Training the Trainer:

How to Create
Microlearning

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Learn more at www.grovo.com

Why Microlearning Matters

Microlearning is a way to solve the problems facing educators and

trainers of today: dwindling attention spans, knowledge workers
with less time, shrinking budgets, and perhaps most challenging,
the rapid evolution of technology that outdates skills as soon as
theyre learned.

Microlearning is a new kind of training for the digital age. This playbook offers
strategies for applying this methodology to your own curriculum a positive step in
gaining back lost productivity and finding affordable, effective training for a more
digitally capable workforce.

Microlearning helps solve the digital

skills gap. For more information, check

out our white paper:

Bite Size is the Right Size:

Closing the Skills Gap with
Microlearning

!
!

Or request access to our online video

course based on this playbook:

Training the Trainer on Creative

Microlearning
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Table of Contents
What is Microlearning?
How Micro is Microlearning?
Play #1: Decide Your Learning Objective
Play #2: Choose a Rapid Creation Format
Play #3: Organize & Analyze Your Content
Play #4: Make it Granular
Play #5: Make it Engaging
Play #6: Make it Effective
Play #7: Test and Retest
Case Study: Creating a Micro Lesson, The Grovo Way
Summary & Conclusion
References

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What is Microlearning?

Microlearning is a method of training that takes place in short,

bite-sized units and aims to teach content in the most efficient
and effective manner possible.

The principle of learning in small, repetitive chunks has long been acknowledged as
an effective method of learning, say, a new language, or a musical instrument. Yet
microlearning as a scientifically-studied practice has only existed since the early
2000s, when computers and the Internet presented a new opportunity to support
learners. This is a new form of technology-enhanced training and an essential
strategy that serves a growing digital audience.

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Microlearning isnt simply dumbing down information, putting pages of classroom training online, or
splitting an entire 8-hour classroom experience into 2-3 minute chunks. In fact, it doesnt follow
traditional or classroom training at all. Microlearning is:

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Accessible from a variety of devices such as phones, laptops, and tablets so that learning can take place at
anytime and from anywhere.

Flexible and learner-driven so that a trainee can skip or review course content as needed instead of moving at the
pace of the slowest learner (traditional training, on the other hand, is structured, linear, and trainer-driven).

Modular so that content is easy to design, produce, and update in the future. This makes microlearning an
exceptionally cost-effective training method.

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Holistic, offering a 360 view of a topic in order to deepen ones understanding in a meaningful and varied way.
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Recursive (i.e. repeatable and formulaic), allowing for a broad view first before focusing on the less important,
individual parts.

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How Micro is Microlearning?

Theres no right length for microlearning. However, if you need immediate, on-thejob training, you dont want to interrupt your workflow for long.

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In other words, its SHORT (really short).
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Grovos micro lessons average only 60-90 seconds

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Learning can even take place in just a few seconds check out basic science
videos (example: 6secondscience.tumblr.com) or lessons online that direct you
to a certain feature or tool

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Or, if you must, we recommend content thats never longer than an hour
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If a single piece of content must be longer than an hour, use a supplement that
helps the learner break the content up themselves for ease of retention

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In terms of time, the range goes from

less than a second up to more than an
hour.

Theo Hugg
Professor of Educational Sciences at the
Institute of Psychosocial Intervention and
Communication Studies

Play #1:
Determine Learning Objective
Know where youre going before you begin

Move 1: Employ an Instructional Design Methodology

Instructional design is a process that consists of determining the current state and
needs of the learner, defining the end goal of instruction, and creating interventions
to assist in the transition. Before you begin, decide to approach your content from
an instructional design model, which will aid in bringing structure and intention to
designing your course.

The eLearning program must be easy to

access and navigate or you will lose the
learner before they can even start.

Don Eppert
Director, Corporate Learning
Sara Lee

Move 2: Work Backwards From Your End Goal

Next, and most importantly, determine the learning objective what you hope your
learners will achieve by the end. This helps identify what to include (or exclude) in
the course content, and aids in selecting a design and format to meet both the
needs of the learners, and of the organization.

Keep it simple... Too many bells and

whistles may cloud the message you are

trying to convey.

Brian Lauer
Customer Education Product Specialist
Freddie Mac

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Play #2:
Choose a Rapid Creation Format
Build it fast and they will come

Move 1: Opt for Rapid Creation

Training in the digital age needs to be created and updated quickly because todays
technologies and platforms regenerate fast. Select and use a rapid development
software such as Adobes Captivate, Blackboard, or your own proprietary CMS or
LMS like Grovos, and youll be able to manage your contents modules with ease. Or,
use an already established content repository like Youtube, Grovo, Coursmos, etc.
searching for specific topics or lesson lengths to meet your organizations needs.

Move 2: Choose a Format

Choose an appropriate format such as a video, game or quiz in order to meet the
needs of the content, the technological infrastructure available, the target audience,
and as always, time and budget. Some formats, like emails or slides, are relatively
simple while others are more complex and interactive.

