Contents
eLearning is here, and it is here to stay. Organizations use eLearning courses to get the most out of their employees. As an employee, you must have filled in some blanks as part of your training program. Well, eLearning modules are much more than just some random assignments. These are built to provide learners, employees, and various other stakeholders with useful insights into the company and its policies. The more you practice the more you will learn.
Now, creating a well-designed and comprehensive eLearning program isn’t the easiest of tasks. Nobody cares about how well-crafted the course is. If the user fails to understand the course that you have provided him with, then all of your hard work is bound to go down the drain.
Content is the undisputed king:
Content is the most important part of any eLearning course. The content you create has to be crisp and channelized. You cannot keep on bombarding your users with large chunks of content. It will become really uninviting if you do that. Nobody, not even the best of your friends will read text-heavy copies. They need something that ends up breaking the monotony. Something that is exciting, to say the least. Learning analytics providers keep track of the content that is attracting the attention of the viewers. You can get in touch with your in-house analytics team before planning to create newer pieces of micro-content.
Microcontent can help you immensely in this regard:
What is micro-content?
Micro-content is the form of content wherein you create small bits of content ( can be in the form of two-liners, video snippets, GIFs, etc. The idea is to convey the heart of the matter to the user without spending too many words. A simple tweet is also a form of micro-content. A 10-second video snippet/teaser is also a form of micro-content. The idea is to capture the viewer’s imagination and attention in the least possible time.
How can it help in eLearning?
Here are several ways micro-content can help in eLearning:
Grab attention
Well, that’s quite obvious. 10-second snippets and GIFs to end up grabbing a lot of attention. This is because we do not have to spend a lot of time understanding the message. If your users need a considerable amount of time in comprehending the message, then half the battle is lost there and then.
Stoke the flames of desire within the viewer/ user
Yes, small bits of information can add to the fun element of an eLearning course. For instance: while a user is undertaking an assignment/exercise, you can help him/her by dropping small hints in the form of “Did You Know” boxes. The hints you drop are nothing but pieces of micro-content. This is a fun way of ensuring the users’ engagement and attention.
Mobile learning can be made more fun using micro-content
A vast majority of people access content on smartphones. According to reports, the attention span of an online content consumer is declining at a rate of knots. You can use micro-content to make things simple for your users. The average attention span of a user is as low as nine seconds, which means you need to keep it to the point, simple and precise. Complicated content does not attract attention, for it appears tasteless.
Crisper bits of content will encourage quicker feedback as well. Those who have doubts regarding the micro-content can ask for prompt suggestions. Feedback will be quick because there is nothing much to explain.
So, it won’t be wrong to say that micro-content is the new and improvised form of content.