Creating microlearning videos is essential for developing engaging, impactful training that supports a range of learning goals.
From onboarding new employees to meeting compliance standards, safety regulations, and beyond, microlearning offers a versatile and efficient way to deliver corporate training content.
Not only is it invaluable for workplace learning, but microlearning is also highly effective in customer education and partner enablement, as it provides bite-sized, easily digestible e-learning content tailored to various audiences.
The benefits of continuous learning through microlearning modules extend well beyond regulatory needs, fostering a culture of ongoing development and skill enhancement across every facet of an organization.
Plus, today’s employees recognize how the rapid pace of technology changes affect workplace requirements and see learning and development (L&D) opportunities as a vital indicator of the quality of the workplace.
More than half of employees want to develop skills to position themselves for better opportunities at their current jobs.
39% of employees say they’ll likely leave within the next year for a job that offers better learning programs.
However, not all training programs are created equal.
To develop employee training programs or customer education that delivers the best results, organizations must go beyond traditional learning and present content that engages learners and fits into their busy schedules.
Videos are already part of training and are a way to easily engage learners with visuals and storytelling.
Microlearning is a training process that provides learning in small chunks of information that are easily learned and retained.
By learning how to create microlearning videos, you can combine two powerful learning techniques to deliver engaging information learners can absorb quickly.
In this guide, we’ll discuss exactly what microlearning videos are, how to create microlearning videos in five easy steps, and best practices for developing impactful microlearning videos.
What are microlearning videos?
Microlearning videos are short videos that focus on a single topic.
They may be provided as supplementary materials to a larger body of training but should be able to be used as a standalone resource, or microlearning content, with a specific takeaway.
Microlearning training content can generally be consumed in less than 10 minutes.
Microlearning videos, specifically, stay within the shorter range, anywhere between 30 seconds and six minutes. These bite-sized training modules can include:
- Step-by-step tutorials
- How-to videos
- Recorded webinar snippets
- Animated videos that explain a concept
- Explainer videos
- Interactive narratives that are easy to recall
No matter what video content you include in microlearning videos, it’s essential to avoid distractions.
While you want to engage viewers, your goal is to communicate only the essential information in a clear and memorable format.
Benefits of microlearning videos
Microlearning videos multiply the benefits of both training methods for a highly effective learning experience that boosts engagement and knowledge retention.
Short videos can improve learner engagement by 24.7% and final evaluation scores by 9% compared to long videos.
This makes microlearning especially useful across a variety of training contexts, from employee onboarding and skill development to customer education and partner enablement.
By breaking down complex subjects into manageable segments, microlearning videos help learners process information more effectively, leading to improved outcomes and better performance in real-world applications.
Furthermore, they are ideal for mobile learning, allowing users to access training anytime, which supports a culture of continuous learning and keeps knowledge accessible and top-of-mind.
How to create microlearning videos
It’s easy to assume creating a short video that spans only a few minutes would be simple.
But keeping the subject matter concise and on track can be the hardest part of producing a training video.
The following steps outline how to create microlearning videos that align with your organizational training goals, engage learners, and improve learning outcomes.
1. Choose a concept
It’s essential to begin with a clear idea of the information you want to relay to learners. It must be a singular concept that stands alone to deliver relevant information employees can use in the workplace.
Think of your learning concept as a primary objective that you can clearly describe within a few minutes. Start picturing the high-quality visuals you can use to engage your audience and flesh out your content.
2. Write a script
It’s a mistake to assume you don’t need a script for a short learning video. You’ll need to present concise information without being dry or boring.
At the same time, you’ll need to ensure you don’t include any extra words (fluff) that can distract learners from the main objective.
Begin by preparing a script that will cover the learning objectives you’ll relay by talking. After your script is complete, revise it to cut any unnecessary and superficial details.
Words that aren’t absolutely necessary to convey the main objective should be omitted.
3. Identify the right visuals
Once the language is perfected, you can create a storyboard to map out the visual elements to accompany the speech. Consider whether your video content will rely on animation, slides, presentations, etc., to get your point across.