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Dont just PowerPoint. [Or]

transform your existing PowerPoint

slide into eLearning content.

Mustafa Barton
Technical Consultant
Hewlett-Packard

Play #3:
Organize & Analyze the Content
Always think, Less is More

Move 1: Create an Outline

Conduct a content audit, determining, prioritizing, and outlining the hierarchy of your
course i.e. how modules, lessons, and topics will be organized into a logical and
progressive order. You want to clearly separate the essential, must-be-learned
items from secondary or supporting content (like optional links, exercises, forms,
references, examples, illustrations, etc.) You will want to prioritize and position the
essential content first.

Dont bite off more than you can chew.

Ensure learning is in bite size pieces so it

can be easily consumed.

Danielle Colton
Human Resources
MJCROS Systems, Inc.

Move 2: Do a Working Memory Check

Think in terms of working memory (4-5 items). Decide if you really need to include all
the content you have in front of you, noting that visuals are an excellent example of a
way to lessen the demands on working memory. Its also critical that the content
and all its related activities are meaningful and relevant.

Avoid corporate-ese speak the

language of your audience and use the

least amount of words possible
to make the point.

Nancy Heiser
Writer, eLearning
Kimberly-Clark

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Play #4:
Make it Granular
A micro lesson is both a grain of sand and a beach

Move 1: Chunk Your Content

Break content into units that are small, granular, and self-contained compared to your
overall learning objective. This reduces complexity, and allows it to fit into a timeslot
appropriate for application. Your audience should be able to watch any lesson in any
order, all the while gaining a broader, holistic perspective of a larger, more
complicated skill.

Examples of granular, holistic

content include:

Concepts

Best practices

Principles

Move 2: Keep the Goal in Mind

Procedures

Ensure that these single units are objective-oriented and based on a detected or
experienced need (e.g. a company acquires new equipment, and identifies that it
needs to train employees on this new equipment).

Tutorials
Demonstrations
Metacognitive strategies

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Play #5:
Make it Engaging (Part 1)
Using Spin
You Spin Me Right Round, Baby

Move 1: Use Context

Aim to forge a strong connection between micro content and context, allowing
learners to fill in the blanks and provide examples from their own lives (we call this
spin).

Use a 1:3 ratio of tell to

Move 2: Use Visuals

show and do

Bullets and numbered lists are useful for presenting your information in a clear and
concise way.

Context takes precedence

Move 3: Use Story

Stories can be told with as little as a single picture, a short animation, or just a few
words. All of these grab a trainees attention and assist in instant learning. Story
also adds stickiness to content, adding real-world and cultural context to material
that aids in learning.
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over content.

Ray Jimenez
Learning Architect & Founder
VignettesLearning.com

Play #5:
Make it Engaging (Part 2)
Making it Sticky
Your story, my story, our story

Move 4: Select a Small Idea

From each micro lesson, identify a small piece of an idea you want learners to learn.

Move 5: Add an Event

Next, think of a relevant event or scenario; then describe it as an example.

Move 6: Embed the Idea

Definition:

Stickiness is a basic principle of

effective learning and encourages transfer

by giving the real world application and a
cultural or social context to your content.

When you play out the event, look for opportunities to embed the idea to be learned in
the example (i.e. remind the learner what the small idea is).

Move 7: Make it Spin

Finally, build your lesson in a way that facilitates connections, allowing the content to
spin into new scenarios and related information in the learners mind. In a group
setting this could end up as conversation, comments, or stories. For a solo or online
course, you might ask the trainees to think of their own examples related to the content.

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Dont be seduced by aesthetics. [Instead]

use visual elements wisely to enhance the

students learning experience.

Jkuko Kawasaki
eLearning Design Specialist
Randstad North America

Play #6:
Make it Effective
Better, Faster, Stronger

Move 1: Add Reference Tools

Add the ability to reference your content on-the-go, in-the-field, on-the-job and in-the-moment
with easy-to-navigate reference tools. Consider a clickable table of contents or a user-friendly
mobile app to aid learners in finding what they want to learn, when they want to learn it.

To me, gamification is finding a way to

incent[ivize] the behaviors that you
want your team to have.

Dave McDermott

Move 2: Use Gamification

Director of Sales Enablement

Kelly Services

Gamify your content, leveraging the satisfaction derived from creating actionable learning goals
coupled with assignment completion.

Our business culture is ruled by short

Move 3: Use Attention Formulas

Research varies, but theres a clear ebb and flow to human attention, energy and alertness. For
example, the 90/20/8 rule recommends never letting any module run longer than 90 minutes,
changing the pace at least every 20 minutes, and getting trainees actively involved in the
content at least every 8 minutes9. Grovos method is even shorter: we aim to keep content under
90 seconds while changing the pace every 30-40 seconds.
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attention spans and time-gulping

demands.

Mitch Thrower
Author, The Attention
Deficit Workplace

Play #7:
Test & Retest
Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3

Move 1: Test & Retest Your Learners

Use a method to quickly generate exams, assessments, surveys and branded
certificates for your learners. Deliver these at the point of need, such as immediately
following a lesson to ensure theyre getting the most out of your learning program.
Tracking participation, engagement, and completion rates also helps you and your
users see the impact training is having on job performance.

