What Is Microlearning? 8 Microlearning Examples for Workplace Training & L&D

Microlearning is a way of delivering training in small, self-contained lessons that focus on one clear outcome. Each lesson is 1 to 10 minutes long, making it easy for employees to learn in short stints during the working day. This approach is now widely used in corporate training, education, and customer support to help people build skills quickly and with minimal disruption.

These short lessons can be delivered through a learning management system (LMS), mobile learning apps, or simple performance support tools such as checklists and job aids.

If you’re new to this topic, you may also find it helpful to look at our main Microlearning Guides page, which brings all of our articles together, or to read our deep-dive explanation on why microlearning works and when it doesn’t.

What are the Differences of Microlearning vs Traditional Learning?

Here’s how microlearning compares to traditional training in terms of duration, delivery, focus, and ease of access:

Aspect	Traditional Training	Microlearning
Duration	Long sessions (30–120 minutes)	Very short lessons (1–10 minutes)
Delivery	Workshops, long videos, classroom sessions	Bite-sized digital content: short videos, quizzes, job aids
Focus	Covers multiple topics or complex material in one sitting	One clear objective per lesson
Access	Scheduled sessions, harder to revisit	On-demand, mobile-friendly, repeatable anytime

What are the Benefits of Microlearning?

The main benefits of microlearning are improved retention, flexible access, time efficiency, higher engagement, and personalised learning paths. These advantages make it especially attractive for busy employees and hybrid teams.

The popularity and trend toward microlearning is because of the numerous benefits that this form of learning offers, and these benefits are as follows:

1. Improved Retention

We all learn in different ways, i.e., some of us learn best through touch, others through visual representations (such as diagrams), others through listening (such as via a teacher-led session in a classroom), and some of us through self-learning.

One thing that we can all suffer from, though, if learning takes place over a long period of time, is that we can get bored quite easily. In fact, a report by the University of Illinois found that we get distracted and lose focus after just 15 minutes.

Microlearning, especially when paired with spaced repetition and ongoing learning reinforcement, helps learners revisit key ideas over time, and it helps strengthen their long-term knowledge retention.

Microlearning enables us to learn in small chunks, and this means we can focus on the learning.

2. Flexibility and Accessibility

A massive benefit for a lot of people with microlearning is the flexibility in terms of where you can access the training.

Microlearning really makes learning and development something that is far more accessible to more of us worldwide, and learning a language such as Italian, for example, is now so much easier, no matter where you live, or what your budget is (as the learning is often very inexpensive).

In terms of accessibility, it also removes the barrier for some people regarding trying to gain physical access to buildings, classrooms, and other learning locations.

As long as you have a smartphone, you can literally take the learning with you as you travel on a coach, bus, or train, accessing the learning apps from anywhere, even as you travel.

3. Time-efficient

This style of learning is also ideal for even the busiest of professionals because the learning can be fitted into time gaps, and the learning can be consumed quickly.

Shorter lessons also align well with modern attention spans. ATD (the Association for Talent Development) reports that most adults concentrate effectively for around 13 minutes, which fits perfectly with microlearning’s 1–10 minute format.

4. High Engagement

An important aspect of microlearning is also the interactive elements that help keep learners more focused than they otherwise might be. There is often an element of gamification, for example (more on that later), that is built into the learning with microlearning.

5. Personalized Learning

Another incredibly powerful aspect of microlearning is the ability for the content to be tailored to individual and specific learning needs.

With the likes of AI and powerful processors, these apps are able to tailor and shape learning to the user’s needs better than ever before!

What are Some Examples of Microlearning?

Microlearning appears in many real-world tools, from onboarding modules at Walmart and IBM to language apps like Duolingo, fitness apps like Seven, and flashcard platforms such as Quizlet.

If you don’t have an L&D team like Walmart or IBM, our editable microlearning kits give you similar bite-sized modules you can run in-house without building everything from scratch.

Might you yourself have even used some of these apps above?

Microlearning can be placed into these three areas:

• Corporate and Workplace Training: With microlearning examples from workplace situations, such as for onboarding new employees or for upskilling employees.
• Education: Microlearning is especially popular with the younger generation, such as Generation Z, i.e., with university students (such as for learning a new language)
• Everyday Learning: For adult learning, many of us now also use the likes of Udemy, Duolingo, or Coursera, so below I’ll give some real-world examples from those too.