Define how scenes and changes of perspective will better help you deliver learning materials most likely to engage learners. When choosing images, consider how overly impactful images can distract from your goals.
You don’t want to produce a video that will be remembered for its visuals instead of the message.
4. Stay on track
Traditional videos use a variety of tactics to engage an audience. It’s common for speakers to introduce themselves, use humor, repeat important points, insert extra conversational language, and more..
None of these elements should be included in a microlearning video. Getting off track during a microlearning video will defeat the purpose.
Stay on track to deliver a specific message your learners will quickly grasp and retain.
Create your video using your script and storyboard. Then review the final product for concise delivery.
Consider whether there are elements that distract from the main purpose and remove them to optimize the results.
5. Offer additional resources
Engaging microlearning videos are designed to grab learners’ attention and deliver short bursts of information to make subjects easy to recall.
While the videos are designed to stand alone, they can be part of a bigger body of information or related to other topics.
You can encourage employees to explore these related resources and additional learning materials by including links to accompanying resources.
Best practices for creating impactful microlearning videos
Now that you know how to create microlearning videos, you may wonder how to enhance the creation process for ideal learning outcomes.
These tips can help you take your bite-sized videos to the next level to provide impactful employee training that is effective for a variety of employee training goals.
Focus on a single idea for each video
Microlearning is designed to explain a singular concept in a way that’s easy to grasp and commit to memory. Including extra information can distract from the lesson.
Choose a single subject and assign related points to other learning modules or future videos.
Add storytelling and interactive effects for increased engagement
Concise information doesn’t have to be boring. Use a story to engage your audience and show how the information relates to workplace tasks and daily workflows.
Visuals can be used to further illuminate the point and provide examples that clarify the relevance of the training module.
Gamifying your videos can further engage users and encourage increased participation.
Consider how you can include content that allows users to collect points or rewards for displaying what they’ve learned.
Use relevant visuals
The imagery you use can increase engagement. Visuals, such as examples, graphics, charts, and diagrams, can reduce the complexity of a subject and engage learners.
Consider how you can incorporate live actions or animations to illustrate the steps in a process or clarify how a new tool simplifies manual tasks.
Experiment with different formats
Engaging microlearning modules require you to strike a tricky balance between direct information and engaging interaction.
Try multiple formats to see which types of video yield the best results. As you refine your content and analyze user feedback, you may find that a singular format isn’t ideal for every situation.
Instead of trying to make every learning module fit into a specific profile, you can add interest by breaking the chain with new ideas.
Since microlearning videos are designed to be a standalone information source, they don’t have to be identical. Innovation can help you stay up to date with changing technologies and user preferences.
Make your videos easily accessible
Microlearning videos can be used for training and in the flow of work.
When you use quality learning management software to produce and distribute your microlearning videos, learners can access them when they need them, whether remotely or at work.
Nearly half of digital workers struggle to find the information they need to perform their jobs.
Having a learning management system (LMS) or learning platform that’s powered by AI can enhance streamline knowledge management ensuring reusable training content is readily available when learners need it to complete daily tasks.
Measure the results of your efforts
Your L&D programs are only effective if they produce the desired results.
An LMS or learning program with advanced data analytics enables employers to collect and analyze data from training sessions.
This can empower employers to determine how their programs impact their employees and make improvements to reach their training goals.
By incorporating surveys, quizzes, and other tools into training sessions to gather feedback, you can improve your training material.
Now over to you: Use microlearning videos in your L&D training efforts
Learning how to create microlearning videos puts you on the right path to engaging employees and helping them retain critical industry knowledge and there are plenty of examples of microlearning videos to do just that.
But the second part of the puzzle is the platform you’ll use to conveniently deliver these microlearning modules to your employees.
A high-quality learning platform like Docebo can help you create and deliver microlearning videos that align with your L&D efforts and enable you to measure learning impact.
Book a demo to learn more about how 3,800 companies worldwide trust Docebo with their L&D efforts.
