The new way of educating…Microlearning

1.What is microlearning?

Surely your experience with distance learning, e-learning… has not always been what you wanted. You almost certainly remember the first e-learning courses you took. Do you remember? They were probably more than 5 years ago, quite rudimentary, with a lot of text and little interaction, sometimes boring, very long… like everything, there will always be better and worse experiences, good and bad courses, regardless of whether they are e-learning or face-to-face, but, just as face-to-face training has not changed at all, or almost at all. E -learning has undergone great changes in the last decade, and especially in the last 5 years. During this time, new, more advanced methodologies have been developed, such as microlearning, gamification, cooperative learning… etc.

Microsoft, Linkedin, G-Talent, etc. have platforms for learning through video, using a methodology with great scope and impact in the last 2 years. Microlearning , or in other words, training compressed into small digital learning capsules, allows you to acquire knowledge very quickly and with almost always very good results.

Microlearning is an e-learning methodology, very suitable for continuous learning in organizations that require a high degree of effectiveness in their training actions. This system allows immediate learning and complete adaptation to almost any training process, also allowing its effectiveness to be measured instantly.

There are 2 fundamental factors why microlearning is the trendy methodology from 2019 onwards.

Improving the connectivity of our smartphones

• The improvement in Wi-Fi networks, the drop in prices and the increase in speed in the private market, in addition to the improvement in the connectivity of our mobile terminals (smartphones) with 4G and the data rates that allow us to watch videos.

Video as an element of communication

• We are so used to being told things (news, novelties, etc.) that it is very difficult for us to maintain attention on a text, especially if it is several pages long. However, video is a powerful tool for telling what we want, it allows us to be very effective in communicating and also in training.

Main advantages of microlearning for users:

• Facilitates training : by means of small information pills or short videos, the attention and interest of users is greatly increased, much more than with traditional written methods.
• Greater knowledge retention : thanks to the new training techniques and resources applied with microlearning, students remain more attentive and acquire knowledge more quickly.
• Just in time: training can be accessed at any time, so students can train at the time that best suits them. In this way, we are able to meet their learning needs, avoiding the time constraints that face-to-face training courses have.
• Accessible on multiple devices: A plus of microlearning is that it can be designed in such a way that it can be viewed on multiple devices such as mobile phones, tablets, PCs, etc.
• Time savings in training: the time savings achieved by users when training is very significant, since they have to dedicate less time than to a face-to-face course. In addition, the content of a microlearning course is short and concise, taking the user only a couple of minutes a day. Considering the life we ​​lead, this formula is considered a great advance for students who want to acquire knowledge quickly and not take too long to acquire it.
• Motivator: microlearning courses are divided into different phases, lessons or modules that must be completed in order to finish the course. By gradually completing these modules, the user is motivated to continue with the course and finish it. This gets the user hooked in such a way that they enjoy the process and are encouraged to continue learning, even encouraging them to take a new course.

Main advantages for companies:

• Cost savings : Microlearning courses are short in duration, as they can be created and implemented quickly and easily, which is why costs are lower than any other e-learning model.
• Reduced development times : Due to the length of e-learning courses, the typical formats used for corporate microlearning have a very short development cycle. This way, time is considerably optimized, which results in greater productivity for the company and its employees; more trained and motivated workers in the shortest time possible.
• Updating : Educational pills can be updated and modified quickly and easily to maintain or increase their impact among employees.
• Various areas of application : The main application of microlearning is formal learning, but it can also be used to support company communication as independent assets rather than as part of a series of microlearning courses.
• Strong impact : Microlearning is designed to achieve a very specific result within a company. For this reason, microlearning generally has a very positive impact within the organization of learning and the application of the knowledge acquired by employees. Thus, it causes very positive behavioral changes in a fast and effective way in the company's human capital.

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2. Benefits of Microlearning

Microlearning is a different way of learning, which consists of fragmenting educational content to acquire certain and very specific skills. This learning is created in small steps, which when linked together, create more complete knowledge. One of its main characteristics is that it is done in a short space of time and can be carried out anywhere, without depending on physical locations or traditional systems. It is convenient, fast and efficient.

This formula is presented as one of the best e-learning models for training, as it offers a large number of training possibilities for both users and companies. Let's see what its main benefits are in both cases.

