Math in Microlearning: Boost Your Bottom Line with Bite-Sized Training for Sales Teams

Microlearning: it's been a buzzword so long we almost don't remember a universe without it. But, the thing about buzzwords is, sometimes they stick because they make sense. If you ask us, that's where we've landed with microlearning. We've turned the corner from buzzy-idea-of-the-moment and settled right into proven-process-for-learning-and-retention.

But, don't take our word for it. Let's look at the numbers. After all, the math speaks for itself.

People forget 50% of what they learn within 1 hour of learning it.

In addition, it only takes most learners 24 hours to forget 70 percent of the information they were given. This is according to the “Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve.” The numbers here differ slightly based on several factors. But, the point is, people forget new information, fast.

Retention rates can increase up to 20% (and sometimes more) with microlearning formats.

Digesting information in short snippets and then immediately completing a short assessment can help boost retention rates around 20 percent, according to a 2015 Dresden University of Technology study. Answering a quick question or two that highlights the most important parts about the information the learner just consumed helps in the process of committing that information to long-term memory.

The half-life of information is rapidly decreasing.

The information we learn has a shelf-life. Depending on the industry, facts may only be facts for a few years, maybe months, in some cases even days. For example, people working in medical or engineering fields may have to learn about new discoveries or technologies every few months. People selling tech products likely have to learn about new hardware, software updates, and more on a very regular basis. The way information moves today is not usually conducive with learning something once. People have to learn continually in order to keep up with the rate information changes. Microlearning allows for up-to-the-minute education.

Learner engagement increases with microlearning.

Traditional Learning Management Systems (LMS) are infamous for low user engagement. It's difficult to get learners to log in and take the time to complete long-form training. It's even harder to ensure they retain any information from that training. When one Bigtincan enterprise client switched from their custom-built, legacy LMS to the Zunos microlearning platform, they reported an increase in learner engagement by 2,000 unique logins each month for the first several months after the launch. Then, they reported an uptick in sales from the learners most engaged in their respective training.

Microlearning costs less than traditional training.

Since microlearning is all about bite-sized training, it frees up time and budget usually spent on more traditional training processes. Microlearning is typically delivered on mobile and decreases the amount of time people need to spend in the classroom or in formal training sessions. Courses can be created and delivered much quicker than other forms of training. And, learners can log in and complete mini-courses in a matter of minutes, decreasing the downtime most employees experience with other forms of training. In fact, that same enterprise client we mentioned saw a $700,000 savings in the first year after switching from their traditional LMS to Bigtincan's Zunos microlearning training program.

Higher retention rates, more effective learning, increased engagement, and all at a lower cost; that's what we call worthwhile results of a proven process.