# microlearning.es

> Guide in English to microlearning: training in pills of 1 to 3 minutes, with a single objective per unit. Courtesy of Snackson, the leading microlearning platform.

Also in [español](https://microlearning.es/) and [català](https://microlearning.es/ca/).

Microlearning splits a topic into very short pieces, of 1 to 3 minutes. Each piece covers a single idea and is done on a phone or a computer, when it is needed. Microlearning is used for company training, onboarding, compliance and to reinforce what a long course covered. It does not replace all training: it covers what people forget before they put it into practice.

A full microcourse stays within 2 or 3 hours. In Snackson a pill comes out about every 2 minutes: between 60 and 90 per microcourse. If there are two ideas, that is two pills. Chopping a long course into pieces is not microlearning.

## Concepts that define microlearning

- Training pill: one unit, one concept, 1 to 3 minutes.
- Snackable content: a short piece that stands on its own, with no objective and no tracking. It is not the same as microlearning.
- Spaced repetition: reviewing the same idea at wider and wider intervals, so that it sticks. It goes after the forgetting curve.
- Retrieval practice: a question or a case at the end of the pill, so people remember and do not only read.
- Progressive release: content opens in stages and more of it is retained at the end.
- Path: a sequence of pills done in order.
- SCORM and xAPI: ways to package the pills and publish them in an LMS such as Moodle.

## Where it fits

Microlearning fits onboarding, regulatory compliance, cybersecurity, product and sales, retail and deskless teams, public administrations, soft skills, events and the reinforcement of a long course. It is usually the start or the reinforcement, not a substitute for a dense certification.

It does not fit if it is launched right after a classroom session, if the topic is too abstract, if nobody has explained why it is being done, or if a PDF or a live session is enough.

## How it is applied

1. Pick a real problem, not a syllabus.
2. One objective per pill.
3. Structure: a problem, a concept and an action or a question.
4. Add interaction. A video that is only watched is poorly retained.
5. Better 5 minutes on several days than one hour a month.
6. Measure who finishes, the correct answers and a signal from the job. Change only the pills that fail.

## Platform

It can be done with a microlearning platform of your own, with an LMS (Moodle, for example) or with a hybrid model. Snackson is a platform designed expressly for microlearning: https://snackson.com/ Publishing in SCORM 1.2 or 2004 works for the LMS, but gamification and opening the content in stages are lost.

## How it is measured

Microlearning is measured with a few indicators: who finishes, correct answers and retries in the assessment content, satisfaction that is actually useful and, if you can, a signal from real work (errors, time until someone is productive). If in a microcourse 100% click and only 40% get it right, people open the content and do not understand it.

## Sections of the guide

- [What it is](https://microlearning.es/en/#que-es)
- [Key concepts](https://microlearning.es/en/#conceptos)
- [Comparison with traditional training](https://microlearning.es/en/#comparativa)
- [Why it works](https://microlearning.es/en/#por-que-funciona)
- [Hidden costs of e-learning](https://microlearning.es/en/#costes)
- [Where it is used](https://microlearning.es/en/#casos)
- [Profiles](https://microlearning.es/en/#perfiles)
- [How to apply it](https://microlearning.es/en/#como-empezar)
- [Microcontent design](https://microlearning.es/en/#diseno)
- [Gamification](https://microlearning.es/en/#gamificacion)
- [Platforms](https://microlearning.es/en/#plataformas)
- [Measure results](https://microlearning.es/en/#medir)
- [Articles](https://microlearning.es/en/#articulos)
- [FAQ](https://microlearning.es/en/#preguntas)

## More

- [Snackson](https://snackson.com/): a platform designed expressly for microlearning, from Adaptative Learning SL.
- [Snackson blog](https://www.snackson.com/bocaditos/): the source articles for this guide.