What is Micro-learning? Examples, Benefits, & Disadvantages

What is Micro-learning?

Micro-learning involves breaking down information (training, lessons, how-tos) into small, easily digestible pieces. These lessons are typically shorter in length and they focus on one specific topic or skill. Each new lesson is sent to the learner on a timeframe, for instance, a lesson a day. This makes it perfect for modern learners who are always on the go! It also helps build on topics so that learners can grasp the initial information before moving on to the next piece.

There are several benefits associated with micro-learning, including:

• Allowing learners to focus on one specific topic or skill at a time
• Breaking down complex topics into manageable pieces
• Making it easier for learners to retain information
• Saving time and money by delivering concise lessons

How this works in Arvo 👇

Because Arvo is a platform filled with skimmable documents (known as playbooks), it's considered a micro-learning tool. Playbooks focus on one specific topic and they are broken down into bite-sized pieces, also known as pages. Even if you have larger topics, you can create a library within Arvo, with multiple playbooks, and each playbook having pages associated with them.

Applying Arvo 👇

Arvo pages and playbooks can be assigned on a schedule so that each lesson is worked on over time based on the needs of your company. In some cases, it may be a page a day, or in others, lessons may be more spread out. It really helps drill down from larger, complex training to granular how-to's for each piece. Arvo Pages specific to a topic become increasingly valuable when doing on-the-job-training, or if you need information immediately when questions arise on how to do something.

Arvo in Action 👇

Here is a real-life example of a new employee starting at a new company that uses the work management system, ClickUp. On their first day, they would receive their training on what ClickUp is and how to set up their profile. On day two, the lessons would include how to manage their notifications and tasks. On day three, they would learn commenting, status updates, and project design. Each day builds on the previous day and the knowledge is retained much more than it would be if you assigned everything at once!

What are some disadvantages to using micro-learning?

While micro-learning has many benefits, there are also a few potential disadvantages to using this type of learning, including:

• There is a risk that learners will only retain the information from the most recent lesson, and not be able to apply it to other situations because accessing the previous knowledge is difficult
• Micro-learning lessons must be carefully designed to ensure that they are engaging and effective
• Creating micro-learning content can be time-consuming and expensive

These disadvantages can be minimized by using the right tool to create them, still making micro-learning a great way to learn new information quickly and efficiently. It is perfect learners who want to be able to learn on their own time and at their own pace. If you are looking for a new way to learn, micro-learning might be the perfect solution for you!

Applying Arvo 👇

Creating micro-learning lessons in Arvo is quick and easy and will save you time in the long run! Lessons created in Arvo are comprised of several different components to keep content engaging, skimmable, and effective. Topics can be searched within Arvo and later accessed by anyone in the organization so that if a learner is fuzzy on a topic, they can easily find what they need within seconds.

How can you determine if micro-learning is right for you?

If you're trying to decide if micro-learning is the right approach for your team or organization, you can:

• Try delivering a micro-learning lesson to a small group of employees or team members. You can create a lesson within minutes by creating a free Arvo account.
• Solicit feedback from employees or team members after they have completed the lesson. You can even embed a Google Form (or similar survey tool) directly into a page of a playbook at the end of the lesson to gather their feedback immediately.
• Compare the results of your micro-learning test to other training methods that you are using. A couple of ways to assess is asking yourself these questions:
• Are you seeing that employees are retaining information better after using micro-learning lessons?
• Are you finding that they are more efficient or productive in their job?

Once you have decided that micro-learning is the right approach for your team or organization, there are a few things to keep in mind when creating content. These include:

• Keep it short and sweet: Remember that micro-learning lessons should be concise and focus on one specific topic.
• Make it relevant: Micro-learning content should be relevant to the needs of your team or organization. Otherwise, you run the risk of employees or team members not being able to apply the information they have learned.
• Make it engaging: Learner engagement is essential for micro-learning content. Be sure to use a variety of media types, and make use of interactivity whenever possible.

Applying Arvo 👇

Arvo lessons can be made short and sweet by using separate pages filled with components that support different media types!

• You can add photos and short video clips in your step-by-step component to avoid burnout from reading and make the content easily digestible.
• Make your training more engaging and easier to understand by adding tutorials with the video block component. You can add Loom, YouTube, or Vimeo videos!
• Use the website embed component to add a quiz and test their knowledge at the end of each lesson. This will ensure they're staying engaged while learning!

How is Micro-learning being used?

Micro-learning is being used by businesses and organizations across a variety of industries to train employees. Here are a few examples:

• A large company uses micro-learning lessons to train new customer service representatives on the company's products and services
• A small business creates micro-learning content to train new employees on specific tasks
• An organization uses micro-learning to train employees on the organization's values and culture
• A team of salespeople use micro-learning lessons to brush up on their product knowledge before a big sales push

Arvo in Action 👇

Building micro-learning lessons becomes even easier if you use our pre-formatted templates in Arvo! When you create an Arvo account, 16 templates are automatically added to your account for free. You don't even have to start from scratch, simply plug your information into our templates and see if micro-learning is right for you!

Overall, micro-learning is a great way to learn and retain information! It has many benefits, but prepare for appropriately before jumping in so that you don't fall into any of the disadvantages listed. We hope this blog post has given you a better understanding of what micro-learning is and how it can be used to benefit your learning experience.

Do you think micro-learning could be the right approach for your organization? Create a free Arvo account to start creating engaging, bite-sized training for your team. Until next time, happy learning!