Sustaining high business performance

is a product of continuous strategic
alignment.

Med Yones
President
International Institute of Management

Move 2: Test & Retest Your System

Microlearning allows for the easy piloting of lessons and the ability to gather
feedback, iterate, and plan the next training slice without slowing down production.
In addition, make sure to use an LMS with a full suite of reports and data analytics
to create data-driven learning, while correlating performance metrics. You may also
choose to add eCommerce capabilities or other features to your product.

The greatest value of a picture is when it

forces us to notice what we never
expected to see.

John Tukey (1915 2000)

Mathematician
Princeton & Bell Labs

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Case Study:
Creating a Micro Lesson, The Grovo Way
A systematic, yet iterative production approach has allowed Grovo to create effective, quality content
rapidly and efficiently for a growing digital audience.
Pre-Production

DETERMINE LEARNING OBJECTIVE: We have in-house instructional designers who help us approach
our topic from a design and development perspective, assisting in identifying the content and learning
objective.

SELECT A RAPID DEVELOPMENT FORMAT: Grovos chosen format is 60-90 second videos,
managed in our own proprietary CMS which allows us to produce lessons in fewer than 8 hours, and
entire tracks of content in a single day.

ORGANIZE & ANALYZE THE CONTENT: We script the language, tone, and flow to optimize learning.
Then the lesson goes into an iterative pre-production process where we go screen-by-screen, detailing
the visual assets needed such as animations, screen-grabs, on-screen instructor direction,
supplemental footage like B-roll, and any interaction between these assets.

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Case Study:
Creating a Micro Lesson, The Grovo Way (cont.)
Production

MAKE IT GRANULAR: We ensure our micro lessons stand alone, yet fit into learning tracks detailing a
larger skill or topic.

MAKE IT ENGAGING: Grovo uses a combination of highly engaging visuals such as original
animations, screen-grabs and graphics, with hosted stand-ups that are used as the backbone over
which to build the final product. At this point in the process the instructor-driven portion of the lesson is
filmed in-studio, while additional live action footage (such as B-roll) is shot, screen captures are

Post Production

obtained, and our animators begin building assets.

MAKE IT EFFECTIVE: Our instructional designers and producers prepare mini-assessments to follow
each lesson, testing the learners knowledge. These are loaded into the CMS while all video elements
are combined and made to interact during the editing process. Finally, an export of the final product is

uploaded into our content management system and goes live on Grovo.com.

TEST & RETEST: We encourage our users to take advantage of their ability to assign lessons to
specific users, track participation and engagement, as well as make use of our full suite of reports.

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Summary & Conclusion

Microlearning an essential strategy for creating content that
appeals to a digital audience must follow an iterative, structured
design process in order to achieve the most efficient, engaging,
and effective results.
Create Microlearning with the Following Options:
Determine Your Learning Objective:
Employ an Instructional Design Methodology
Work backwards from your end goal

Choose a Rapid Creation Format:

Opt for Rapid Creation
Choose Your Format

Organize & Analyze the Content:

Create an Outline
Do a Working Memory Check

Make it Granular:
Chunk Your Content
Keep Your Goal in Mind

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Make it Engaging:
Use Context
Use Visuals
Use Story
Make it Sticky: Select a Small
Idea, Add an Event, Embed the
Idea, Make it Spin

Make it Effective:
Add Reference Tools
Use Gamification
Use Attention Formulas!

Test & Retest:

Test & Retest Your Learners
Test & Retest Your System

Microlearning helps solve the digital

skills gap. For more information, check

out our white paper:

Bite Size is the Right Size:

Closing the Skills Gap with
Microlearning

!
!

Or request access to our online video

course based on this playbook:

Training the Trainer on Creative

Microlearning

What we do
Grovo teaches Internet and modern professional skills with over
4,700, 60-90 second video lessons and assessments covering 150
Internet tools, cloud services, and professional topics.

Learn more at:

www.grovo.com

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(212) 924-2579
[email protected]

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References
1. The Association for Talent Development
2. The Association for Talent Development State of the Industry Report 2012
3. Brinkerhoff, R. O., Apking, A. M. (2001). High impact learning: Strategies for leveraging business results from training.
4. Via Learning Solutions, Trends in Blended Learning: Evolution of learning design and technology
5. The Wall Street Journal, So Much Training, So Little To Show For It, 2012
6. The Association for Talent Development, Learning Circuits Archives Time-to-Develop-One-Hour-of-Training 2009
7. Commissioned Harris Interactive Survey, 2014 (Grovo) based on average 50K salary, 21% of time wasted due to inadequate digital skills (IDC)
8. Josh Kaufman, 'The First 20 Hours: Mastering the Toughest Part of Learning Anything'
9. Robert Pike, Creative Training Techniques Handbook, 1994 (from Mindgym)

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