--- title: When micro-learning really works description: Five reasons why micro-learning is a key element in the world of Learning & Development - and how your employees can benefit from it. --- [Learn Amp Blog ](https://blog.learnamp.com) # [When micro-learning really works](https://blog.learnamp.com/when-micro-learning-really-works) Written by [Duncan Cheatle, Founder and Executive Chairman](https://blog.learnamp.com/author/duncan-cheatle-founder-and-ceo-learn-amp) | Oct 4, 2019 10:58:39 AM Micro-learning is one of L&D’s buzz words, and for good reason. Employees love it – three-quarters of employees will voluntarily engage with micro-learning, given the opportunity, and not just on occasion, but on average 2-3 times per week.[[1]](https://blog.learnamp.com/when-micro-learning-really-works?hs_amp=true#_ftn1) As with every form of learning though, delivery is key. Here are five, evidence-backed ways we think really make micro-learning fly: **1.** **When it’s genuinely available on the go. ** One of the key benefits of micro-learning is its flexibility. So it’s not surprising to see that companies that allow employees to train on their mobile devices see a 42% increase in the frequency of training.[[2]](https://blog.learnamp.com/when-micro-learning-really-works?hs_amp=true#_ftn2) And as the home-office boundary tends to become ever more blurred, over three-quarters of users in one study completed modules away from the office, preferring to learn when they have fewer distractions.[[3]](https://blog.learnamp.com/when-micro-learning-really-works?hs_amp=true#_ftn3) 2. **When information is repeated** The brain is flawed, and one of the problems of traditional learning is that one-off sessions tend to suffer from low rates of knowledge retention, particularly when information isn’t immediately put into practice. The nature of micro-learning means key ideas can be repeated as and when needed, working with the learner, not against them. Knowledge repetition increased learners’ retention of knowledge to an extremely impressive 84% in one study of user experience of microlearning apps.[[4]](https://blog.learnamp.com/when-micro-learning-really-works?hs_amp=true#_ftn4) **3.** **When the user experience is simple and well-designed** In terms of user-identified pros to micro-learning, the single most important factor in the success of micro-learning platforms is the ease of use, and the overall design.[[5]](https://blog.learnamp.com/when-micro-learning-really-works?hs_amp=true#_ftn5) When individuals are used to visually attractive, simple and intuitive apps and websites in their everyday life, the best micro-learning platforms meet those expectations. **4.When the information is relevant (and not excessive)** In one study of micro-learning, nearly one in five of those who dropped out said they did so because there was too much information, released too frequently.[[6]](https://blog.learnamp.com/when-micro-learning-really-works?hs_amp=true#_ftn6) Curating learning content to ensure it’s in the ‘Goldilocks zone’ is essential to effective micro-learning. That means involving individual learners in goal setting, as well as their managers. **5.** **When there’s a competitive element** When users are offered leaderboards to check their progress, 40% of employees review these daily. Those who do visit frequently train 39% more than those who rarely or never visit.[[7]](https://blog.learnamp.com/when-micro-learning-really-works?hs_amp=true#_ftn7) Including a competitive element to effectively gamify the micro-learning experience can be a hugely effective way to motivate users to train more often. [[1]](https://blog.learnamp.com/when-micro-learning-really-works?hs_amp=true#_ftnref1) [https://axonify.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/2018-axonify-microlearning-global-benchmark-report.pdf](https://axonify.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/2018-axonify-microlearning-global-benchmark-report.pdf) [[2]](https://blog.learnamp.com/when-micro-learning-really-works?hs_amp=true#_ftnref2) [https://axonify.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/2018-axonify-microlearning-global-benchmark-report.pdf](https://axonify.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/2018-axonify-microlearning-global-benchmark-report.pdf) [[3]](https://blog.learnamp.com/when-micro-learning-really-works?hs_amp=true#_ftnref3) [https://www.agylia.com/downloads/white-papers/learning-technology-research-project-report.pdf](https://www.agylia.com/downloads/white-papers/learning-technology-research-project-report.pdf) [[4]](https://blog.learnamp.com/when-micro-learning-really-works?hs_amp=true#_ftnref4) [https://www.agylia.com/ltrreport.html](https://www.agylia.com/ltrreport.html) [[5]](https://blog.learnamp.com/when-micro-learning-really-works?hs_amp=true#_ftnref5) [https://www.agylia.com/downloads/white-papers/learning-technology-research-project-report.pdf](https://www.agylia.com/downloads/white-papers/learning-technology-research-project-report.pdf) [[6]](https://blog.learnamp.com/when-micro-learning-really-works?hs_amp=true#_ftnref6) [https://www.agylia.com/downloads/white-papers/learning-technology-research-project-report.pdf](https://www.agylia.com/downloads/white-papers/learning-technology-research-project-report.pdf) [[7]](https://blog.learnamp.com/when-micro-learning-really-works?hs_amp=true#_ftnref7) [https://axonify.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/2018-axonify-microlearning-global-benchmark-report.pdf](https://axonify.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/2018-axonify-microlearning-global-benchmark-report.pdf) [View full post](https://blog.learnamp.com/when-micro-learning-really-works) ```json { "@context" : "http://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Duncan Cheatle, Founder and Executive Chairman" }, "dateModified" : "2021-04-28T11:55:17.525Z", "datePublished" : "2019-10-04T10:58:39Z", "headline" : "When micro-learning really works", "image" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 3070, "url" : "https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/3987482/apple-blur-book-stack-256520.jpg", "width" : 4635 }, "mainEntityOfPage" : "https://blog.learnamp.com/when-micro-learning-really-works", "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "height" : 60, "url" : "/hs/hsstatic/content_shared_assets/static-1.4092/img/default-amp-logo.png", "width" : 60 }, "name" : "Learn Amp Blog" } } ```