How to Blend Microlearning and Macrolearning to Deliver a Higher Impact Workplace Training

Today, Microlearning based training has become a significant mode for online training delivery and the following stat reaffirms it further:

“The global microlearning market size is expected to grow from USD 1.5 billion in 2019 to USD 2.7 billion by 2024”.

Source: MarketsandMarkets

However, organizations will continue to have Macrolearning needs too. Given the value that each one of them offers, it is important to see how the two can be leveraged by arriving at the optimal blend of Microlearning and Macrolearning.

In this article, I begin with the definition of Microlearning, its value for learners and L&D teams, and list where it works well. I highlight areas where Microlearning would not work and Macrolearning would indeed be the better fit. Finally, I outline how you can arrive at the optimal blending of Microlearning and Macrolearning to deliver a high-impact workplace training.

Microlearning and Macrolearning – The Difference

While Microlearning is all about short bites of learning and is the talk of the season, it is not a new concept. For years, Instructional Designers have been chunking content and mapping them to enabling outcomes (much the same way we do for Microlearning). This would map to multiple topics that would then get packaged into a single course (or Macrolearning).

• Macrolearning looks at the bigger picture and is typically associated with longer seat times that cover complex concepts. It also offers a range of associated concepts in the same course.
• In contrast to Macrolearning, Microlearning focuses on achieving a specific outcome or gain over a short seat time.

What is Microlearning, and What Value Does Microlearning Offer to the Learners and L&D Teams?

Microlearning features focused learning nuggets ideally designed to be 2-5 minutes long and normally not exceeding 7 minutes. It is supported across all devices – enabling the learners to move across devices (from a desktop/laptop at the office to their tablet/smartphone). Its short seat time enables it to be the preferred training to be consumed “on the go” on their smartphones.

However, Microlearning is not just splicing the bigger chunk of content into shorter nuggets.

• It must help learners achieve a specific gain/a learning take-away in the short burst.
• It should trigger the right action (learn more, practice, take a challenge, or apply).

Learners love Microlearning based training as:

1. It is short and focused.
2. It can be taken on the go.
3. It is available to them within their workflow and they can access the nuggets exactly when required (rather than having to log on to the LMS and search).
4. It gives the control to the learners and they can decide when they want to consume the content (as well as how and at what pace).
5. It uses formats that are more engaging and create a more immersive learning experience. As a result, they resonate better with them (notably, videos).

L&D teams see value in Microlearning based training on account of:

1. Its ability to engage learners across profiles, that is, today’s multi-generational workforce.
2. Its ability to provide a sticky learning experience.
3. Its high completion rates.
4. Its ability to help learners apply the learning on the job so that both learners and the business get the gain they sought.
5. Its approach of threading multiple nuggets over a learning pathway helps learners learn, apply, practice, and hone their skills. This leads to the desired proficiency gain and can also influence or trigger behavioral change.
6. Its ability to refresh and reinforce learning that keeps the “Forgetting Curve” at bay.

Where is Microlearning a Better Fit as Compared to Macrolearning?

Here are some ways to effectively use Microlearning rather than Macrolearning:

1. To create awareness or highlight value. You can offer Microlearning Videos to highlight the value of the upcoming training and create interest and motivation among learners.
2. For Formal Training. You can use Microlearning to address a percentage of your corporate training needs. This can be rendered as a series of nuggets that are threaded through a learning path.
3. Supplement Formal Training (including aids for performance improvement). You can also use Microlearning to supplement your Formal Trainings. The nuggets can provide support to the Formal Training through reinforcement, apply, or practice. You can also provide them as just-in-time job aids.
4. To support ILT training /VILT sessions. You can use Microlearning nuggets at 3 levels (Pre-workshop prep/reading material, exercises or role-plays during workshop, and post-workshop learning summaries or learn more).
5. For Collaborative Learning.

When Would Microlearning Not Work?

