Hermann Ebbinghaus is one of the oldest psychologists studying learning, and discovered many phenomena of memory that we still rely on today when planning training. One of his discoveries that is most relevant to us is The Forgetting Curve.
The Forgetting Curve names the effect of time on memory. Without reinforcement, we lose memory of the things we learned exponentially over time, with the memory loss plateauing after around thirty days. Hence the rise in focus on micro-learning to reinforce learning. Mobile learning platforms also provide an engaging means of ensuring long-term transfer of knowledge.
Putting an emphasis on continuous learning is going to be a corporate trend for 2019. Part of that is because the technology we are developing makes it easier than ever to provide continuous learning.
By 2025, Millennials will make up 75% of the workforce. The average attention span of a Millennial is 90 seconds.
Micro-learning delivers frequent, bite-sized bursts of highly focussed content to leaners. Here are 5 Golden Rules to effective micro-learning:
1. Assign One Learning Objective Per Asset
The more objectives you try to introduce, the longer your content will be…ultimately, you’ll lose your audience.
2. Use Video
70% of Millennials visit YouTube monthly. They simply prefer video over other mediums.
3. Production Quality Matters
Bad video can take away from good content.
4. Timing is Everything
Remember that 90-second statistic? Micro-learning videos should be 4 minutes or less. A good rule of thumb to follow is 120 words for every minute if video.
5. Prove Learning Took Place
When you build content, think about the evidence required to prove that learning took place.