How can you create engaging microlearning content that boosts professional development?

Online courses offer a higher amount of flexibility for the learners. They can reach out to a variety of contents beyond the constraints of time and geographic boundaries. They turn out to be more economical too in many cases. However, the lack of opportunity of direct, face to face interaction between the instructor and trainer could be a setback of this method, especially with the people who are more comfortable with the traditional method of learning. The courses which need hands-on training or practical problem solving may benefit much more from the classroom learning. I think a carefully designed phygital approach can be much more appropriate in ensuring the achievement of the learning outcomes.

In my experience, teaching engineering, the combination of practical and theoretical components is needed. The theory could be taught by a combination of short videos, and text. Practical experiences by simulation, and evaluations using interactive tools

In my over ten years of experience, a mixture of the delivery methods described above, prevents the learning experience from been monotonous. What this means is that, as an educator, let there be a mix, once there’s a mix, the learners will always be expectant and would not want to miss your lessons.

Due to our busy schedule, I suggest that we can use videos as the preferred format for microlearning content - for example, showing the audience on how to use specific EdTech tools (instead of reading through step-by-step guide) as well as their affordances. The video resources can also be easily shared within the team and across teams to have greater impact.

Choosing the right format and tool are so important. The online and in person format are so different that you’d want to plan for either scenario. Also, choosing the right tool to deliver content is equally as important. Tools such as Zoom and Meets are vastly different in delivery and utilization therefore planning ahead will save you time and effort.

While you want to parse out the content between various content types to keep people engaged, it also needs to be applicable for the objective that is to be learned. However, offering various forms of activities will address different learning styles and provide a more inclusive learning experience.

In my experience, it helps to provide content in at least two formats - e.g. both a video and text. This is important for accessibility, as well as allowing learners with different preferred learning styles (or simply those who are sat on a noisy train without headphones so unable to watch a video) to engage with the content.

With every professional education, there should be a video message that can have a great impact on the lesson because a lecture alone cannot be as effective as a video that broadcasts any information. Stay in the mind for a long time

I agree, and I will add that micro learnings are usually not part of the syllabus, they come along the way. They are really essential and they can be learned alongside the topics or using some tools online etc.

Microlearning content should be directly applicable to the learners' professional context. Ensure that the examples, case studies, and scenarios resonate with their daily work experiences. This relevance enhances engagement and motivates learners by demonstrating the immediate value of the content. Consider involving real-life professionals or industry experts in your microlearning modules. Hearing from experienced individuals adds authenticity and provides learners with practical insights. Real-world applications help bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and its practical implementation in the workplace.

I agree with the writer of this article, and that’s because, relevant and practical examples are real and they resonate well with the learners. It serves as a connecting point that helps the learners solve problems using domesticated innovations, thereby, improving existing solutions and this eventually makes the impart of knowledge, highly impactful.

I have used this in practical environments where team members learn doing the task. It is way to develop persons from novice to expert.

Focus on the "so what". Learners need to clearly see the direct relevance to their roles, with an emphasis on immediate and practical application of the skill.

This tip/ criterion is extremely crucial in meeting the desired outcome. The microlearning content will prove engaging for the targeted audience provided: a. They associate value and growth to it both professionally and personally b. The presentation of the content succeeds in establishing the "why" it is relevant by speaking to the professional needs of the audience. c. The content and the proposed learning is perceived by the audience as "attainable" with reasonable effort.

Make sure information is short, concise, and digestible. Dont go overboard and provide too much background informations, learners will lose interest. They can learn the details when applying their learning.

Stay current and continuously update your content. Educational practices and language teaching methods are constantly evolving. By staying current, you can incorporate the latest trends, methodologies, and technologies into your content. This keeps your learners at the forefront of their field.

I agree. Case studies and scenarios should be real-life experiences which stay authentic to their learning. On the other hand, their targeted nature and different dispositions will allow learner to grasp hold of as much possibilities/permutations of a particular learning component as possible. For e.g. micro-learning on coping strategies for students with special needs. Provide various scenarios regarding the challenges faced by various profiles of SENs and the relevant strategies needed. This will level up the teachers' practical as theoretical knowledge on SENs in no time. In a nutshell, we have to keep micro-learning inclusive and accessible to all likes of learners so that everyone can relate and rise from the learning experience.

Interactivity is key to engaging microlearning. Include interactive elements like clickable buttons, drag-and-drop exercises, or decision-making scenarios. Interactive content keeps learners actively involved and promotes better retention of information. Additionally, provide immediate feedback after each microlearning module or activity. Constructive feedback reinforces correct answers and clarifies misconceptions, creating a dynamic learning experience. Learners appreciate the opportunity to self-assess and receive instant guidance.

Individualizing teaching by paying attention to areas of interest can help you direct learning. Be alert to tasks that can be handed over as learning opportunities for hands-on training. The most effective managers capitalize upon the strengths of their employees in a way that brings job satisfaction to the whole staff.

AI is only partially correct on this one, in social sciences or languages maybe it works. However, we sometimes need the "jargon" and theories in earth sciences. Of course, we do make our learning as close to real-life examples as possible and try to make the new knowledge useful from the get-go.

One tip I learned from an IDEO course mentioned rituals as being a powerful tool for social interaction and exchange of ideas. I think the same can be said for feedback. Make it a point of meeting with people and checking in. Remember that you might teach someone about the moon, but all they can talk about is the stars. And that can be great. Give people the space to respond genuinely and celebrate their engagement. This is where positive reinforcement can generate culture, and culture generates strong performers as much as leadership does.