Microlearning may not work in situations where the training program is long and complex (that is, trainings that have complex concepts and nested learning pieces). In such situations, it makes more sense to present the training as a single larger learning unit.

Breaking down such content into multiple nuggets can be counterproductive. It would create a rather disruptive learning experience and will impact the learning takeaways adversely and a Macrolearning based approach would be the right mode, instead of Microlearning.

How Can You Blend Microlearning and Macrolearning Techniques to Deliver a Higher Impact Workplace Training?

Approach 1: Leverage on Microlearning by Using It to Supplement Macrolearning

Courses that are suited for Macrolearning (for instance, Compliance training) can be embellished by Microlearning nuggets. These could include:

1. Teaser/Awareness videos: These nuggets can be used prior to the main Compliance training to create awareness and establish the significance for the organization and the learners. This will increase the learner engagement as well as improve the spirit of “why comply.”
2. Learning Summaries/Reinforcements/Micro-challenges: These nuggets can help the recall, retention, practice, and apply learning acquired through Macrolearning.

Approach 2: Use Microlearning Techniques to Craft Richer Macrolearning Courses

As a lot of Mobile Learning courses move from the “Mobile Friendly” to the “Mobile First” approach, learners are consuming this content predominantly on smartphones.

These provide a great opportunity to use Microlearning techniques that can be embedded within Macrolearning courses to create higher engagement.

For instance, you can embed:

1. Video to establish the value of the course (What Is In It For Me/WIIFM). This could be a part of the course or could be released prior to the training roll-out.
2. Video Based Learning nuggets in different formats, notably Explainer videos for teaching concepts, can be integrated into the Macrolearning course (in lieu of the standard interactions).
3. Learning summaries, Cheat Sheets, or Ready Reckoners can be designed in Microlearning formats like Infographics, Interactive Infographics, Interactive pdfs, Flipbooks, and so on. These can be easily downloaded by the learners and accessed on their smartphones.

I hope this article provides a balanced view on the question of Microlearning vs Macrolearning. Both techniques offer unique values and will continue to co-exist. In the future, you will see a use of blended Macrolearning and Microlearning techniques that can create higher impact workplace trainings.

If you have any specific queries, do contact me or leave a comment below.

How to Fast-Track Your Sales Training with Mobile Learning

In terms of significance, Sales training would rank possibly next to Leadership training for most organizations. As we know, without effective sales teams, even the best of the business plans will go awry. To succeed, organizations need to offer Sales training that is highly focused and is well aligned to help meet their business plan.

An effective Sales training:

• Should equip the teams to understand customers better, have the right resources to pitch, outsmart competition, and close leads.
• Should help sales teams create further connects to upsell or cross-sell.
• Should help them counter competition.

Once these are in place, sales teams can maintain a connect with customers and build strong, deep relationships so that they can steadily increase their wallet share of business.

Mobile Learning is a highly effective approach to offer Sales training and meet these objectives.

In this article, I show you how you can fast-track Sales training with Mobile Learning.

What Is the Gain (for Learners, Business, and L&D teams) as Organizations Opt for Mobile Learning for Sales Training?

The Value That Mobile Learning for Sales Training Brings to Learners

Mobile Learning is the preferred mode of learning for Sales training on account of its ability to:

• Provide training that is available anytime, anywhere (on the go).
• Offer flexibility to consume training at the moment of their need – on the field, during commute, or while waiting.
• Offer control to learners to decide the pace at which they want to consume it.

The Value That Mobile Learning for Sales Training Brings to the Business

From an organizational perspective, the usage of Mobile Learning for Sales training enables organizations to:

• Reach a geographically spread out audience in a short time.
• Ensure a consistent message reaches the sales team.
• Leverage it to offer on-the-job training that can deliver results faster.
• Ensure the latest updates are made quickly and deployed quickly.

The Value That Mobile Learning for Sales Training Brings to the L&D Teams

Mobile Learning is versatile and can address the complete spectrum of Sales training needs including:

• Formal training (Online or to support facilitated sessions).
• Provide instant learning aids/job aids.
• Leverage Social or Collaborative Learning.

