In my previous article, I offered 10 microlearning format options that many people don’t think of. In this follow-up article, I’ve providing ten additional ideas with examples. Any of these ideas can be combined and can enhance more traditional learning formats.
- Signage
Signage can be digital or a simple paper poster. Apply the same design principles to signage that you would to a billboard. Does it pass the at-a-glance test billboard ads require? - Social media challenge
My gym has a daily social media challenge that typically prompts gym members to reflect on the day’s workout. Consider issuing a reflection challenge to your learners on social media outlets of your choice. Three sample prompts are “What led to your last a-ha moment at work?”, “What are you curious about today?”, and “What is one thing you would change about our product in the next release?” - Blog article
Posting blog articles on topics of interest to learners, or better yet, asking learners to write an article or comment on an article are great examples of active learning. - Text messages
SMS text-based learning is a very simple and effective microlearning strategy that helps you reach global populations. Text messaging can be used to send out quiz questions, collect answers for a survey, publish text messages to a blog, and distribute reminders or updates. - Interactive timeline
Tasked with educating learners on the history of a product, service, or situation quickly? This illustrative example shows the varying water levels of Lake Mead over time. - Parallax mini site
Parallax, which was originally created for the game industry, is the effect you achieve when the position of an object appears to change when viewed from different positions. NASA’s prospecting in space example uses parallax to tell a story. Storyline has some parallax possibilities as well. - Micro-coaching
Micro-coaching is described as short bursts of 1: 1 or 1: many guided time with an expert. Consider ways to make short bursts of coaching readily available: schedule virtual office hours for proficient individuals with limited availability; set up brief on-the-job coaching exercises; or offer peer-to-peer coaching as needed. - Ebook
IBook Author, Virtual Paper, and other platforms have made creating e-books relatively easy and inexpensive. The American Heart Association paired their High Quality CPR game with an interactive e-book on the same topic. - App prototype
Creating a simple app prototype is a great way to familiarize your customers and/or employees with a new product. InVision and Marvel are my favorite tools for the job. - Online reviews
Hubspot shares that “52% of consumers trust online reviews just as much as personal recommendations—provided they look authentic”. Individuals contribute reviews to express gratitude, to feel a sense of belonging, to contribute a new perspective, and to receive gamification rewards. Ask for your customers, partners and employees to review an event, a learning session, a product, service or offering. Contributing and reading other perspectives on a topic weaves social learning and micro learning together.
Microlearning by its nature is flexible, malleable, and allows us to experiment creatively. Please tell us about your experiments in microlearning using the Comments area below.
See part I of this article.
