In case you don’t know, this learning strategy has been around for a while, and many organizations have been using it to improve their online training. Microlearning is a holistic learning approach, which involves breaking down your eLearning course content into bite-sized modules, with each meeting a specific learning objective.
There are lots of benefits attached to using microlearning to deliver your online training content. One of them is that it’ll help you in providing your learners with effective training – exactly what they needed to learn.
Furthermore, did you know that you can combine microlearning with other training strategies to achieve much better results? Earlier, in one of our posts, we talked about the different learning techniques, including gamification, which you can use with microlearning to deliver effective eLearning content.
In case you missed out on it, you can check here to read about it. However, in this post, we’ll only focus our attention on how you can deliver better and effective eLearning content using a mix of microlearning and gamification.
What is gamification and why should you combine it with microlearning?
By definition, gamification in eLearning is the application of game mechanics into online training courses to encourage continuous learner engagement.
Meanwhile, this learning technique has proven itself, over the years, to be very effective. According to a recent study, about “95% of employees enjoy using gaming-inspired elements in their work“.
Also, the same study reveals that “72% of employees claim gamification inspires them to work harder“. These are enough proof to show that gamification is a very effective strategy.
Since microlearning and gamification are both effective techniques, using them together to deliver your eLearning content will help you achieve the best results.
One of the benefits of this eLearning trend is that it helps to increase learner engagement. Apart from that, gamified microlearning also helps for better knowledge retention.
That said, let’s have a look at how you can deliver your eLearning content using a mix of microlearning and gamification, below.
Here’s how using both gamification and microlearning works for effective eLearning content
1- Only add important game mechanics
It’s worth knowing that gamified microlearning is more than just making use of micro activities and tracking points and badges on a leaderboard. For you to get the best out of this trend, ensure that you only introduce the necessary game mechanics.
How do I mean? When you provide your learners with challenging tasks, adding irrelevant game elements will only help to distract them from achieving the learning goal.
As such, whenever you’re planning to deliver your eLearning content using gamification and microlearning, ensure that you only introduce the necessary game elements – the ones that add a lot to the learning experience.
Admittedly, there are many ways you can go about introducing these elements. However, one of the most effective ways is by challenging your learners with questions. For instance, you may consider introducing short quizzes during your microlearning module, making sure they pop up from time to time.
2- Ensure you focus on performance-based learning
Although you can make use of microlearning for various purposes, the primary aim of the learning strategy is to improve learner performance. Since that’s the case, one way to deliver effective eLearning content using a mix of microlearning and gamification is to make sure your short modules focus more on performance-based learning.
Are you wondering how you can integrate gamification into your microlearning content? If yes, you might have to stop worrying about it. That’s because there are several ways you can follow to make that happen.
For instance, you can regularly provide your learners with micro quizzes, which will give them insights regarding the next topic. Apart from that, you can also introduce progress bars to identify the progress of your learners. Furthermore, you can also introduce reflective activities that come with extra points.
3- Offer personalized learning experience
Gone are the days when one-size-fits-all used to work for everybody. These days, learners prefer to learn things that are only relevant to their growth. Certainly, you’ll agree with us that all learners have different learning styles that work for them.
As mentioned earlier, gamified microlearning is one of the effective ways of delivering a better experience for your learners. However, for you to get the best out of the eLearning content using a mix of gamification and microlearning, you need to design personalized learning pathways, which suit their individual learning needs.
4- Provide feedback at the right time
One of the highlights of gamification is its ability to help provide meaningful feedback at the right time. So, by using a mix of gamification and microlearning to deliver your eLearning content, you’ll be able to offer your learners relevant feedback, which will motivate them to learn quickly and proceed to the next level.
