The phrase “new normal” has become part of our everyday language. But as present circumstances continue to evolve, it can be hard to pin down what the new normal actually is. From mass remote working to considerable changes in customer relationship management, one thing is for sure: In learning and development (L&D), we have to be quicker than ever to adapt to the changes in working life. And that means adapting our compliance training programs.
Why Microlearning for Compliance Training?
We’re more than half a year into this new normal, so we’ve all had plenty of time to pivot our learning strategies, embark on digital transformation, and learn how to manage compliance training at a distance. Now is the perfect time to review your compliance training program to ensure that it is on message, sustainable, adaptable, and scalable in the long term.
This is where microlearning principles come in.
Microlearning has a huge range of benefits in any area of learning and development, from information retention to increasing completion rates. Here are four key benefits for compliance training specifically.
4 Ways Microlearning Enhances Compliance Training
1. Microlearning Improves Information Retention
As the world of work continues to change, it’s vital that any new training is impactful, understandable, and digestible. One of the best things about microlearning is the breakdown of complex topics into accessible nuggets of information.
Typically lasting 2–10 minutes, microlearning condenses training down to its purest form. This means that the brain no longer needs to filter out extraneous information. This, in turn, leads to greater retention of the key messages and the ability to deliver specific action points.
2. Microlearning Requires Less Bandwidth
Up until recently, most compliance training has taken place in the workplace, where strong Wi-Fi is the norm. But with more people working from home, perhaps with many others needing access to the same internet connection, it’s important to consider connectivity and bandwidth issues—especially when delivering mandatory compliance content. Nothing annoys a learner more than a course that fails to record their completion or score a test properly.
Due to its short format, microlearning requires less bandwidth than longer, media-rich forms of training content. While animation, for example, is less demanding on internet bandwidth than video, these shorter bites of eLearning content allow for easier access while using weaker internet connections.
3. Microlearning Is Easier to Adapt at Scale
The new normal remains an ongoing development. Microlearning offers both increased flexibility and a more rapid, responsive delivery option.
For example, if your information security policies change in response to new risks, a targeted microlearning solution can be developed and rolled out at scale and at speed. This can be done with a much shorter lead time than a full-length module.
Microlearning can also be used to address interim training needs, such as refreshers and updates.
4. Microlearning Is Flexible for the Time-Poor Workforce
Whatever the new working environment brings for your workforce, there are many demands on their time. Some are spending too long in front of a screen and are experiencing “Zoom fatigue.” Others are busy working with customers or are in front-line professions away from screens for long periods of time.
Microlearning’s shorter seat times address this problem and provide bite-size learning interventions that fit more easily into the working day.
Elevate Your Compliance Training with Microlearning
Microlearning principles can revolutionize your compliance training by improving retention, reducing bandwidth requirements, enabling rapid scalability, and accommodating busy schedules.
Need help with delivering bite-sized compliance training at a distance? Talk to us about your training needs.
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