Microlearning Strategies: Another Approach to Virtual Workshop Delivery
by Amanda Bombino and Liana Volpe
As the public workforce system continues to redefine and refine remote service delivery, many local workforce areas are converting their traditional in-person workshop content on job search skills (résumé writing, interviewing, etc.) into recorded PowerPoints they post to the Internet. For many job seekers, this can be overwhelming, providing them with too much information to absorb at a time when they are already stressed by information overload. Microlearning — a strategy that breaks longer content into smaller, hyper-focused lessons — offers an alternative approach that staff can use to deliver job search skill development programming.
Accessibility, flexibility, and user engagement are at the core of microlearning strategies and delivery structures, thus making these shorter and narrower learning activities ideal for job seekers trying to learn new job search skills, conduct a job search, and address other competing life priorities. Microlearning strategies can also provide more personalized learning paths and help job seekers retain information better, while also offering a lightweight and streamlined approach to course and workshop creation for administrators. With the help of new technologies, public workforce staff may be able to conduct their job search skills workshops and support services online via the many microlearning platforms that exist today.
What is Microlearning?
Microlearning uses small, bite-sized learning units or short-term learning activities to teach students a particular topic or lesson. The purpose of microlearning is to allow learners to study in a more focused manner, while also using different forms of media to impart information and increase engagement with the content. Microlearning-based strategies use technology to facilitate the breakdown of content into shorter, high-impact learning modules to create a more effective learning experience.
The Benefits of Microlearning
One of the most frequently noted benefits of microlearning is that these shortened learning modules are much faster to design and deliver when compared to traditional instructional tactics. Content creators looking to break down their courses or workshops can quickly parse out their existing content or develop new individual learning units to convey and test singular lessons. For example, rather than conducting an hour-long workshop on interviewing, workforce staff can create multiple micro-lessons that focus on individual concepts, such as how to answer specific questions, how to prepare for an interview, etc. These streamlined processes remove the need for content creators to invest a lot of time in developing cumbersome multi-hour workshops that attempt to cover multiple topics within one learning session. In this way, microlearning strategies and individual learning module design has an agility that more traditional instructional design does not.
In addition, the flexibility embedded in this learning style can be appealing to those who are managing competing priorities and/or who cannot dedicate large uninterrupted blocks of time for focused study and learning. Because of its shorter modules and multimedia usage, learners are often more engaged with the content, which can boost knowledge recognition and retention after completion of the workshop. Moreover, as the content’s primary lessons are better retained, learners often then apply the concepts better in practice.
Due to the variety in individuals’ preferred learning styles, there are three main microlearning strategies that appeal to these varied learning styles in the way that information is delivered: text-based microlearning, audiovisual media-based microlearning, and interactive microlearning. Read our recent blog post about text-based microlearning strategies and their respective benefits. With these varied learning styles in mind, content creators can develop more personalized learning pathways for cohorts or individual learners that suit their learning needs.
Below are more detailed descriptions of two microlearning strategies — audiovisual media-based microlearning and interactive microlearning — and the technology tools that support microlearning strategy development and delivery. Readers should note that the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development is not endorsing any of these proprietary products.
Audiovisual Media-based Microlearning
What is Audiovisual Media-based Microlearning?
Audiovisual media-based microlearning is a strategy that is used to condense educational materials into smaller, focused lessons through short videos or podcasts covering a small part of a larger topic. Typically, this type of learning is delivered on mobile devices and leverages social media applications and platforms such as YouTube and Instagram. This strategy has become well-known in news media, with TED-Ed being a mainstream example of how audiovisual media-based microlearning can be applied in practice.
The Benefits of Audiovisual Media-based Microlearning
A large benefit of audiovisual media-based microlearning is its accessibility via mobile devices. This mobile-driven delivery method caters to a wider audience and removes the need for more advanced access to technology such as computer access. In addition, the media attractiveness and design of these short videos and podcasts may better engage attention from users that are auditory or visual learners. The combination of audio and visual components also simulates a social experience for learners, which is difficult to stimulate or replicate with text-only learning.
Technology Platform Overview: Animoto
Animoto is an online, cloud-based video editor that allows users to create audiovisual content in a simple and easy-to-use format. It has been used by a variety of groups to create audiovisual content, such as schools, businesses, and nonprofit organizations, which is a testament to Animoto’s versatility and flexible use. This platform is designed with novices in mind, so no design experience is required to create videos via Animoto.
Features
1. Add your own photos and videos with ease
2. Stock photo and video library (professional and team plans)
3. Licensed music tracks available to use in videos
4. Storyboard templates
5. Text and fonts
6. Unlimited video creation
7. Cloud-based video editor
Pricing
Three Animoto plans are available: free, professional, and team. For the professional and team plans, users can select either an annual plan or a monthly plan. Details on pricing and features are provided below.
