Microlearning: What it is and why you should learn about it

One study suggests that people forget half of the materials they learn within an hour and 70% within 24 hours. So how can you ensure what you teach actually sticks? An effective solution is microlearning: designing your coaching material as bite-sized, easy-to-process bits. We reached out to training and L&D experts to hear their insights and best practices for this new learning method. Watch their Prezi videos to introduce yourself to microlearning and see how it can best benefit you.

What do the best microlearning practices look like?

You might have noticed the increasing buzz about microlearning, but may be unsure about what it really looks like. Field enablement specialist at Camunda Sonia Pupaza breaks down three items you have to know about microlearning: when to use it, why it’s so beneficial, and its different formats. Learn more in her Prezi video:

While microlearning is a game-changing tool on its own, you can use it along with traditional coaching to boost their synergy. Workplace coaching expert Tim Hagen walks through how to use video and microlearning materials to supplement conventional coaching. Watch here:

Now that you’ve been introduced to the basics, let’s dig into what the next steps look like in creating your own microlearning materials. Rachel Trenchard, customer success expert at MURAL, introduces six steps to do so. Learn now:

Microlearning matters especially more in remote and hybrid workspaces, where employees’ attention span is shorter and engagement is lower. Learning and Development Program Manager Samantha Lee shares her insight on how microlearning and remote work can leverage each other. Watch now:

Still not convinced about how making your coaching shorter can help you? Prezi’s Teacher in Residence and University of Washington professor Paul Teske shares his take on why microlearning is important. Watch here:

Paul’s video is the first of his seven-part series on how to improve your instructional videos. Learn about the rest of his tips in this interactive guide.

Best microlearning use cases: How you can apply these tips to your learning and coaching

In a career like sales in which you need to effectively sell your product in a short period of time, microlearning can be especially useful. Prezi’s Head of Editorial and keynote speaker Lorraine Lee shares how concise delivery can help elevate your sales pitch. Learn now:

Another occasion that requires concise yet powerful message delivery is recruitment, especially during networking conversations. Career coach and Owner of Career Glow Up Patricia Figueroa breaks down how to best leverage short pitches in favor of your personal career growth. Watch for more details:

Some of the best microlearning and coaching cases are ones that focus on keyword optimization. Job search coach Ashley Watkins walks through the basics of optimizing your content and resume so that they appear in search engines. Learn now:

In advocating for yourself and the materials you teach, attitude is just as important as the content. Career coach and trainer Diana YK Chan proposes her 11-step progress model that helps you set up for a video interview that makes you look more confident and professional. Find out what each step looks like in her Prezi video. Watch here:

MMS teacher Rachael Streitman demonstrates how to use microlearning in a classroom setting. In her short clip about the California Gold Rush, Rachael walks through the who, what, when, where, and “so what?” of the event in bite-sized components. These little lessons are easy for students to watch and digest compared to a full lesson plan, and it’s a lot easier for them to retain that knowledge well after the video is done. Plus, with such short videos, students have greater agency over how they choose to watch them, making microlearning a great learner-centric approach to teaching. Learn how she uses microlearning to engage her students and wider audiences:

For the final example case of microlearning, UX expert and career coach Jon Tam tackles the wide topic of unconscious bias by dividing his lesson into three smaller steps to overcome bias. Watch how he leads his lesson:

There are so many creative ways to incorporate microlearning into your day to day. For more tips and best practices on microlearning, check out videos from Prezi Editorial Head Lorraine Lee, WSJ best-selling author Nir Eyal, sales strategist Amy Franko, and USA Today columnist Chris Schembra. To see how Prezi can help you produce content for microlearning at your business, contact us and we’ll set up a free demo.