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Read more Fabrizio Giorgini

Head of Professional Services,

EMEA

eXact Learning Solutions

Why is microlearning

relevant today?

It is significant to note that, although the hype

cycle may have died down somewhat, the use

of microlearning is on the rise. A survey by Rapid

Learning Institute, claims eight out of ten L&D

professionals prefer microlearning because their

users favour it over traditional learning.

This preference has also risen steadily within the

large corporate L&D departments that now

provide microlearning. The e-learning Industry

provides the following list of the top

microlearning trends, resulting from broader

adoption:

• More infographics and the rise of interactive

infographics

• Interactive PDFs

• eBooks

• Animation; and

• Mobile apps.

Until recently, the gravitation towards

microlearning was driven primarily by the trend

to develop informal and community-produced

content as a means of supplementing formal

learning activities. This, in turn, was accelerated

by the rapid development of new technologies

and delivery platforms that simply were not

available 10 years ago. Fast-forward to today,

and the second wave of microlearning is being

driven by the transformative changes in the way

businesses operate, as a result of the

technological evolution that was happening in

the initial wave.

Pete Radice is Learning Specialist at

pharmaceutical company Merck: "Here the

current focus is on meeting the learners needs

in the flow of work and on the go. The design of

what we now call 'Journeys' entails focusing on

what is required to enhance performance. This

will, and does, include microlearning, as we

recognize that 3-4 minutes to consume content

is the current trend."

Some common benefits

• much less costly and time-consuming to

produce than traditional e-learning

• more closely-aligned with how human

memory works

• removes the likelihood of boredom by

minimising time commitment

• better suited to accessing and using

relevant on-demand content, without having

to sort through a monolithic course

• introduces business efficiencies by

achieving maximum benefits via minimal

input

• better aligned to the attention span of those

entering the workforce

• easier to 'mix-and-match' to create highlytailored and personalised content.

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