In personnel development, microlearning is one of the most popular e-learning methods of recent years. But even here, mistakes creep in from time to time: Find out now how to avoid them and get the most out of your microlearning. A little spoiler beforehand: Planning is everything in microlearning, too!
As a reminder: Microlearning = Compact learning units that learners only need a few minutes for.
For most HR developers, the concept of microlearning sounds simple and effective. And it is! But as with all training measures, there are a few things you should keep in mind. Find out now how to avoid mistakes and sustainably improve your microlearning.
Mistake 1: Not aligning microlearning with employees
Problem: When planning training concepts, the most important thing is often forgotten: the actual learning goal of your training. Usually, HR developers are concerned with closing performance and knowledge gaps of their own employees. What exact goal are you pursuing?
Solution: Discover knowledge gaps and clearly define learning objectives
The goal should not be "to finish the training", but concrete changes. Once you have found out what skills and knowledge your employees are lacking, you can align the content of your microlearning accordingly. This applies in principle to all training methods – but in microlearning, the setting of goals is particularly important. Only if you know exactly what employees are supposed to learn can you break down the knowledge into small learning units that build on each other in a meaningful way.
To ensure that your employees actually participate, you should make the personal benefit of the training clear to them. Create awareness for learning at the workplace and involve learners directly in the setting of goals!
Mistake 2: Using microlearning for all training measures
Problem: Although microlearning is suitable for many different training topics, it is not suitable for all of them! If you use microlearning for unsuitable topics, the learning effect for your employees may not happen. Microlearning is one of many methods, and not a patent solution.
Solution: Match learning content and method with each other
Soft skill training or product and knowledge training, for example, can be wonderfully implemented as microlearning. A digital learning library in the sense of Learning on Demand is also suitable for microlearning.
You should rather convey lengthy topics that require complex technical skills, for example, in another form. Operating a complex machine, for instance, is better learned directly on-site or with Blended Learning. In this case, it is particularly valuable to have an expert on hand to practice the workflows together with your employees.
Mistake 3: Long and difficult-to-access microlearning courses
Problem: In microlearning, the rule is "short and sweet!". If the learning units are too long, your learners lose motivation. The wrong technology also leads to problems: Complicated programs, lengthy registration processes, or software that is too slow also depress your employees' motivation to learn.
Solution: Optimize delivery and presentation of learning content
To increase your employees' willingness to learn, you should remove all possible hurdles: Usually, it's little time and overly complicated technology.
Keep the learning units short! In many online courses, however, we still see complete PowerPoint presentations uploaded as a single learning unit. That is definitely too long. Therefore, make sure that your individual content can be completed in a few minutes. We recommend the 2-minute concept.
Make technical access easier! Therefore, use a learning platform that is as intuitive as possible and to which all your employees always have access. Of course, there are employees (or trainers) who resist digital training. However, there are several ways you can convince tech-skeptics. Keep in mind: Your learning content should, above all, be mobile-optimized. Only in this way can you fully utilize the basic idea of microlearning, to learn quickly while on the go.
Mistake 4: Microlearning content for a specific occasion
Problem: Creating learning content takes time, and this of course also applies to microlearnings. Many HR developers, trainers, or coaches therefore often associate microlearnings with additional workload, but it doesn't have to be.
Solution: Develop universal learning content for different purposes
Design digital learning content so that you can reuse it. To keep track of your learning content, you can, for example, create your own microlearning library.
Simply create a template course on your learning platform in which you collect all your learning content on the various topics. This way, other colleagues can also access the training resources and develop new microlearning courses.
Mistake 5: Lack of evaluation of your microlearning courses
Problem: Some HR professionals already rely on microlearnings in their companies – but forget to check whether the measures actually fit the set goals. As a result, some microlearning courses are not as efficient as they could be.
Solution: Check the effectiveness of the learning units
As an HR developer, you should therefore evaluate each of your microlearning courses after completion. Which content worked well? Where were there problems? Was there a point where many employees dropped out of the course?
The evaluations of your courses help you to make your microlearning even better and avoid mistakes in the future. Another advantage: By analyzing your courses, you can check whether the goal and implementation still match.
Conclusion
Successful microlearning is not created solely through short learning units, but through clear learning objectives, suitable content, easy access, and continuous evaluation.
Used correctly, microlearning can flexibly and practically supplement corporate training. Crucially, however, the method should not be used for every learning goal. Complex skills often require different or supplementary learning formats.
Those who align microlearning with the needs of employees, reduce technical hurdles, make learning content reusable, and regularly check learning success, turn small learning units into a sustainable training concept.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
What are typical mistakes in microlearning?
Typical mistakes are unclear learning objectives, unsuitable learning content, overly long learning units, complicated technical access, content that can only be used once, and a lack of evaluation of the courses.
What learning content is microlearning suitable for?
Microlearning is particularly suitable for clearly defined topics such as product knowledge, knowledge training, soft skills, or learning on demand. For complex skills, another learning method or a combination with blended learning may make more sense.
How long should microlearning units be?
Microlearning should remain short and focused. Individual learning units should be able to be completed within a few minutes and should concentrate as much as possible on a clearly defined learning objective.
How can microlearning be sustainably improved?
Microlearning courses should be evaluated regularly. Completion and dropout data, as well as the usage of individual content, can show which learning units work and where adjustments are necessary.
