Have you ever launched a workplace learning and development program that had strong participation, active engagement and excellent participant feedback, only to discover that within a few months, there was no lasting change enacted by the participants? Why is it so difficult to get people to implement what they have learned back at work?
The objective of workplace training is to provide participants with the knowledge and skills needed to enhance job performance in key areas such as technical skills, job-related functions or core leadership competencies. Irrespective of peoples’ engagement during the training, the question remains: How much of this information will they retain and effectively apply in their daily work?
Outside of practicing their learning, there are many challenges to creating and delivering meaningful workplace L&D programs. Participants are busy and may struggle to free up even an hour or two on their calendars. Training could be delivered in the wrong format or at the wrong time. After they attend the training, they may not have an opportunity to apply what they have learned. This can lead to some participants not perceiving training as time well spent. As L&D professionals, our job is to create learning experiences that are meaningful and relevant to people’s day-to-day work.
Adults learn best when training is delivered when it is most relevant to their work, and they can apply what they have learned right away. They must be able to connect what they are learning with the work they are doing and the overarching goals and strategies of the organization.
One possible solution is to implement a microlearning strategy into workplace learning programs. In this article, I will discuss reasons why microlearning can be an effective tool in the L&D toolkit, things to think about when creating a microlearning strategy, cost-effective technology solutions to leverage and ideas to help your microlearning strategy feel exciting and engaging for your participants.
The Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve
A common problem faced by learning and development professionals is the inevitable decline in knowledge retention after the training event. This is called the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve.
Introduced by Hermann Ebbinghaus in 1885, the Forgetting Curve suggests that immediately after a learning event, participants begin to forget the material. The decline in memory is most pronounced immediately after the event and progressively continues over time. Within the first hour, participants retain less than half of the presented information. After one day, more than 70 percent is forgotten, and by the sixth day, 75 percent of the training content is no longer remembered by most participants.
Think back to the last time you had to study for an exam. You likely spent hours diligently reviewing the material and memorizing the information. However, if you didn’t have a reason to apply that knowledge, after a few weeks, your ability to recall specific facts or concepts significantly diminished. This phenomenon underscores the importance of addressing post-training support and reinforcement strategies to enhance the long-term retention and application of learned material.
How Microlearning can help
The idea behind an effective microlearning strategy is that participants are exposed to the content multiple times which helps combat the Forgetting Curve. Research has shown that spacing learning over time helps people retain more and learn more effectively.
When creating a learning module or program with spacing in mind, the approach involves delivering the initial content and then allowing a short period of time to pass before presenting the same concept or set of concepts again. This can be repeated multiple times depending on the complexity of the content.
Ideally, each microlearning touchpoint presents the content in a new way. For example, if your initial training was a live, instructor-led session with some hands-on activities, your first microlearning could be a short video and your second could be an article with a call for short responses. The key is to provide the same content multiple times in different ways. Presenting the information in multiple ways allows you to incorporate learning that will resonate with people in different ways each time they are exposed to it.
Learning in the flow of work
An easy-to-understand example of learning in the flow of work is when your iPhone or Outlook has a pop-up with some tips about new features after an upgrade.
Since most workplaces use a messaging and collaboration app like Slack or MS Teams, delivering microlearning via these kinds of platforms can be a cost-effective approach, as most workplaces already have access to these technologies. In this example, an employee would receive a notification that they have been assigned a microlearning module directly in the app they are already working in. They would then click through to the content and be able to complete it quickly with minimal disruption to their work.
Delivering microlearning in the flow of work can be a powerful way to effectively implement microlearning into your organization and see real results. This approach can work particularly well for training on a new system or process as you can tie the prompts directly to what people are already working on. It can be equally effective for more esoteric topics like leadership development and soft skills.
Taking cues from social media
You can take things one step further by incorporating some lessons from social media. One of the reasons why social media is so addictive is because people are constantly reminded of what they are missing when they leave the app. They receive prompts and notifications that make them want to sign on and scroll. Duolingo has built the most successful app for learning languages by leveraging this exact concept. App users receive a daily notification reminding them to complete their lessons. This creates a psychological effect that makes them want to log in to keep their streak going and continue their learning. If you can replicate something like this in your LMS or via another platform, you will see your microlearning engagement grow.
Another way to make microlearning feel natural is to mirror the way people access information that interests them outside of work or classroom settings. Think about the explosion of niche learning opportunities on platforms like TikTok, YouTube or Instagram. Microlearning is a prime candidate for taking a visual approach to learning. There is no rule that says workplace learning can’t be visually engaging and fun. You can present information in an infographic, short video or scroll. My organization has had success rolling out microlearning modules using this social media-styled approach and the content has been popular.
Concluding thoughts
Addressing the challenges of knowledge retention and application in workplace learning can require innovative strategies.
- By incorporating microlearning and integrating learning into the flow of work, L&D professionals can begin to combat the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve and see improved results from workplace learning programs.
- Leveraging existing platforms like Slack or MS Teams offers a cost-effective and seamless experience.
- Drawing inspiration from social media by using notifications and visually engaging content can further boost microlearning engagement.
In essence, the effectiveness of workplace learning programs lies in their adaptability and alignment with modern learners’ preferences. Microlearning, embedded in the flow of work and inspired by social media strategies, can be a dynamic tool for enhancing retention, application and overall success of organizational learning initiatives.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent.
