Spaced Repetition – A Learning Method Made for Mobile
Bite-sized lessons for better message retention.
Microlearning delivers frequent, bite-sized bursts of highly focused content to learners. Learning small pieces of information at a higher frequency is clinically proven to be better for retention. It’s also easier to develop and maintain because content is split into small, manageable components. EdApp’s rapid authoring tool makes it simple to create short, engaging lessons that get directly to the point. Plus, by including frequent reinforcements, EdApp ensures that learners are achieving the targeted outcomes of your lesson. It’s fun for learners and great for business.
What is Microlearning?
Microlearning is the teaching and delivery of educational content in short, highly-specific bursts. Human short-term memory can only hold five pieces of new information before it is pushed out or overwritten. By focusing on fewer topics, knowledge better transfers to long-term memory where it is embedded.
eLearning that employs microlearning typically sees course completion rates rise from under 20 percent to above 90 percent. It was first pioneered as computer-based training, but with smartphones becoming ubiquitous, going mobile has become a natural fit. Mobile learning brings with it benefits like push notifications for lesson reminders, cloud distribution, and the ability to deliver micro lessons (that are always up to date) direct to learners’ pockets.
Early experiments in microlearning saw increased retention, more engagement, and better outcomes than traditional desktop-based eLearning.
This is due to a number of factors:
- Learners feel a greater sense of accomplishment – rewards are earned quickly, and progress is tangible. Feeling like they have taken a large step towards their goals in a short time motivates learners to return again and again.
- Short, succinct microlearning courses make outcomes clear. By implementing a single learning objective in each EdApp course, authors can give focus to what they know is important, which gives learners clear direction and objective goals.
- Repeating content at appropriate intervals cements knowledge in learners’ long-term memories. Not only will your learners be able to understand concepts quickly, but they will also hang on to that understanding for longer.
Why use Microlearning?
The workplace is evolving, and your training should too. EdApp is the perfect solution to tap into the needs of a shifting learning environment.
Enormous Growth of the Smartphone
Make your learning available anytime, anywhere. Our mobile LMS templates automatically work on any device whether it’s a smartphone, tablet, or laptop.
More Millennials in the Workplace
Easily and quickly adapt your learning and development courseware to the high standards of design and technology that Millennial employees expect.
Flexible, Personalised Learning
Easily manage bite-sized microlearning for individual learners, with tailored push notifications and analytics to track their progress, retention, and engagement.
Rapid Authoring
Author in hours, not days, with EdApp’s template-based authoring tool. Anyone can create beautiful and engaging lessons, without writing a single line of code.
A Familiar Experience
Learners will intuitively know how to use EdApp, with familiar interactions like pinching, swiping, and tapping already second nature. For learners, EdApp is just like any other app.
Unprecedented Engagement
Reward your learners with real prizes like gift cards and vouchers, delivered the instant they win them. EdApp’s prizing can be based on chance or skill, it’s up to you.
Does It Work?
Microlearning is proven to make learning more meaningful and engaging thanks to short, single-objective, focused lessons. With push notifications reminding learners to complete available lessons, EdApp sees incredible completion rates compared to traditional eLearning courses. However, we take micro learning further by adding two key ingredients, gamification and spaced repetition. These added features have been clinically proven to increase learner engagement and knowledge retention, motivating learners through a tailored, scientific approach. EdApp’s spaced repetition feature is called, Brain Boost spaced repetition app.
EdApp’s reward-based prizing solution gives your microlearners real rewards that empower friendly competition between staff, like gift cards and vouchers that can be instantly redeemed. The new Leaderboards feature allows learners or groups of learners to compete against each other: motivating high performers and stragglers alike.
The enormous growth of the smartphone and the rise of Millennials in the workplace make it the perfect learning and development solution for any skilled workforce, whether it’s retail, hospitality, enterprise, or any other industry. With the flexibility to deliver personalized learning on EdApp, everything stays relevant and targeted for your learners.
Rapid Authoring Means Agile Learning
The authoring tool requires absolutely no additional software beyond a web browser. Sign up in seconds and author your first lesson today. Then, simply and easily preview your lesson using our native iPhone or Android app.
Lessons can be easily be authored and updated in minutes, depending on your content. Create quick “booster” style lessons to update staff on new products, practices, policies, and procedures. With EdApp, your lessons go from conception to completion in just a few days.
Find out more about our rapid authoring tool.
Microlearning & Mobile: A Perfect Match
Microlearning with EdApp is mobile-first. Using our native smartphone app, learners can access their lessons anywhere. Whether it’s during their commute, while working remotely, or on-demand (using just-in-time training) when deployed in the field, your team has instant access to your courses.
Our app is available in iOS and Android app stores. Once learners have the app on their device, they’re reminded to complete any new lessons and motivated to try for prizes with our push notifications. Spaced throughout the day, these small reminders keep learning at the forefront of your team’s minds. Best of all, as an administrator, you can automatically ‘set and forget’ them.
Because EdApp is mobile-first, learners benefit from templates designed for touchscreens. Lessons react to the size of the screen, resulting in a great experience even if learners use a tablet or full‑size computer. But mobile-first doesn’t mean web-last – our lessons display full‑screen in high resolution on desktop and laptop computers. All your learners need is a web browser.
Case Study
Pandora Jewellery has used EdApp to dramatically improve its learning and development for retail staff. The company achieved unprecedented completion rates after making the switch to EdApp’s platform. Read the full case study.
We enjoyed completion rates of over 80%, and 90% of learners prefer EdApp to the existing elearning system.
– Andres Cordoba Mazabel, Pandora
Why Do I Need Microlearning?
Customers are more discerning than ever, so it’s crucial to deliver agile and engaging eLearning to your staff. The product knowledge and skills your employees gain will drive sales, increase customer satisfaction and improve employee retention.
According to a recent survey, 72% of retail employees want training that is faster, more convenient, and more frequent. A further 88% of retail employees want training that is more fun and engaging. EdApp’s authoring tool is built from the ground up to empower authors to create those lessons – and not just for retail. We’ve partnered with clients from all industries and EdApp has worked to improve completion rates, learner engagement, and business outcomes across the board.
Microlearning also enables Peer Learning: the practice of employees teaching their colleagues. Nobody knows your company’s processes or policies better than your existing workers, so leveraging that expertise by getting them to create their own micro lessons (either themselves or with minimal assistance) makes a great deal of sense. Learners will be more engaged when they can relate to both the lesson and the teacher and learning will become even more effective.
If you would like to learn more about how to build the most effective employee training strategy!
If you’d like to know more about how EdApp’s mobile learning platform can help your internal training practices, get in touch at enquiries@edapp.com. You can also try EdApp’s Mobile LMS and authoring tool for free by signing up here.
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Author
Guest Author Daniel Brown
Daniel Brown is a senior technical editor and writer that has worked in the education and technology sectors for two decades. Their background experience includes curriculum development and course book creation.