Let’s move on to the next step of our journey into Microlearning, talking about the importance of adopting an LMS that allows for the effective implementation of this training methodology – oriented to the following cornerstones:
- Performance Support
- Spaced Learning
- Contextualized Learning
- “Just in time” Mobile Learning
In the last week post, we underlined how the creation of a Microlearning course is actually just the last step for the execution of this training strategy.
The first step is choosing an LMS for Microlearning.
Thanks to this quick guide, we’ll explore the 5 functions and features that a Microlearning-oriented e-learning platform must have:
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1. Ease of use and instant access to contents.
Let’s not waste our Learner’s time!
After logging-in, Learner must be able to immediately access the content.
Summing up, it’s necessary to provide a modern Learning Experience, without too many steps between access and actual fruition. The same user’s experience has to be available on Mobile, too.
2. Clear, understandable, and straightforward course and pathway structure.
All the course contents have to be clearly displayed and accessible with just a click. Always.
Whether it’s a course or a training pathway (made of several courses), structure and contents have to be instantly identifiable and available just-in-time, everytime our Learner needs to access our Microlearning courses.
The status (not started, in progress, completed) of every content, course or pathway has to be equally clear and straightforward. It is fundamental to provide our Learners with an overall and intelligible view of “what they’ve done” and “what they still have to do”.
To sum up, the structure of a course or a pathway has to be “on top” (clearly displayed on the platform) and not nested (not to say hidden…) inside the course itself.
3. An LMS for Microlearning is a 100% Mobile LMS.
It’s crucial to choose an LMS which can be used on mobile devices, and which have both an APP for Androids and iOS and a responsive version (accessible from the browser of a Smartphone) – without then needing to use an APP.
Several LMS provide a Mobile version, but the main issue is that – too often – that’s a forced adjustment of the Laptop-designed version.
So…carefully evaluate the learning experience provided by your LMS on mobile devices!
Remember: it’s crucial to have instant access to contents also from Smartphones and Tablets, because modern Microlearning-oriented learning cannot leave aside mobile devices.
4. Features to deal with the “Forgetting Curve”
Wanna know who’s the arch-enemy of a Training Manager? Budget…many of you will say. No, that’s the second arch-enemy! ?
The worst enemy of a Training Manager is the “Forgetting Curve“!
In short, our Learners forget about 70% of what they learn in the first 24h! We’re just like that. We forget fast, if we’re not immediately re-engaged with new micro-training.
Microlearning is an amazing ally for defeating the “Forgetting Curve” – that sneaks in the corporate training – since it’s perfect to be used and reused many times, in different ways and times.
For this reason, it’s important that an LMS designed for Microlearning has specific features to automatically engage and re-engage our Learners.
Some sort of “supplements” against the “Forgetting Curve”. ??
Actually, there aren’t so many LMS capable of providing these modern features for supporting Microlearning. Litmos LMS, for instance, has specific features – ideal for this purpose.
5. Easy and agile administration.
Microlearning also means always providing a contextualized – then updated and contemporary – training. Therefore, an e-learning platform has to be easy to administrate and organize.
Training Managers have to be able to:
- create, edit and update a content, a course and a pathway in an easy and agile way;
- get feedbacks and ratings from Learners regarding the effectiveness of content or the potential aging;
- constantly monitor the learning experience, in order to immediately intervene with proper corrections;
- enable users to customize their own learning journey.
Remember: in the Digital Transformation era, it’s essential to provide an always modern and consistent, able to answer “just in time” to our employees’ training needs.
To sum up, there are several features that a Microlearning-designed e-learning platform has to provide, but the main 5 ones explored in this article are essential so that our strategy can be concretely directed toward the cornerstones of this kind of training method.
See you for the next Uramaki! ?
#neverstoplearning ?
