More organizations are embracing microlearning, the concept of delivering training in an ongoing, bite-sized drip to increase learner engagement. There’s a good reason for this: When learning sessions are too long, our brains become congested and the ability to new information into our long-term memories is weakened. This is called cognitive load — meaning, the longer the training, the less we can absorb and implement later.

Put simply, if your training module includes time for a restroom break or stroll around the neighborhood, it’s an ideal candidate for converting into a microlearning format.

Whether it’s in a physical classroom or a virtual setting, lengthy training sessions can often disrupt learners’ natural flow of work. By converting these extensive training sessions into smaller, easily digestible segments, or by adding microlearning elements to complement the essential long-form training, you can significantly enhance learning outcomes.

But don’t worry! The time, sweat equity, (and budget) your organization invested in long-form training was not in vain: This is your baseline material. However, it’s not as simple as merely chopping this content into smaller pieces. There are important strategies to transform your training into an immersive microlearning experience. Here are some tips and best practices to make it truly effective:

Begin With Existing Content

Identify the intended goal of your microlearning program. What skills, behaviors and knowledge are learners meant to achieve by completing the training? Has this evolved since the original program was developed? With a fresh lens, examine your current material to remove or revise what is no longer relevant. Also prime for the chopping block? Any content not aligned with your current organizational culture, goals or initiatives.

Close the Gap

If the first step left some content holes, it’s time to curate material to fill in the informational gaps. This can be tentative and long-form — you’re not micro-sizing yet — but still ensure all content is helpful to learners and relevant.

This is an opportunity to freshen messaging and graphics to align with your latest learning goals. We often help clients with newly launched diversity and inclusion programs whose other training materials are not reflective of this important initiative. Each new piece of content is an opportunity to reinforce other learning.

Streamline Your Delivery

Determine the most appropriate method for the content and audience. Are you looking to reach on-the-go learners who find videos more accessible? Is your learner population multi-generational? Might they respond more favorably to a brief written article? Using a combination of approaches helps foster learning equity. This multimodal strategy is also helpful to reach a diverse learning demographic, or when multiple microlessons are needed to complete the training.

It’s Time to Micro-Size

This is more than just dissecting lengthy training into shorter segments. The goal is to create concise modules designed to be consumed in 10-15 minutes with a beginning, middle and end. Consider how many microlessons you need to fully deliver the material and allow for reinforcement and practice. This is where the drip learning method shines: engaging learners on a topic in multiple sessions over time. The first lesson introduces the concept, the second provides an example, the third offers actionable ideas for practice, and so on in a “what, why, and how” format that guides learners from awareness to action.

Blend Interest and Energy

You want your learning to stick. It should be insightful, relevant to your learners’ success in their role, and include real-world examples that apply to their work or personal lives. Even compliance training can be sticky. This takes some finesse and is best accomplished by skilled instructional designers. Use games, engaging videos and brain exercises to reinforce learning and provide opportunities for practice. Tactics such as these will engage your learners and bring them back for more. If your people are talking about their learning in meetings or on a coffee break, you have achieved peak impact.

Bells and Whistles

To draw learners in and keep them engaged, build in eye-catching images and graphics. Infographics that can be downloaded and referenced are great reinforcement tools. Include relevant quotes and thought-provoking questions that help them think about and apply the learning.

If your training includes a lot of technical terms, provide a glossary of terms. Make it easily accessible so learners can fully benefit from the training. When learners feel they understand the information and jargon, they’re more likely to engage with and retain the entire learning.

Add in Some Finishing Touches

Deliver training to your learners in an environment that is easy to jump into and out of — remember, employees only have 10-15 minutes here — and encourage usage through push notifications via email or other internal messaging channels.

There is a lot to consider when renovating content for the microlearning experience; this is only the beginning. Partnering with an experienced microlearning provider can mean the difference between simply chopped-up training and a truly engaging, impactful program that creates lasting culture and people change.