3. The future of Microlearning

Microlearning has evolved a lot in recent years, rapidly changing the way we deliver e-learning training courses; it has a promising future full of innovation and new ways of learning.

Before we start talking about its future and the new way of educating through microlearning , we would like to give you some background and look back to remember what e-learning courses were like and how they have evolved over the last decade.

What were e-learning courses like 10 years ago?

• Navigable screen courses.
• Easy access.
• They were carried out from a computer with an Internet connection only.
• Simple to complete and easy to locate within the platform.
• Sometimes they had sound on some screens, with professional voiceovers.
• They were mostly boring.
• With few screens for user interaction.

How have e-learning courses evolved over the last 10 years?

• Multi-device: Courses can be accessed from almost any type of internet-connected device.
• Visual communication takes precedence.
• With easy access.
• The user experience has been significantly improved.
• Modular, simple and practical.
• It allows you to train immediately in short periods of time.

In just 10 years, e-learning courses have changed significantly, as you can see. The development of new technologies and media means that e-learning methodologies such as microlearning will evolve exponentially in the coming years.

The arrival of 5G soon, augmented reality and advances in artificial intelligence will make microlearning's growth spectacular in the next 5 years . At G-Talent , we are already betting on this methodology, being the one we use most frequently, in some cases it accounts for more than 80% of the training processes.

For all the above reasons, the new way of educating is microlearning , not only preferred by students, but by organizations all over the world.

Essential factors in microlearning

A good training experience today must necessarily consist of at least 2 essential factors:

1. A good training (and communication) platform

A good platform that allows users to access an attractive, motivating, pleasant, easy-to-use and intuitive environment . A training platform must first be attractive, you have to like it as a user and then it must be effective, providing statistics, advice, usage data, etc. A piece of advice, if you don't like the platform visually, don't use it (unless you have an obligation to use it). If your company is considering buying or renting a platform, don't buy it if you don't like it or if your users don't like it either. Convincing unmotivated users to access training through an unsuitable environment is the most expensive investment you will make from HR.

2. A good course

On the other hand, with a good course you will ensure that users are in an attractive environment, which you have managed to get them to access and in which they will enjoy a comfortable learning experience, in which they do not have to spend a lot of time and which also helps them to update themselves. Do not disappoint them with a course in an obsolete, traditional format , with “300 screens or 23,000 words that they have to read ”, do not make them bored with interactive screens with “supposedly attractive” exercises such as hangman, complete the sentence… bet on something newer, fresher, more visual…

4. Examples of microlearning

One of the practical examples of microlearning that we have carried out at G-Talent is the implementation of a microlearning platform for training and communication for the company Cines Unidos, a leading company in Venezuela with more than 700 users.

Cines Unidos is a Venezuelan cinema chain founded on June 13, 1947. It is located in 11 cities and has 198 theaters in 24 complexes, making up the circuit with the largest number of theaters in Venezuela.

Due to this geographical dispersion and the relocation of the management of the company's commercial activities, new communication and training needs arose that the company had to cover.

To meet these new needs , G-Talent implemented InCompany, the Online Corporate Academy, which is made up of:

• Course Library ( Microlearning ) in soft and hard skills.
• Unlimited access to current courses and new courses in constant development.
• Customizing your Training Plans by creating training groups.
• G-Talent Report , a set of tools that allow you to monitor and boost your training process.
• Automated notifications throughout the participant's learning cycle.
• Access from mobile devices, TV, tablet and night mode recognition.

This tool allows the company Cines Unidos to send messages from mobile phones or the platform, which employees receive immediately on their devices. It also allows employees to access more than 500 lessons on different subjects related to courses in soft and hard skills , which they can consult from any location and device. Finally, the “On Boarding G-Talent” welcome plan has been developed, which consists of email, short videos, infographics and a social network associated with the Academy at Cines Unidos, in which the company's business activity related to training is motivated, presented and explained in a useful and clear way.

Although these tools are not often used in companies in the industrial sector, they are becoming increasingly important, as they provide many advantages to companies. This is essential to overcome current challenges, such as teleworking trends, intensive use of mobile phones, relocation and new collaboration models.

If you liked the post “the new way of educating with microlearning ” or you have any questions, from G-Talent.Net we encourage you to leave your opinion in the comments or write to us at info@g-talent.net , we will help you in any way we can!!

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