e-Learning Blog

At the world's largest talent development event, the ATD International Conference and Exposition (ATD ICE), held in 2016, microlearning was one of the most important keywords. The number of sessions related to microlearning increased from "1" in 2015 to "7" in 2016. However, with over 300 sessions, it may seem like it would get lost in the mix. But all of the sessions were very popular, and microlearning was also featured as a keyword in many other sessions.

In Japan, this keyword has been gaining popularity since the second half of 2016, and some companies have started to put it into practice.
However, it is still not clear what is defined as microlearning... One thing that is certain is that it is "short (micro) learning material". The length is generally around 1-3 minutes (sometimes 5 or 10 minutes).

So, is it just short content that makes up microlearning? It may be broadly interpreted that way, but I believe the essence of microlearning lies in how it is utilized.

The flow of e-learning in corporate education varies. There are "all employees", "groups or job types", "selecting individuals", or "requesting to take the course oneself", etc. Isn't it common to do it all at once on a certain scale?
In this case, the following challenges are likely to occur.
[Challenges that tend to occur in simultaneous e-learning]
・Not watching it due to being busy, etc.
・Being thought of as irrelevant content.
・Not being retained as knowledge.
・Not leading to action, etc.

One of the challenges is the difficulty of motivation.
Unlike group training (without face-to-face motivation from instructors), it is difficult to accept the learning content as one's own challenge.
As the 40/20/40 model (External link: English) suggests, the involvement of the supervisor before and after the training is important, but there are limitations in e-learning.

1. [Main Effects]
2. Even busy people can easily do it in their spare time (1 hour per month if you repeat 3 minutes a day for 20 days).
3. Encourage learning within a sustainable range and establish a habit of learning (a culture of learning is essential for the development of a company).
4. Provide necessary education at necessary timing (delivered according to transfer or promotion)
5. Even if you cram a lot of information, you will forget it quickly *1
6. Originally concise, making it easy to review. It also has a strong impact on knowledge retention and behavior (Learning Transfer) *2
   *1 Ebbinghaus' Forgetting Curve(External Link)
   *2 Efforts may also be made to link to behavioral changes (instructional design)

There are various ways to implement microlearning, such as using it for review after a one-hour course or immediately putting it into practice through store simulations (videos & quizzes).

In addition, there is a strength in being able to provide education that meets various needs, such as "I don't understand this, what should I do?" or "I have some free time during the meeting."

When summarizing the ideal form and characteristics of microlearning, I believe it is as follows:
・Is it not enough to just be short?
・Systematic response is necessary for delivery and management
・The purpose is to establish knowledge and change behavior
・Ease of continuing learning on a daily basis

In the future, as various uses are made, new definitions and texts that differ from the original may emerge.
Please note that this text is intended as a discussion only.