This is not all. The training can be deployed quickly to a geographically spread out team and tracked on how it was consumed by learners.

What Are the Options through Which You Can Craft Mobile Learning Based Sales Training?

At EI Design, we have been crafting effective Sales trainings for over a decade now and I pick several tips and best practices that you can use.

Let’s begin by taking a look at the wish list that typical learners (from sales teams) would have for their training and see how Mobile Learning ticks all the boxes for Sales training.

What Learners Want

1. On-demand content.
2. Resources that are easily accessible (at the moment of their need).
3. Relevant and relatable content.
4. Engaging and immersive learning experiences.
5. Challenging and rewarding experience.

What the Chosen Approach Must Offer to Fast-Track Sales Training

1. Access to training – anywhere, anytime.
2. Info should be current and must be updated quickly, and these updates should pro-actively reach the learners.
3. Facilitate recall, retention (sticky learning).
4. Help them apply the acquired learning.
5. Provide room for practice (in a safe zone).
6. Provide feedback that can help learners improve.
7. Provide room for reinforcement.

What Kind of Solutions Will Help You Fast-Track Sales Training with Mobile Learning?

Part 1: Design

Microlearning: Short, focused, action-oriented learning nuggets are ideally suited for Sales reps who are always on the move. You can leverage on the granularity of Microlearning based training to offer learning paths that have multiple short nuggets to suit different aspects of learning needs.

Microlearning based training is very versatile and you can use it to offer a combination of:

• Formal training: Through a series of nuggets where each nugget helps learner accomplish a learning goal.
• Just-in-time/Instant job aids: These are of great value for the sales teams as they provide the requisite support exactly when needed. These could include Quick Reference Guides for products, Cheat Sheets, Ready Reckoners, Competition Watch, Success stories, and so on.

Additionally,

• You can offer Personalized learning paths that can be created by the learners (based on their proficiency).
• You can opt for Mobile Apps for learning that enable you to offer a more Personalized journey as well as just-in-time updates.
• You can integrate Video Based Learning for both formal learning as well as for performance support.
• You can go a notch up on classic videos by opting for Interactive Video Based Learning.

Part 2: Learning Strategies

 There are several learning strategies that can help you fast-track your Sales training with Mobile Learning. In particular, you can leverage on the following three:

1. Scenario Based Learning: This can be used to teach several skills that are mandatory to handle sales (pitch, presentation, objection handling, negotiation, and so on).
2. Decision-making simulations: These can be used to hone skills like critical thinking, decision making, understanding the impact of choices (in a safe zone).
3. Gamification: Sales teams are aligned to targets and have a competitive spirit. They respond well to Gamified learning that can help them assess where they stand or simulate how they are faring against other teams.

Part 3: Use Mobile Learning to Offer a Complete Sales Toolkit – Can Be Used at the Moment of Need

The real power of Mobile Learning for Sales training is in its ability to cover the entire spectrum of learning needs for sales teams.

Take a look at the 10 significant ways you can leverage Mobile Learning for your Sales training. You can convert these into a Sales Toolkit, which can be used at the moment of need.

1. What Is In It For Me (WIIFM) and the value the program brings in for the learner.
2. Product Fact sheets.
3. Reports and ongoing dynamic updates on:
   1. Market dynamics.
   2. Competition watch.
4. Learning aids or instant job aids to pitch – These could include how to differentiate and how to handle competition.
5. Cheat Sheets or FAQs – On Objection handling, Negotiation, Closure, and so on.
6. Tips for upselling or cross-selling.
7. Case studies or Success stories.
8. Reflection zone.
9. Collaborative Learning – with peers or seniors.
10. Curated Learning Resources – Explore and Learn.

I hope this article gives you good insights on how you can use Mobile Learning to fast-track your Sales training. If you have any specific queries, do contact me or leave a comment below.