1. Free plan
> Create unlimited videos
> Standard video quality (720p)
> 50 music tracks
> 3 standard fonts
> 30 color swatches
> Animoto branding on each video (watermark)
2. Professional annual plan: Billed annually for $396 (or $33 per month); professional monthly plan: $65 per month
Includes features from the free plan, plus:
> No Animoto branding on videos
> Add your logo watermark and brand colors
> Over 1 million photos and videos from Getty Images
> High-quality video (1080p)
> 3,000 licensed music tracks
> 40 professional fonts
3. Team annual plan: Billed annually for $588 (or $49 per month); team monthly plan: $94 per month
Includes features from the professional plan, plus:
> Accounts for up to 3 users
> License to resell to businesses
> 30-minute consultation with a video expert
Potential Examples for Application
> Reimagine One-Stop Career Center Orientation Sessions
Rather than recording hour-long PowerPoint presentations, break orientation sessions for new One-Stop customers into shorter topical areas and create microlearning segments that highlight key features of each service and how to access them. These shorter segments make it easier for customers to absorb information and feel less overwhelmed.
> Create Job Search Micro Tips for Job Seekers
Use a tool such as Animoto to create multimedia job search tips. These can include images, audio, and video that can be included in email newsletters and on local One-Stop Career Center websites. These can also be sent out by case managers via text or email.
Interactive Microlearning
What is Interactive Microlearning?
Interactive microlearning is an educational method that uses short lessons to teach a particular topic, and often includes the use of quizzes, writing, drawing, or speaking throughout the lesson. This method provides learners with a multi-faceted learning experience, as it incorporates several techniques to reinforce topics and concepts. Duolingo, a popular language learning app, is an example of interactive microlearning in action.
The Benefits of Interactive Microlearning
One benefit of interactive microlearning is the way in which lessons can be delivered through a mobile app or website via cell phone, which promotes accessible, remote learning for a wider array of potential users. This blended-learning approach has human-centered design embedded at its core, as this learning strategy allows users to complete learning modules at their own pace, whenever is most suitable for them. Moreover, through the use of multimedia exercises in interactive microlearning strategies, content creators have the ability to be agile, track user progress, and adjust learning accordingly. This inherent agility and learner focus provide learners the opportunity to thrive.
Another key benefit to consider is the visual attractiveness of interactive content, as such content often employs gamification tactics to make learning more fun and appear less tedious. Overall, this method of learning interactivity uniquely blends substance, knowledge tests, and realistic application to assist learners in absorbing, retaining, and practicing the learning module content in a more engaging fashion.
Technology Platform Overview: GnowbeExtend
Gnowbe is a microlearning platform that combines online training materials and opportunities for online interaction with traditional classroom methods. Specifically, the GnowbeExtend product is designed for instructors and smaller organizations that want to quickly get started with interactive learning.
Features
1. Ability to teach through multiple-choice questions, videos, tests, assessments, and more
2. User flexibility: Students can learn at their own time and pace, or download the content offline
3. Interactive with polls, questions, videos, social learning, and comments
4. Social and gamified features enable enhanced collaboration
5. Assessment tool to better gauge student progress
Pricing
1. Lite plan: $99 per month
> Up to 20 learners
> Learner access to unlimited content
> Real-time dashboard and analytics
> Authoring platform via mobile/web
> Onboarding support
> Gnowbe 24/7 Help Center
2. Starter plan: $149 per month
Same features as lite plan, plus:
> Up to 50 learners
> Custom certificates and logos
> Custom email and in-app notifications
3. Growth plan: $499 per month
Same features as starter plan, plus:
> Up to 200 learners
> Memberships and bundles
> Single sign-on
4. Scale plan: $999 per month
Same features as all of the above plans, plus:
> Up to 500 learners
> Priority support
Potential Examples for Application
> Engage Learners Prior to One-Stop Career Center Workshops
Use polls and quizzes prior to job search workshops to learn more about where people have questions and concerns so that you can target learning during sessions. This is also a way to prepare people for the content they will be experiencing during the workshop.
> Supplement Workshops with Learning After the Event
Most job seekers need reinforcement and practice of skills they are learning. Help them retain learning and apply it in their search by providing follow-up micro-lessons, actions, and practice opportunities. You can also use polls to check on their progress.
Conclusion
Microlearning strategies offer an innovative and engaging way to rethink delivery of career and job search support services. These diverse microlearning strategies make remote learning and job search skill development more accessible for customers of the public workforce system, as workshop delivery can primarily be conducted via mobile device. In addition, learners may find it easier to focus and engage with the course or workshop content when it is delivered in shorter multimedia bursts, as opposed to longer, text-based PowerPoint presentations or hour-long videos. As microlearning strategies heavily make use of multimedia content, it makes this content design suitable and adaptable to all types of learning styles, which include visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning. The technology platforms outlined above allow content creators great flexibility to cater their learning modules specifically to the needs of their customers. Virtual platforms like Animoto and GnowbeExtend make it easy for digital novices to create and edit online content as well as track user engagement to gain a better understanding of real user behavioral patterns.
As the public workforce system continues to navigate virtual service delivery, microlearning strategies and the corresponding technology tools for content delivery could be of great assistance to job seekers seeking to expand their career and job search skills at this time. Frontline staff could consider how to transform existing workshops to be delivered in a more modularized fashion. Overall, microlearning strategies and the supporting technology platforms could be considered for use in the public workforce system, as this innovative learning approach can benefit both local workforce staff administering courses and workshops as well as job seekers participating in them.
Amanda Bombino is a Research Intern and Liana Volpe is a Research Associate at the Heldrich Center.
About Suddenly Virtual
Suddenly Virtual is a series of products highlighting the challenges facing the public workforce system and how frontline staff are stepping up to solve those challenges. View the complete list of products in this series.
