Tag Archives: microlearning

Corporate Learning Best Practices, e-Learning, Employee-Training, Micro-learning, Mobile Learning, Online Learning, QuoDeck

Microlearning Trends To Adopt In 2019

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As microlearning-based training moves to center stage, I outline what is driving its rapid adoption. In this article, I also share microlearning trends in 2019, and how you can leverage them to boost employee performance.

Discovering All About Microlearning Trends In 2019

Microlearning consists of short, bite-sized learning nuggets. Although short in run length (between 2-5 mins and, typically, not exceeding 7 mins), each nugget is action-oriented and is designed to meet a specific learning outcome.

In the last couple of years, microlearning has moved from being a player on the side to center stage and for good reasons.

In a world that is full of distractions and diminishing attention spans, it is critical to have sharp, focused learning nuggets. Only then do you get the learners’ attention, and they invest in completing it. This is precisely what microlearning-based training delivers.

Learners love microlearning-based training as:

  • It is short and focused.
  • It can be taken on the go.
  • It is available in the learners’ workflow and can be accessed at the moment of their need.
  • It is designed for multi-device support and provides control to learners on when and how they want to consume it.
  • It uses high-impact formats (notably, videos) that are engaging and immersive.

L&D teams see value in microlearning on account of:

  • Its ability to engage the learners across profiles, that is today’s multi-generational workforce.
  • Its ability to provide a sticky learning experience.
  • Its high completion rates.
  • Its capability to push acquired learning to the application on the job.
  • Its concept of learning paths or learning journeys that can help learners gain proficiency as well as trigger the required behavioral change.
  • Its innate strength to offset the “forgetting curve” and convert it to the “retention curve” through ongoing reinforcements.

Based on our long experience in developing Microlearning based training, and what we see in the near future, here is my view of microlearning trends in 2019.

Microlearning Trend #1 In 2019

Microlearning will be used for a wider spectrum of corporate training, specifically for:

  1. Change management
  2. Awareness programs
  3. Formal training
  4. Just-in-time training (Performance Support Tools or job aids)
  5. Informal learning
  6. ILT support aids

Microlearning Trend #2 In 2019

Microlearning will leverage mobile learning further—particularly, apps for learning: Building on the wider adoption of mobile learning in organizations, it will be the mode L&D teams would prefer for varied corporate trainings.

It will leverage particularly on formats like mobile apps for learning where a personalized learning path with microlearning nuggets can be offered to learners. This approach can be used to provide both formal training as well as just-in-time learning aids within the learners’ workflow.

Microlearning Trend #3 In 2019

Microlearning will use personalization techniques to offer highly customized and relevant learning to each learner.

Microlearning Trend #4 In 2019

Microlearning will capitalize on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and analytics to offer support and personalized learning paths. Furthermore, its capability to offer recommendations to learners will ensure that they come back for more even after completing the prescribed training.

Microlearning Trend #5 In 2019

Microlearning will continue to use video-based learning as a significant design strategy. However, it will see an increase in the NextGen format, that is, interactive video-based learning.

Microlearning Trend #6 In 2019

Microlearning will be used in formal training in conjunction with successful, engaging, and immersive strategies like:

  1. Virtual Reality
  2. Gamification
  3. Scenario-based learning extended through a master narrative or story-based learning
  4. Complex, branching simulations for decision making

Microlearning Trend #7 In 2019

Microlearning will be used extensively in content curation to provide “learning as a continuum”. This will help organizations create a better learning culture and facilitate informal learning.

Microlearning Trend #8 In 2019

Microlearning formats will also help in promoting collaborative or social learning.

Microlearning Trend #9 In 2019

Microlearning will continue to the preferred format to offer just-in-time training (Performance Support Tools or job aids).

Here, most of the established formats will continue. These include the popular and effective ones like:

  1. eBooks/Flipbooks
  2. Infographics
  3. Interactive infographics
  4. PDFs
  5. Interactive PDFs

Microlearning Trend #10 In 2019

Microlearning will support ILT trainings and VILT trainings by providing online resources:

  • Pre-workshop prep material
  • In-workshop exercises, role plays, simulations and so on
  • Post-workshop handouts

Impact Of Microlearning In 2019

Microlearning-based training is no more a buzz. It is a technique that has transformed the online training format and is here to stay.

NOTE: The usage of microlearning does not mark the demise of macrolearning or what is termed as traditional eLearning format. For instance,

  • This would still find its place in programs that need longer seat time, as breaking them into too many nuggets can create a disruptive learning experience.
  • For certain programs like compliance, several organizations will continue to use the more traditional format.

On the other hand, there would be a rapid adoption in programs like:

  1. Induction and onboarding
  2. Sales training
  3. Leadership training
  4. Professional skills training

I hope this article throws light on the possibilities of using microlearning in 2019 as a significant part of your online training delivery or to support your Instructor-Led Training.


