By Mark Nelson
Welcome to part three of our comprehensive five-part series on the benefits of utilizing a microlearning app to deliver microlearning experiences, and the five key microlearning areas actively shaping how we acquire knowledge and skills. Previously, we explored mobile-first learning and gamification. In this segment, we’ll discuss personalization, and how it impacts learning success.
Personalization Versus Customization
“Personalization” and “customization” have become popular buzzwords in the business world and are often used interchangeably, but they are not the same. Customization gives control to the user. A microlearning app utilizing customization enables users to control their interaction and allows them to choose whatever content they want, regardless of its usefulness.
For example, the user may make changes to their microlearning experience to meet their specific needs by configuring layout, content, or functionality.
While customization has traditionally held the gold standard for user experience, this is beginning to change. Because customization imposes a higher interaction cost, it quickly becomes expensive and difficult to scale. A microlearning app that allows users to customize their experience also places the burden on the user and most users do not have the time or energy to tweak settings – in fact, fewer than 5% of people will change the default settings in apps, even if customization options are available.
Personalization, on the other hand, tailors learning experiences to fit each learner’s unique needs – a radical departure from the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach of traditional learning management systems (LMS). The main purpose of personalization in microlearning apps is to deliver content and functionality that aligns with individual needs or a specific role within the company, with no additional effort on the part of the user. Personalization can lead to a stronger and more meaningful connection between the microlearning app and the user because the content is directly relevant to the individual.
In both cases, users are able to pick and choose additional content from a centralized library.
Tyfoom uses personalization in its microlearning app to cater to each employee’s individual role, significantly boosting engagement, motivation and knowledge retention.
Now that we understand the difference between customization and personalization, let’s look at the key features of personalization in a microlearning app:
Adaptive Learning Paths
Microlearning apps equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) can analyze a learner’s strengths and weaknesses. This allows the app to create adaptive learning paths, delivering training content that targets unique needs and fills the knowledge gaps while also promoting bite-sized learning.
Tyfoom harnesses this power in the form of playlists. Playlists are a list of simple, microlearning videos specific to an employee and that employee’s role in the company. Tyfoom offers ready-to-go content and playlists that are available and automated in the Tyfoom Library. Managers can not only curate content playlists based on individual roles, but also create their own content in minutes. Tyfoom allows managers to tailor content based on learners’ preferences and performance to meet individual learning goals. They also enjoy instant visibility, tracking learner progress at a glance.
Self-Paced Learning
Personalization on microlearning apps considers different learning speeds and styles. This allows learners to proceed at their own pace, boosting engagement and fostering a learning experience far more effective than formal training.
Tyfoom offers performance scores, leaderboards, streaks and badges to incentivize self-paced learning and encourage daily engagement. Employing non-disruptive, science-based techniques, daily learning with Tyfoom fits into the users’ flow of work so they don’t lose their momentum. Tyfoom’s Library provides in-time learning as well as on-demand training refreshers. With the Tyfoom microlearning app at their fingertips, users can access their daily videos anytime, anywhere – the ultimate mark of self-paced learning.
Content Relevancy
Personalized learning within microlearning apps ensures the training content and online courses are relevant to the learner. By customizing content, learner engagement increases significantly because the content is much more meaningful and memorable.
The Tyfoom microlearning app uses tags to curate personalized learning. Managers can quickly automate daily 1- to 2-minute training videos based on specific roles within the organization. Employees only view content that is relevant to their specific needs, saving everyone time and money.
Increased Engagement
One of the significant benefits of personalized content in microlearning apps is the increased level of learner engagement. By providing content directly relevant to the individual, learners are more likely to actively participate in their education, enhancing the effectiveness of each microlearning session.
As mentioned earlier, Tyfoom provides a personalized library to each employee accessible via their mobile device. Tyfoom also supports push notifications on its microlearning app which significantly boosts engagement, up to 88%.