Corporate Training Microlearning Examples

Microlearning is being used by a number of companies these days for managers and employee training, including for the following:

1. Onboarding New Employees

Companies such as Walmart started using microlearning several years ago for induction (onboarding) training so that they could provide training for new hires more easily.

Walmart used bite-sized learning for many of the things one would expect to learn in the onboarding process, including information on the company’s culture, key policies, and specific job guides.

2. Upskilling and Reskilling

IBM is another large company that is known to have embraced microlearning, and they have used it for upskilling staff.

IBM’s internal learning platform provides employees with microlearning-style short interactive modules on key technical skills, while also using quick quizzes and simulations to reinforce the training.

3. Compliance Training

Of all the microlearning examples, compliance training is one area where it works particularly well.

Corporate compliance microlearning is effective because it delivers essential training in short, focused bursts that employees can complete without interrupting their workflow.

Companies often reinforce these lessons with performance support materials such as quick-reference checklists, short scenario-based refreshers, or short just-in-time reminders.

Topics that work especially well for this approach include cybersecurity, workplace safety, and diversity and inclusion.

Education & eLearning Microlearning Examples

Microlearning is a powerful tool that will continue to be important in the future, for education, including for eLearning platforms.

4. Language Learning (Rosetta Stone and Duolingo)

Learning a new language has never been easier in terms of opportunity cost and access-wise.

I have tried both Rosetta Stone and Duolingo (to try and learn Italian), and both use short 5 to 10-minute lessons, teaching you all aspects of the language, including vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation (using voice recognition).

Both apps are easy to use, and you can choose to do just a few lessons or as many as you wish.

5. Skill Development (such as Udemy)

Companies such as Udemy and Coursera have tonnes of courses on them, while a company such as LinkedIn has introduced LinkedIn Learning, where, as a learner, you can do short courses but at your own pace.

Many of the individual lessons are bite-sized, i.e., around 5 minutes in length, and can be watched even while on the go, such as when commuting.

Microlearning for Fitness, Health Apps & Self-Improvement

Microlearning has moved into many areas of learning, and this includes everyday experiences such as health, fitness, and self-improvement.

6. Fitness and Health Apps

Apps like Fitbit and Seven use microlearning to teach fitness. Personally, I love and use the Seven App as it teaches H.I.T. exercises, and you do just 7 minutes a day, but it is always a great workout.

There are also apps offering microlearning on topics such as nutrition, cookery, and time management.

7. Gamified Learning (Quizlet)

Quizlet, a popular flashcard app, is typical of gamified microlearning as it breaks down subjects into small, digestible chunks of information that you can review in minutes.

By gamifying the process with quizzes and memory games, Quizlet helps you learn and retain information quickly.

Customer Service Tutorials Microlearning Examples

Many companies are also using microlearning to educate their customers on how to use products and services effectively.

8. Software Onboarding

A number of companies are also using microlearning for onboarding new users.

Through a series of short interactive tutorials, a platform such as Slack, for example, teaches potential users how to navigate the platform, manage notifications, and integrate third-party apps.

These bite-sized lessons can be quite effective in persuading users to stick with using such platforms and tools.

What Microlearning Is Not

Microlearning can be incredibly useful for learners and educators, but it should be remembered that it is not a magic replacement for every type of training.

Some topics really benefit from being learned over a longer time period, with group conversations, and with hands-on practice. A batch of 3-7 minute microlearning units might not always provide the depth needed.

When learners need to learn something fairly complex or need to ask questions along the way, longer workshops, coaching, or guided sessions are still essential ways of learning.

It’s also worth saying that microlearning isn’t just a long course chopped into smaller videos. True microlearning is built around one clear objective at a time, with opportunities to redo the lesson, rather than rushing through a sequence of clips.

Microlearning on its own rarely covers everything a learner needs. It tends to work best when it’s part of a wider learning plan that includes things like job aids, spaced reinforcement, and chances to use the new skills in real situations.

This is why many HR teams use microlearning alongside workshops and job aids, exactly how our ready-made microlearning kits are designed to be used.

