How to Plan and Design Microlearning

Microlearning units help participants engage with and apply traditional learning content.

Microlearning is a short instructional unit with a clearly defined learning outcome. It isn’t time-bound and usually forms part of a broader curriculum or learning program. Developers design microlearning units to engage people and help them immediately apply new content to tackle a specific challenge.

One example of a microlearning campaign is iLookOut, designed to help child care workers identify suspected cases of child abuse. The caseworkers learned how to identify potential cases of child abuse in a conventional, video-based training class. In the following weeks, they received a series of microlearning lessons via their cellphones. The weekly lessons served as learning content reminders and nudged the caseworkers to watch out for signs of abuse during...