Tyfoom’s mobile-first, video-based microlearning app ultimately offers an engaging user experience through flexibility, convenience, real-time accessibility and accountability. Tyfoom makes it easy for your organization to build connection and boost retention through simple, but highly-effective video-based trainings. Using gamification, social rewards, and competition, Tyfoom inspires adoption and encourages behavioral changes with a 92% monthly engagement rate – higher than most social media platforms.
Real-Time Feedback
Personalization also allows for real-time feedback in the microlearning app, guiding learners on the right path and promoting a continuous learning cycle. Following up with immediate feedback causes the user to pause, engage and modify behavior in the moment, creating an active learning experience. Real-time feedback reinforces knowledge acquisition by rectifying errors, confirming proficiency, or dispelling misunderstandings related to the lesson topic.
Tyfoom provides instant feedback to the user through its simple, post-video quizzes. Learners can also quickly view their progress like achievements and past performance in the microlearning app. The admin dashboard gives managers instant visibility, enabling them to track learner progress at a glance. Leaders can also view reports on participants’ post-video quiz performance. Real-time feedback significantly aids in long-term knowledge retention. As a result, Tyfoom users recall 96% of concepts after 30 days.
Daily Consistency
Daily learning in a microlearning app provides a more uniquely tailored experience than with traditional learning management systems, which are largely compliance-driven. With an LMS, everyone must meet the same requirements regardless of role or individual needs. Training is neither delivered at the point of need, nor easily accessible by an on-the-go employee. With an LMS users must navigate through an entire course or scroll through a feed of completed courses in order to access the information they need. This is why so many individuals turn to YouTube or TikTok to learn how to complete tasks. These platforms provide in-time learning on demand.
Unfortunately, companies have no way of limiting what employees view on YouTube or TikTok, so social media platforms like these may not reflect the most effective or safest way to accomplish the task.
Tyfoom not only provides fully automated, daily trainings with role-specific information, it also contains an in-house library with curated content specific to the company and its brand. The search feature in the Tyfoom Library makes it easy for users to quickly locate company-approved training materials that will help them accomplish the task in the safest and most efficient way. Tyfoom’s Library also allows organizations to have user-generated, manager-approved content in addition to top-down communication and training. Video-based microlearning delivers relevant communication and training in the flow of work so employees remember what they need in the moment. It also provides an on-demand resource when they forget.
Tyfoom’s consistent, daily learning schedule affords much-needed standardization and scalability to companies looking for a microlearning app, whether they have 5 or 50,000+ employees. Tyfoom’s mobile-first, microlearning app is easily accessible on a personal device, while playlists ensure users only receive training that is relevant to them, saving everyone time and money.
The Impact of Personalization on Microlearning Apps
As we navigate the ever-evolving digital education landscape, personalization in microlearning apps remains a powerful tool. In fact, using personalization within microlearning apps can decrease development costs by 50% and increase development speed by 300%.
By reshaping how we view and approach learning, microlearning platforms like Tyfoom are not only advancing the field of digital education but also propelling us toward a future where learning is more accessible, engaging and personalized than ever before.
The strategic integration of personalization within microlearning apps breaks away from the traditional constraints of a learning management system. With Tyfoom, we’re transitioning into a new era where knowledge is acquired seamlessly, and learning is an integral part of our everyday routines with learning experiences that fit like a glove.
Personalization in microlearning is the key to unlocking engaging and compelling learning experiences. Such experiences are tailored to individual learning styles, paces and preferences.
To learn more about how you can personalize your employee training, communication and engagement, schedule a meeting to speak with a Tyfoom training consultant.
Microlearning Trends Part Four: The Power of Social Learning in Enhancing Microlearning Experiences
In our next post, we will explore social learning principles for employee training, such as observing and imitating others, the impact of role models, and the influence of culture and expectations. This approach, deeply rooted in social learning theory, reinforces that people often learn better in a social environment.