By Asha Pandey, Chief Learning Strategist at EI Design

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Corporate Learning Best Practices, e-Learning, Employee-Training, Game-based learning, Informal Learning Tips, L&D professionals, Learning Management System, Micro-learning, Mobile Learning, QuoDeck

5 ways to leverage AR and VR for training your employees

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According to IDC, the estimated market opportunity of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) solutions by 2020 will be $143 billion. Companies of all sizes are increasingly using AR and VR for corporate training and to acclimatize their new employees to the work environment.

In fact, according to STRIVR, learning retention rates with AR/VR can be as high as 75 percent as compared to just 10 percent retention rate through reading or lecture. Whether its management, customer services, or seasonal situations, businesses are successfully using AR and VR for numerous purposes.

For your company, that means if you are still not incorporating AR and VR in corporate training, then you are missing out on a lot. Here are some of the ways you can take advantage of AR and VR for training your employees.

1- VR workplace tours for new employees

With a virtual tour of the workplace, your new employees can familiarise with their new work environment, even before actually coming to the office. For you, it means your employees will be ready to get started with their work right from the first day since their learning curve will reduce greatly.

They would already know the breakrooms, bulletin boards, their team leader’s office, and their own cubicle when they arrive. You could also design the entire onboarding training module for new employees as a VR tour to make it more engaging and interactive.

2- Emergency drills

Emergency drills are a necessity for every company, and they have to make sure those drills are being conducted from time to time. But just getting a safety expert to explain the different scenarios to your employees is not enough. Most people find emergency drills boring as it interrupts their work, and they often don’t even pay attention to it.

However, you can create emergency drills using AR/VR technologies to check if the employees can handle stress and identify the correct security protocols through simulations. The biggest advantage of this is that employees can take these courses according to their own time.

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3- Task walkthroughs

To help your employees get a better understanding of the tasks that they need to perform on a daily basis, you can create online training simulations which would allow them to learn in a virtual environment.

With these simulations, they can determine the skills and steps they need to follow to complete a task, and it would also give them the opportunity to learn from their mistakes without any consequences.

Bear in mind, it’s important to make sure that the simulations are as realistic as possible to provide your employees with a fully immersive experience that they can implement in the real world.

4- Compliance training

For companies, compliance training is one of the most important and mandatory processes, and they have to make sure their employees are well accustomed to it. But handing out a large document to every employee and hoping that they would read every line of it is not enough and it may not even help your organisation in the long run.

Instead, you can use AR/VR to create virtual workplace environments where employees can get a better idea about the compliances they need to adhere to through online simulations. You can also create game-based lessons where employees are given different situations to see how they would respond to it, whether its accepting gifts from a client or a workplace injury.

5 – Virtual case studies

There is no better way to understand the business and skills, than by going through previous case studies which had successful results. But most case studies are text-based and they aren’t as engaging. With AR/VR technology, your employees can understand these case studies in a more interactive way, as they will be able to see those examples in action.

By adding simulations, activities, and fun quizzes, the otherwise boring case studies become more life-like and allow your employees to retain more knowledge.

Getting the most out of AR/VR training

By implementing VR and AR technologies, you are also able to measure the performance of your employees accurately. Heat maps make it possible to see exactly where users look during their 360-degree experience and the instructors can monitor trainees in real-time. You can create VR/AR applications that can be easily integrated with your Learning Management Systems (LMS) as well.

In conclusion

Augmented and virtual reality training provides an innovative and new way to increase employee engagement, improve productivity, and save costs while offering a cutting-edge learning experience. With the latest advancements that have happened in the AR and VR technologies, the barriers are quickly fading away making it a viable option for immersive training for any industry.

Corporate Learning Best Practices, e-Learning, Employee-Training, Induction programme, Learning Management System, QuoDeck

Why Mobile Learning is the Future of Corporate Training?

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According to a survey by Stat Counter in 2016, the number of mobile users surpassed the desktop users for the first time, with 51.3% mobile users and 48.7% desktop. It is no surprise that mobile has now become a preferred medium for people to access content. In fact, according to a report by Growth Engineering, 43% of people find learning from mobile devices very useful and essential.

Mobile learning is more than a way to learn through a mobile device. It allows people to learn on-demand, at their own pace, and in the form of bite-sized micro lessons.  

For companies, the question is no longer whether to consider mobile learning. The question is — How long will they wait to implement mobile learning in their organization?

Here are some of the reasons why mobile learning is the future of corporate training:

International assignments and global mobility continue to rise

Talent mobility has become a norm for most organizations. In the last decade, international assignments have increased by 25 percent, and if it follows the same pattern, then we could see another 50% increase by 2020.

