Whilst the general belief is that microlearning, also commonly known as m-Learning, is the process through which employees can access a Mobile Learning Management System via their smartphone or tablet, it’s actually so much more than this. Currently, on the rise in organisations across a range of sectors, m-Learning is recognized as small bite-sized chunks of information which can be easily digested on the go and also acts as a two-way street, allowing staff to both download and upload information to perpetuate a constantly updated knowledge base.
Mobile learning benefits are numerous. They provide staff with a sense of freedom and empowerment by taking control of their own progress whilst also being highly adaptable to their hectic lifestyles. If you’re considering introducing m-Learning into your company, here are the various avenues you can go down to fully reap the benefits.
m-Learning opportunities
Snippets of free time in the working day lend themselves perfectly to an m-learning moment and are all an employee needs to take in short pieces of useful information. The daily commute, lunch break, pre-meeting wait or work trip provide a solid time frame, from at least 20 minutes to up to 2 hours, whereby this time can be taken advantage of utilised effectively for optimum m-Learning.
m-Learning benefits
Once employees take up the opportunity to learn remotely, they, as well as the company, are rewarded with a whole host of long-term benefits:
- Casual learning
In contrast to a traditional face-to-face model, m-Learning promotes a range of informal options whether these are games, videos or quizzes. As these activities have an element of fun to them, learners are more engaged and more likely to commit to completing them. It can also earn them points or credits as acknowledgement of their efforts.
- Employee participation
Strong interaction and engagement with electronic devices amongst millenials can be taken full advantage of when it comes to m-Learning. Both teachers and learners can leave feedback regarding specific activities which in turn helps course content to grow and develop organically.
- Talent management
Individual learner profiles can hint at their strengths and weaknesses. Their performance can be assessed in terms of relevance and quality of training. For example, If a learner does poorly on a customer service task, it may be that their role does not require customer interaction, hence their training can be more geared towards, say, configuration of IT systems.
- Increased productivity
An exemplary feature of a microlearning LMS is that students can partake at their own pace at whatever time suits them. This is particularly useful to those who need to maintain a certain level of educational credits throughout the year, but who still need to hit KPIs or oversee a project.
m-Learning preparation
If you are starting to rethink your current LMS and looking to integrate a micro-Learning friendly version, you may need to overhaul some features that are holding you back. These include:
- Adjusting your system to facilitate learner uploads and feedback.
- Embedding m-Learning capabilities which performance tracking.
- Training managers on delivering suitable m-Learning content.
