Today’s professionals – the busy members your association serves – are navigating information overload. Their inboxes are overflowing, to-do lists seem never-ending, and fitting in time for professional development can feel like an impossible task.
We all know the struggle. You spend hours sitting through a lengthy training session, attempting to absorb all the information presented to you. But a week later, how much of it do you remember? There’s a scientific – albeit sobering – reason for this: Hermann Ebbinghaus’s forgetting curve shows that within a day, you forget 50% of all new information, and by a week, that number jumps to a whopping 90%.
But what if there was a way to deliver powerful knowledge in short, engaging bursts? Here’s where microlearning comes in, a training approach perfectly suited for our fast-paced world and a powerful tool for member associations.
Microlearning isn’t about simply shrinking content, it’s about delivering knowledge on a single skill or concept in a way that’s laser-focused and easy to understand. Think of it like an espresso shot of information – a concentrated pick-me-up in just a few minutes.
4 reasons why microlearning is the perfect fit for member associations
1. Engagement on the go: Microlearning for association members caters to our “on the move” lifestyle. Learners can access training anytime, anywhere, on their commutes, lunch breaks, or even between meetings.
According to our 2023 State of External Enterprise Learning Report, developing a more engaging learner experience is a top priority for external training organisations, having increased from 26% to 61% in just one year. Member associations facing similar challenges in engaging their members can leverage microlearning to meet this critical need.
2. Improved knowledge retention: Forget information overload. Focused content on a specific skill or topic leads to better knowledge retention. Learners can grasp key concepts quickly and remember them longer.
3. Complementing longer courses: Microlearning isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. It can be used to complement longer courses, offering knowledge breaks and “quick wins” along the way. For busy professionals, these modules can also be packaged into a standalone training option, providing a condensed version of a larger topic.
4. Cost-effective efficiency: Developing bite-sized modules is faster and cheaper than traditional training methods. This allows member associations to offer a solution to their members without breaking the bank.
Building effective microlearning courses
Now that you’re ready to embrace microlearning, it’s time to build engaging and effective modules for your members.
1. Know your members
Before diving in, take a step back and identify your members’ specific needs and goals. What skills are they looking to develop? What knowledge gaps do they want to address? If you’re unsure, this is the time to conduct surveys, hold focus groups, or analyse the course completion data to gain insights. From this, you can tailor microlearning modules to meet your members’ needs.
2. Focus on a single learning objective
Remember, microlearning for association members is all about clear and focused education. Each module should target a clearly defined objective. This ensures learners can grasp a key concept within a short timeframe. A well-defined objective also helps you stay on track while you develop the content so that it directly addresses the learning goal.
3. Create engaging content
Microlearning shines when there are engaging, interactive elements to the training. It’s time to utilise rich multimedia content such as short videos, infographics, and animations to visually represent complex concepts. To boost knowledge retention, consider incorporating a poll or a quiz which will help with engagement and add a rewarding element.
4. Keep it mobile-friendly
Today’s learners are on the go. Ensure your modules are mobile-friendly and accessible on any device. This allows your members to learn in bite-sized chunks when it is convenient for them.
5. Measure and optimise
Don’t just build it and forget it. Track learner engagement, completion rates, and knowledge retention through assessments and feedback mechanisms. Analyse the data to identify areas for improvement and to optimise your modules.
Micro steps, giant leaps in learning
Microlearning isn’t just a trend; it’s the future of professional development. By offering engaging, accessible opportunities, your member association can empower its members to stay ahead of the curve and thrive in today’s fast-paced world. So, ditch the outdated training methods and embrace the microlearning revolution – your members (and their busy schedules) will thank you for it!
Ready to start developing personalised training solutions to keep members engaged? Contact us today and schedule a demo about how we can support you to build effective microlearning courses to meet your modern members’ needs.
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