When your business is sending an employee to an unfamiliar and new location abroad, you need to make sure that your employees have all the training and information they need to make their assignment a success. After all, for any business, international assignments are already expensive, and lack of preparation can lead to decreased productivity and poor results.

That is why it is important for businesses to train their employees in advance so that they can deal with any type of challenge that they may experience when they are on the assignment. Though the employees may not have enough time to get their training before leaving or during work hours, with mobile learning. With mobile learning as part of your corporate training, it becomes possible for your team to learn on the go and make their international assignments a success.Millennialsusing_QuoDeck_2018.jpg

Millennials prefer short bursts of information

It is estimated that by 2020 nearly half of the workforce will comprise of millennials, which means companies have to change their corporate training programs as soon as possible to make sure it caters to the new generation and trains them in the most effective way.

Now, millennials are used to smartphones and tablets, and they are from the social media generation where they consume information in small bursts. Handing these millennials a 50-page manual or conducting a 2-hour seminar about a new technology that you are going to implement in your firm, may not help them retain as much information as you would want them to.

Instead, with mobile learning, your corporate training program can be converted into a scenario-based fun game that the millennials can play on the go and it can also help them retain more information leading to a more productive and an efficient workforce.

In-house training to make sure your team is constantly learning and evolving

With high competition, it has become crucial for companies to only have the best talent on their team. When you are hiring new talent for your company, you go above and beyond during the recruitment process to make sure the people you are selecting have all the necessary skills and knowledge.

But the business world is constantly changing, and without the right in-house training you might soon realise that you have an under-qualified staff. By implementing a mobile learning program, you can allow your team to gain new skill sets and always stay ahead of the competition by creating a corporate training program that everyone can partake in at their own speed, without affecting their work.

The rise in the remote workforce

Companies around the world are embracing mobile workforce. By allowing employees to work outside of office, according to their flexible timings, organizations are able to get better results and efficiency.

When your workforce is operating in different geographies, you also need to change your corporate training program to fit the new workforce. After all, you cannot expect the remote employees to cram all the information in a single instructor-led training event.

The employees won’t be able to understand or implement information accurately when they are taught everything in a small span of time. Instead, with a mobile learning application, your team can learn the new course and technology remotely, and at their own pace, which would make retaining and implementing information easier.

Enhanced collaboration and engagement

We live in a world where people prefer sharing their ideas online instead of doing it in person. By leveraging the social aspect of mobile learning in corporate training, you can generate more conversations among your employees and create a continous learning experience. This, in turn, increases collaboration, engagement, and motivation among your employees and makes training fun.

For instance, you could implement mobile-based gaming lessons for your team and keep the scores of the top ten people. You could also create a community page where employees could share what they learned from the game or ask questions about certain sections of the game which would encourage peer to peer learning.

In conclusion

With the flexibility and efficiency that mobile learning provides, there are no doubts that it is indeed the future of corporate training. If your organisation is yet to incorporate it into your training program, then its high time that you did.

e-Learning, Game-based learning, L&D professionals, Learning Management System, Mobile Learning, QuoDeck, Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality

Which LMS should an organization with 100000+ employees switch over to?

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Learning management systems come in all flavors and mostly you will consider selecting between Moodle, Blackboard, SkillSoft, etc. based on the features you want to implement. All of them can provide the feature set you are looking for, and the choice really comes down to the quality of implementation partner you find for each.

I will propose an alternative to these, with the caveat that our company has developed a product which fits this and this might be construed as a bit of shameless self-promotion.

For large organizations, we believe a single large LMS does not work. Each team in the company wants customized content structures, workflows and analytics. We propose using a MicroLMS system which distributes the learning processes across the firm and makes it more effective.

The implementation should allow for each team in the organization to own and operate their own MicroLMS. These teams could be based on actual team structures or pseudo structures like leadership groups, induction groups, etc. Each MicroLMS has a business owner who can configure the LMS features and settings to the specific requirements of their team. This keeps the administration and user experience light and on a all-that-is-required and only-what-is-required basis.

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Each MicroLMS ideally should have an inbuilt authoring tool which allows for easy content creation by business owners using presentations that they already would likely have. Put another way, you should not require to go hunting for Captivate and Articulate experts to create SCORM packages.

The apex learning team should get a centralized control panel which allows them to view and analyze aggregated data and focus on analytics and efficiency rather than learning logistics. Of course, the central team needs to have God powers on all constituent MicroLMS, but then the expectation is these should not need to get used.

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The basic thought process behind this is that in large organizations, learning needs to be owned by business owners like any other business process. In our implementations across a fair number of Fortune 500 companies, we have found the business owners prefer it this way anyways.

That’s the alternative which we propound, and my advice would be that irrespective of whether it is our product or not, consider using a MicroLMS approach for such a large audience size.

If you would want to have a look at our LMS product, do drop me a message.

By Arijit Lahiri, Co-Founder of QuoDeck