20 Aug 2024 Embrace Microlearning to Attract Busy Members to Your Association
Successful associations and nonprofits are embracing a new approach to professional development lately. Is microlearning something your organization could promote too? Read on to learn more about this trend that could appeal to your members.
What Is Microlearning?
There are a lot of misconceptions about microlearning. It’s not simply breaking down a huge course into smaller bites. Rather, it’s creating a short learning experience around one limited topic or educational outcome. When you read below about the advantages of microlearning for associations and nonprofits, you’ll see why this is important. A large course broken into multiple chapters or webinars is still a massive commitment. But microlearning offers the chance for anyone to take a deeper dive on a topic without the onus of an ongoing curriculum.
What Are the Benefits of Microlearning?
The most obvious upside of microlearning — and the one that’s most likely to attract your membership — is that it’s ideal for busy people. And folks are busy these days. Our responsibilities have not decreased over the last decade or so. If anything, schedules are even more overloaded, with workers often taking on extra tasks after downsizing or shouldering jam-packed family schedules.
When your association offers a microlearning opportunity, no one has to worry about the downsides of bigger courses, such as:
● Time commitment that conflicts with other activities or travel
● Sitting through numerous sessions to get the one they really need
● Paying more because of the length of the class or materials
It’s easier for staff too, as there is less to prepare and no concerns about class reminders, booking physical or online space, etc. This makes microlearning simple to squeeze into your busiest periods, like conference planning or fundraising and membership drives. In fact, you can use microlearning to woo members by offering free samples of your continuing education without taking a financial hit.
If only a few people are interested, your group won’t have wasted valuable funds. You can easily take a different tack and experiment with something else without sinking a ton of time and money into it.
Microlearning is great for associations with diverse members who may not all need the same type or level of class. You can provide greater variety than with larger courses, satisfying different rungs of the career ladder. Members will feel like association education is more personalized when they can explore their own interests and niches.
Has your association struggled to attract younger members? Microlearning suits Millennials and Gen Zers well because they grew up with that style of education. People of all ages are becoming accustomed to it, though, learning new skills on YouTube or getting information quickly through online articles without “cognitive overload.”
How to Make Microlearning Work for Your Association
To get the most out of microlearning for all involved, here are some best practices:
● Always decide on your learning objective and audience first before going further with the details.
● Learning segments should be limited to around 15 minutes, although it’s not uncommon for them to be as brief as two to five minutes.
● Try to make the format as interactive as possible, utilizing videos, games, quizzes, or role plays.
● On-demand access will have greater appeal for overburdened people than live events (and it’s more cost effective).
● Just as with longer courses, you can offer micro credentialing for your shorter offerings.
● Evaluate your results as you go, so you can tweak the process if necessary based on feedback.
Microlearning can also be used to test the waters for other, meatier courses without a major commitment. Think of it like a laboratory for your curriculum ideas.
Most learners find that being able to apply their knowledge soon after a mini class helps them remember it better. So do your best to tie microlearning opportunities to practical applications, especially in technical fields. Be sure to follow industry standards, and consider peer review for anything involving YMYL (your money or your life) topics with serious consequences.
Microlearning isn’t just for members. You can use this method with staff, volunteers, or board members too. Some organizations like to schedule just-in- time microlearning sessions immediately prior to policy changes or new campaigns to ensure that everyone is on the same page.
Remember that everyone learns in different ways. Try to shake up your microlearning styles accordingly (videos, podcasts, etc.). Offer participants a quick printed or online summary of their experience, like a sheet of takeaways or an infographic, and anything missed at first can be reviewed later.
Need help setting up a microlearning course or surveying your membership about what they’d like to learn? Jaffe Management can help with that, along with other association administrative elements. Call us at 212-496-3155, or drop us
an email at: info@jaffemanagement.com.