301 Learning by Practice: Microlearning with Immediate Application

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM Wednesday, February 20

Many learners want shorter nuggets of content. It can be challenging, however, for instructional designers to fit everything they need to do into five- to seven-minute chunks. If you’re not careful, the lessons can end up being mostly teaching, and what gets lost is the chance for learners to practice the skills being taught and the chance to apply the new skills to their own situations.

In this session, you’ll walk through a case study of 30 microlessons (built in 30 days) that focus primarily on practice and application. You’ll learn how to keep the formal learning part to a minimum so you can give learners a chance to try techniques out for themselves and even apply them to their own lives immediately, before ever leaving the course. You’ll get to see real-life examples of many microlearning formats, including branching scenarios, skills and drills, games, and application activities.

In this session, you will learn:

  • How to focus your microlearning designs on practice and application
  • How to pick a narrow, targeted topic that learners can explore in a short period of time
  • How to design opportunities for students to apply techniques to their own lives
  • How to incorporate teaching points throughout an interaction, rather than use the “teach then quiz” model

Diane Elkins

Owner/Founder

E-Learning Uncovered

Diane Elkins is owner of Artisan E-Learning, a custom eLearning development company, and E-Learning Uncovered, where she helps people build courses they're proud of. She has built a reputation as a national eLearning expert by being a frequent speaker at major industry events for ATD, The Learning Guild, and Training Magazine. Her favorite topics include accessibility, instructional design, and Articulate Storyline. She is co-author of the popular E-Learning Uncovered book series, as well as E-Learning Fundamentals: A Practical Guide, from ATD Press. She is a past board member of the Northeast Florida and Metro DC chapters of ATD.

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