are all
in pizza remakes. pizza. microlearning courses, they contribute to
a larger vision for how to improve
performance and use training to support
and help drive the future of the brand.

MICROLEARNING TECHNIQUES 3
IS MICROLEARNING RIGHT FOR YOU?
Microlearning may be right for your cheaper version of traditional training. CEO Ron
organization if: Zamir says, “Microlearning is not so much about
short versus long. It’s about distinct content
đƫƫƫƫYour company’s products or services pieces versus broader training.” While micro-
are updated frequently, learning is great for flexibility and agility, being
đƫƫƫƫYou are introducing new systems or
processes,
đƫƫƫƫYour goal is to manage change,
able to create great, targeted content can take
just as much or more development time than
longer, but broader, training.
7/10 GOOGLE IT
đƫƫƫƫYour employees have different levels of

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MICROLEARNING TECHNIQUES 4
MICROLEARNING IN
THE LEARNING LIFECYCLE
READINESS, DISCOVERY, REINFORCEMENT

The beauty of microlearning is not just in its focused nature. When consider- involved, providing helpful assets that will be useful in the larger curriculum,
ing what role microlearning should play in your curriculum, you have a lot of or all of the above.
flexibility. Micro assets can be used anywhere along the learner lifecycle –
sometimes as a standalone piece, sometimes to augment a larger piece of Once learners have moved into the discovery phase, your courses can help
training. them focus on specific behaviors that need to change or information they
need to know. Using these assets alone or with traditional training helps you
As your learners progress through the learning lifecycle – from readiness to impact and track change better. Finally, microlearning is most commonly
discovery to reinforcement – microlearning can play a helpful role in any or associated with reinforcement, and for good reason. By increasing the
all of these stages. You can use an asset like a video or game to engage frequency of short training reinforcements, your learners will retain infor-
learners before the training ever begins. Microlearning can be helpful when mation and good habits much longer.
you’re explaining the purpose of training, motivating employees to get
PERFORMANCE

PERFORMANCE
READINESS DISCOVERY REINFORCEMENT
CURRENT

FUTURE
Motivational video Gamification Job aids
Diagnostic quizzes Decision-making scenarios Goal wizards
Infographics Video interviews Reference tools
Flipped pre-work How-to demos Performance dashboards

MICROLEARNING TECHNIQUES 5
 READINESS
ENGAGE LEARNERS
BEFORE TRAINING

Microlearning can engage learners before training even begins. It’s not just
about telling employees what they will be learning in the training; it’s also
about motivating them so they want to take the training. This pre-training
engagement can be done through videos, diagnostic quizzes, infographics
and other micro content that primes learners.

Zions Bancorporation is in the midst of a major transition as it modernizes

and simplifies its banking systems. Zions understands that a successful
transition will depend in part on its ability to clearly communicate with its
employees through all phases of the transition. To do this, Zions partnered
with Allen to create two motion videos that inform and excite learners about
the coming changes in an open, straightforward way.
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This short video tells the story of the transition, and explains how the bank-
ing systems will be updated while the bank continues to do business. Using
a racecar analogy, the video not only helps employees understand what the
change entails, but helps them embrace the transition by seeing how it will
create a stronger, better future for the company.

MICROLEARNING TECHNIQUES 6
DISCOVERY
SHORT, FOCUSED
CONTENT

In discovery, microlearning provides short content that focuses on one

performance objective. This creates targeted behavior change where it’s
needed. A 5-in-5 model can be a useful method in which five activities are
conducted in five minutes, each focused on changing a specific behavior.

At Northwestern University, they wanted to help high school students and

teachers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)
understand how to communicate information that is often thought of as too
technical. With Allen, Northwestern created a microlearning course called
the Principles of STEM Education. The course needed to be helpful, but
streamlined and understandable so it could easily be taken into any class-
room

Using short modules, this course helps learners understand easy ways to
communicate more complicated ideas. Each module contains “why” and

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“how” sections to give learners a fundamental understanding of STEM
communication and tools to use. This course will empower students to
better communicate their ideas and facilitate future STEM grants.

MICROLEARNING TECHNIQUES 7
 REINFORCEMENT
PERSONALIZE AND
REVIEW

Trainers can use microlearning to personalize and review learning, provide

reference tools, or develop performance dashboards. Without reinforce-
ment, information can be quickly forgotten, but learners do not want to
repeat a longer course only to get the specific information they needed.
That’s where microlearning comes in.

For example, Allen Communication worked with the Corporate Executive

Board (CEB) to develop a tool to reinforce what call center employees
learned about different caller communication styles. This 5-in-5 tool included
five skillbuilder modules that reinforced prior web-based training the learn-
ers had taken.

Using the 5-in-5 piece, employees were able to review the information, see it
again, try to get the best response, then demonstrate and discuss the behav-
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iors. These simple microlearning tools made the overall curriculum far more
effective.

MICROLEARNING TECHNIQUES 8
DEVELOPING A
MICROLEARNING STRATEGY
Use these four steps to guide your development of a
microlearning strategy.

If you’re new to microlearning, Ron recommends starting with a prototype

that can provide a “wow factor.” A successful first microlearning initiative
will help you obtain buy-in for future projects.
1. ASSESS 2. EVALUATE
It's also a best practice to manage microlearning content outside your LMS
Assess your organization’s With which courses or
needs and determine what
– perhaps on a website or portal that can be used on other systems. Doing
modules are your learners
behaviors you are trying to typically less engaged? What so will allow you to use Google Analytics to gather data to demonstrate
change with microlearning. specifically is causing this the return you’re getting on your investment.
disengagement?
And you will get a return on that investment. Whether you have a small
budget for a simple series of short discussion activities or a larger budget
for more complex content like games and interactive videos, microlearning
can drive results by empowering your employees with the access to and
3. MAP 4. DEFINE control over information they want in a 21st-century workplace.

Choose a design that can be What are your budget,

used in a variety of different timeframe and internal
ways and for a variety of resources? Invest more on the
topics. Broad applicability can initial design, because you will
save time and money. probably reuse it later.

MICROLEARNING TECHNIQUES 9
WHO WE ARE
As a training company, Allen has a
proven record of helping companies
improve employee engagement by
creating custom training for all types of
training needs and industries worldwide.
Learn more about our award-winning
custom training solutions.

Get in touch:
(866) 310-7800
info@allencomm.com

Join the conversation:

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MICROLEARNING TECHNIQUES 10