A by-product of the skyrocketing emergence of technology, its multitude of usages and the creation of new behaviours is the crucial role now being played by those administering training programs for their trainees. The digital solutions that make up training programs be it online or on-site are becoming shorter and shorter in duration which has spawned a new facet of eLearning known as micro-learning.

According to the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) connected new-learners are at the heart of evolving trend. Digital learning must adapt to new needs and demands from connected learners by being more accessible, flexible, and easy-to-use which has paved the way for micro-learning!

Micro-learning allows for the delivery of content to trainees through shorter and more targeted training modules. Such modules cqan last anywhere from 30 seconds to five minutes in duration while using simple and enjoyable methods like video, written content, images and sounds. Micro-learning is defined by its interaction through micro-content within micro-training programs which are relatable to the everyday professional lives of its trainees. This shortened format allows for one’s work to be done in parallel with the training process which makes for capitalizing on maximal concentration on the part of the trainee.

Micro-learning offers numerous advantages to a company including:

• cutting down on costs given how digital solutions are always more affordable than on-site training options
• the ease of both the completion of these programs and updates on the part of e-learning project managers due to simplicity of the usage of these tools.
• better tracking due to the more targeted modules that are possible through micro-learning which translates into more clear and precise reporting of data.

Micro-learning also offers a myriad of advantages for trainees:

• the autonomy offered by micro-learning allows trainees to progress at their own pace, come back to a certain subject and deepen their competency. It will only take a matter of minutes to train themselves.
• the accessibility it offers trainees allows the content to be accessed via all types of devices (laptops, tablets and smartphones) and at any time of day or night
• it also features great flexibility given how each module is independent and not necessarily linked to one another
• heightened retention of information due to the shorter modules which are easier to memorize for the trainee as opposed to longer training modules. The impact on memory capacity is far superior via micro-learning.

In conclusion, micro-learning is a type of remote learning which is increasingly in demand. The fact that these modules can adapt to the needs of both trainees and companies is the primary reason for its surging popularity. Not all training programs can be adapted to micro-learning, but it remains a quick and easy tool that is able to pace of people’s real lives of today through its offer of personalized and adapted content across all types of knowledge.

Caroline Irrmann, web editor