4 eye-opening stats that make the case for microlearning

You may be applying microlearning without even realizing it. Whether it’s through short how-to videos, quick reference guides or reinforcement scenarios, microlearning has become a standard approach for enabling employees in focused, non-disruptive ways. 

If you’re still trying to figure out if microlearning will work in your organization—or making the case for a strategy change with your stakeholders—these compelling statistics will help you justify its place in your workplace learning strategy.

1. Time is the #1 barrier to learning at work

As previously noted, microlearning is on the rise—and in a big way. In 2017, about 27% of retail The greatest challenge to building new skills in the workplace isn’t a lack of motivation. It’s certainly not a lack of content—LMS catalogs are chock full of online courses and videos. The problem isn’t finding something to learn. It’s finding the time to do it. According to Cornerstone’s “A License to Skill: Embracing the Reskilling Revolution” report, 61% of employees cite time as a barrier to their development. This comes as no surprise in organizations where productivity is king, and the focus on short-term priorities often overshadows long-term growth.

Of course, people are constantly learning on the job as they solve problems and navigate everyday challenges. But are they learning the right things – skills that will open the doors to future opportunities? When the mandate is “do more with less,” organizations must adapt their learning strategies to fit the nonstop nature of the workplace. 
Enter microlearning. Focused, short-form training activities offer a means to make purposeful learning part of the job, no matter how hectic the workflow. It’s not just about providing shorter content. Microlearning provides development opportunities in a way that respects both employees’ time and organizations’ priorities.

2. Microlearning use increased by 40% during the pandemic

The pandemic was an unfortunate and challenging time. It also taught us invaluable lessons about resilience, adaptability and how to support people through rapid change. Companies figured out how to evolve their operations overnight, shifting priorities, adopting innovative business models and finding new ways to get the job done. Flexible and efficient learning solutions were critical in enabling employees to meet the demands of the moment.

It’s no surprise microlearning emerged as a go-to strategy for organizations during the pandemic. According to Brandon Hall Group, the use of microlearning increased by 40% during this period. Businesses had to get training and support into the operation as quickly as possible. They turned to microlearning as a key strategy for helping employees keep pace. 

We certainly hope to avoid such widespread disruption in the future. Nonetheless, the workplace will continue to evolve, and employees will need help learning new things along the way. Microlearning offers a flexible, scalable way to get people the support they need to thrive in an ever-changing environment.

3. Microlearning helped large companies offer 3x as much training time 

As more organizations adopted microlearning, training time per employee spiked. In 2017, employees at large organizations (those with 10,000 or more employees) averaged 42.2 hours of training per year. By 2020, that number skyrocketed to 102.6 hours according to an email survey from Statista. Scaling training in organizations of this size is no small feat. It requires strategies that can efficiently reach thousands of employees without disrupting operations or overloading resources.

By delivering targeted content that fits seamlessly into the workday, microlearning makes it possible to expand training without the logistical challenges of classroom sessions or lengthy courses. Shorter learning activities don’t result in less training time. As this research shows, microlearning boosts development opportunities. Five minutes per day doesn’t sound like much, but it quickly adds up, often resulting in more overall time focused on learning.

4. You forget 50% of what you learn within 20 minutes

Here’s the thing: the idea that you forget 50% of what you learn within 20 minutes isn’t exact science. Psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus conducted some of the earliest research on memory in the late 1800s, resulting in the popular “forgetting curve.” Simply stated, people are built to forget. How quickly we forget varies based on a variety of factors. Workplace training often conflicts with human nature, overwhelming employees with more information than they can retain. 

Microlearning would undoubtedly earn Ebbinghaus’ seal of approval (or so I’d like to think). By embedding short training activities into the workflow, organizations can continuously reinforce critical employee knowledge and behaviors. It doesn’t matter how visually engaging an eLearning module is or how interactive your online session might be — people won’t remember most of the information presented. Microlearning addresses this challenge by breaking content into digestible chunks and working with our natural memory processes to ensure the most important information sticks.

Also read: How adaptive microlearning can revolutionize your company training

Try it out for yourself 

Still not decided? These stats offer a compelling case for microlearning as a strategy to tackle some of the biggest challenges in workplace learning – time constraints, information retention and scalability. It’s clear that microlearning is more than a buzzword. It’s a practical, proven approach to supporting employees in ways that align with how they work and learn.

The best way to see if microlearning is the right fit for your organization is to try it. Address your next performance challenge using short-form assets. For example, you could break the topic apart into a series of snackable videos rather than offering a lengthier course. Collect feedback from employees to see which approach they prefer. Measure how your microlearning assets impact people’s on-the-job performance. 

Let your teams experience the difference, and you’ll see why microlearning has become a go-to strategy for organizations big and small over the past few years.

JD Dillon, Chief Learning Architect

JD Dillon became an expert on frontline training and enablement over two decades working in operations and talent development with dynamic organizations, including Disney, Kaplan and AMC. A respected author and speaker in the workplace learning community, JD also continues to apply his passion for helping frontline employees around the world do their best work every day in his role as Axonify's Chief Learning Architect.

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