Infusing interactivity and feedback into microlearning content makes learning fun as the contributions, views and opinions of the learners helps to know the extent to which learning has taken place. Evaluation and re-engineering can be easily facilitated, through interactivity of learners and feedback mechanism.

Interactivity is key to engaging microlearning. Include interactive elements like clickable buttons, drag-and-drop exercises, or decision-making scenarios. Interactive content keeps learners actively involved and promotes better retention of information. Additionally, provide immediate feedback after each microlearning module or activity. Constructive feedback reinforces correct answers and clarifies misconceptions, creating a dynamic learning experience. Learners appreciate the opportunity to self-assess and receive instant guidance.

Feedback is the central topic of education, I believe in the past 10-20 years. We understand that it is a powerful instrument, and implementing it is a matter of many aspects. Curriculum, timetable, admin, personal experience of a teacher - all these affect how feedback is delivered and used. I prefer instant feedback like goformative app or slightly delayed if it is a case of a big assessment (I still try to provide it as soon as possible).

Interactivity is mandatory but should not imply stressful ways of evaluating learners particularly in andragogic context. Positive feedback and rewards can be helpful.

One thing to keep in mind is that the microlearning content should only have one or two learning objectives so that it is bite-sized and straightforward so that the audience is able to grasp the content more effectively.

For the modern age students learning should be bite-size, unfortunately, the bite-size is decreasing every year. The AI is probably right guessing 5-10 minutes a piece of learning. Attention span and ability of students to process information is the most important factor to consider when planning your lessons.

Ambiguity doesn’t foster learning, it makes it difficult and that’s the truth. Breaking down the learning outcomes into chewable chunks, helps learning to have meaningful impart. It has been tried, tested and proven over time that keeping the learning experience short and simple makes a whole lot of positive difference. The attention span of many learners is short, and they won’t pay attention, once the learning time is unnecessarily long.

In my experience, longer courses struggle with lower completion rates and engagement. By breaking up a longer program into shorter microlearning courses, they are more easily digestible and learners remain focused. Each microlearning course should have one key learning objective and "take home" achievement / task.

Microlearning is fantastic, especially when the delivery of the lesson was designed with the different types of learners in mind. So that learning is achieved, which is essentially the goal of delivering a lesson.

Microlearning is most effective when it adheres to its fundamental principle of brevity. Keep each module concise, focusing on a specific learning objective. Avoid overwhelming learners with excessive information. Short modules are more convenient for busy professionals, fitting easily into their schedules. This approach allows learners to absorb information quickly and encourages them to revisit content as needed, promoting continuous learning.

We need to identify the audience first, to understand their needs. Clearly identify the learning objectives for each area of knowledge with a clear purpose for each. Then divide the learning contents into small fragments for each concept, aiming for 5-10 minutes each. Use interactive elements in designing such as quizzes, and case studies to encourage interactive learning. Make the content more interactive using graphs, animation or videos. Include instant feedback and assessment to measure the audience's understanding. Keep the content up to date allowing capturing the latest advancement in the area of knowledge.

Balancing content consumption and professional work is crucial. Excessive consumption can affect productivity. Microlearning makes it easier for us to allocate time for learning without compromising professional performance.

In today's increasingly fast-paced world, with multiple work, domestic, medical and social ' tasks ' all crammed into a day, micro-learning needs to be just that: micro. I find it most effective when concise text is accompanied by sufficiently detailed visuals/ animations. Brevity, focusing on the absolute key information can then be supplemented by citing other sources such as articles, videos, blogs etc which learners can opt to explore if and when they have more time.

The goal should be 5 minutes of learning per lesson. Adding a 2 minute video or a detailed graphic that contributes to the learning material means that you should only be providing about 6-8 sentences of content to accompany the visuals.

Engage your audience with feedback-driven updates. Regularly update your microlearning content based on feedback from your existing audience. This not only re-engages them but also attracts new learners seeking the latest insights and knowledge.

When you design a micro-course, you should try to keep every lesson fresh and engaging. Avoid front-loading 3-4 days of foundational knowledge without any application or practice exercises. This is especially important when you plan to release each lesson one day at a time. You will likely lose learners by day 2 if there no way to apply the information right away.

Micro learning is fantastic for professional development, especially when content is based on providing snappy, easily accessible actionable insights. However taking a step back when designing micro learning content and looking how the micro parts fit together as a whole, in conjunction with the aims of the learning, is important as well. Not doing this risks learner disengagement as the micro learning can feel disjointed or more challenging without an overall path to progression depending on the goals of everyone involved.

After 27 years full-time as a Lecturer, the feedback I have most consistently read in student course evaluations is honesty and case-related detailed storytelling specific to the week's topic. I have been gifted with teaching graduate and undergraduate social work students. They want to make this world a better place for all. I have no intention of ever retiring!

I would insist on self and active learning methods after top-down classical ways of teaching and learning. Content curation of material available on the internet, with a tool such as scoop.it allows student to involve themselves in discovery of information they never imagined existed. It stimulates their curiosity and critical thinking. They improve their reading and writing competencies.

Micro learning is important because it help people who have issues with concentrating for long hours to still be able to learn. I jot down ideas while teaching that I feel learners find difficult and I give it to them as assignment. Personally, while studying, if I come in contact with any concept that I feel is strange, I go back to study it and I make short and concise explanations about them. This is what I later use to explain in my articles and papers because people find it hard to read long articles

Typically, lessons include both types of information; need-to-know and nice-to-know. In the case of Microlearning, instructors should consider information that falls under the former category (need-to-know). This allows for the lesson to be concise and time-sensitive. As content heavy lessons do not fit into the microlearning model and therefore should be avoided.