What are the Challenges and Issues with Microlearning?

Microlearning isn’t perfect. It can lack depth, feel fragmented if poorly designed, and still depends on learner motivation to keep going beyond the first few days.

1. Lack of Depth

There is the argument that microlearning really oversimplifies complex subjects and that some topics really require more in-depth teacher-led training.

From my own experience, such as using an iPad to learn to play the piano, the gamification aspect of the learning with different icons, stars, and other graphics can also make the learning gimmicky in a sense.

There is no question that microlearning is here to stay, but rather than replacing traditional teaching methods, microlearning can and should be seen as a complementary tool for teaching and providing training.

2. Content Fragmentation

Another criticism of bite-sized learning is that there is a risk of disjointed learning if the learning is not well-structured.

We learn the basics and can have fun doing it with bite-sized learning, but do we see the bigger picture, and will we learn and understand the topic as a whole?

3. Motivation Issues

Even with bite-sized learning, it is easy to get bored and, after a few days or weeks, forget to use the app.

I have lost count of the number of courses I have personally started on Udemy and on iPhone apps that, while fun for a few days, also require real self-discipline in order to be used continuously.

Overall, though, the microlearning benefits seem to outweigh the issues above, so it’s here to stay!

What are the Key Elements & Best Practices in Microlearning?

Effective microlearning uses very short content built around clear objectives, engaging multimedia, and on-demand access, supported by a consistent structure and regular knowledge checks.

How it Works

• Uses Small Bite-sized Content: The learning is normally broken down into small, manageable lessons, such as 5 minutes long.
• Focused Objectives and Modules: For complex topics (such as a language), the learning is broken down into many sections and then into a number of modules for each learning objective.
• Use of Multimedia: One of the traits of microlearning is that it very often uses digital media, such as with the use of videos, games, quizzes, and other interactive elements and tools to help user engagement.
• On-demand Delivery: A key is the ability for the user to access the learning materials and content at their own convenience, both in terms of time and geographically speaking.

Best Practices for Implementing Microlearning

If you are someone concerned with developing and creating your own microlearning for your own students, there are some best practices that are worth considering, and these are as follows:

• Set Clear Objectives: As with any learning, setting clear objectives is very important so that learners have a clear roadmap and can see the progress. Do not forget to include these clear objectives.
• Consistency: The difficulty with planning and developing so many small, bite-sized learning units is that you still need to ensure that, together, all of these units and modules are cohesive and follow a logical structure.
• Diversity of Media: Do try to use a variety of media if you want to keep the attention of typical microlearning users, by using videos, quizzes, voice recognition, etc., to keep their interest.
• Include Assessments: After a set number of learning units, include a test to help the user retain and test their knowledge. A fairly simple quiz will often suffice.
• Reinforce Learning Over Time: Plan how each micro-lesson will be revisited or spaced out across days or weeks. This prevents microlearning from becoming a one-off “snackable moment” and improves long-term retention.

Our microlearning kits are structured around these best practices, so HR teams don’t have to engineer the learning science or sequencing from scratch

What is the Future of Microlearning?

The future of microlearning is being shaped by AI, gamification, VR/AR, and social learning, which will all make bite-sized training more adaptive, immersive, and collaborative.

AI (Artificial Intelligence) undoubtedly has a role to play in all aspects of learning and development in the years to come, and this includes bite-sized learning.

The real benefit of AI for this form of learning will be that AI will make it easier to tailor the learning to the needs of the specific user, and in the future, this level of personalization will become really very specific.

The apps will begin to understand your own needs in terms of learning, better than you will!

Gamification will also continue to grow in terms of importance, as companies try to find ways to build employee engagement into digitalized learning.

Virtual and Augmented Reality will also continue to grow and influence microlearning as immersive learning experiences are used more and more in bite-sized formats.

Social Learning can also work well with microlearning, as digital apps enable multiple users, sometimes to co-learn and collaborate through peer interactions within some microlearning modules.

As AI, gamification, and social learning evolve, it will become even easier for HR teams to blend microlearning into existing workshops. Our microlearning kits are regularly updated so trainers can plug these ideas straight into their sessions

FAQs on Microlearning