A Guide to Microlearning in Compliance Training

Microlearning delivers training content to employees in bite-sized chunks, usually lasting 3-5 minutes. That's the attention span of viewers on YouTube.

Compliance training often involves large amounts of complex information, from legal requirements to organisational policies. Microlearning offers a powerful solution by delivering bite-sized, focused content that makes compliance topics more accessible and engaging.

This guide explores the benefits of microlearning, practical strategies for implementation, and tips for overcoming common challenges.

What is microlearning?

Microlearning involves delivering small, targeted lessons focused on specific skills or knowledge areas. These lessons can take the form of videos, infographics, quizzes, or short articles, typically lasting five to ten minutes.

In compliance training, microlearning allows organisations to present essential information in digestible formats, making it easier for employees to retain and apply their knowledge.

Why choose microlearning for compliance training?

1. Increases knowledge retention

Short, focused lessons help learners concentrate on one topic at a time, improving understanding and long-term retention.

2. Boosts learner engagement

Interactive and visual content, such as videos or gamified quizzes, captures attention and keeps learners motivated.

 3. Provides flexibility

Microlearning fits into busy schedules, allowing employees to complete training at their convenience, whether on the job or during breaks.

4. Ensures quick updates

Compliance requirements change frequently. Microlearning modules are easy to update, ensuring your training remains current.

Combatting the forgetting curve

The “forgetting curve” is a concept coined by Herman Ebbinghaus that describes the rate at which we forget things we’ve learned over time. The more time that passes, the more we forget. According to Ebbinghaus's theory, we forget more than 80 per cent of what we learnt 30 days ago.

Ebbinghaus also argued that our ability to retain information decays very quickly at first and then more slowly as time passes. So after just one hour, most people forget about half of all the material they learn. That’s a scary thought! This is why supplementing training with microlearning can be so powerful.

Implementing microlearning in compliance training

1. Break content into manageable segments

Start by identifying the key topics your compliance training needs to cover. Divide these into smaller subtopics that can be addressed in individual microlearning modules.

• Use one module to address a single objective or compliance issue.
• Focus on practical applications, such as "How to identify phishing emails."
• Avoid overloading modules with too much information.

2. Use diverse content formats

Microlearning thrives on variety. Combine videos, quizzes, infographics, and interactive activities to keep learners engaged.

• Create short videos explaining complex policies in plain language.
• Use scenario-based quizzes to simulate real-world compliance challenges.
• Incorporate infographics to visualise data, such as incident reporting processes.

3. Leverage mobile learning

Microlearning is ideal for mobile platforms, enabling employees to complete training anywhere, anytime.

• Optimise content for smartphones and tablets.
• Use responsive design to ensure modules display well on all devices.
• Send notifications to remind employees about upcoming or incomplete training.

4. Use gamification to reinforce lessons

Gamification elements, such as leaderboards, badges, and points, motivate learners and make compliance training more enjoyable.

• Award badges for completing modules or achieving high quiz scores.
• Create a compliance leaderboard to encourage friendly competition.
• Design interactive games, like role-playing scenarios, to test decision-making skills.

Is push or pull learning the better approach?

There is a shift in the compliance function from reactive to proactive. Naturally, this leads to the conversation of push versus pull learning.

• Push learning: The more traditional approach where the instructor or learning provider determines the objectives and activities. In contrast, pull learning is more self-driven and lends itself to what the learner wants to learn and when they want to learn it.
• Pull learning: Benefits learners who want to consume content at their own pace. Push learning also has its benefits. With a shift in the compliance function to being more proactive, it's possible to target certain groups of people who might need training to be more structured.

Microlearning works for both learning styles and can be easily incorporated into the learning path. Essentially, the best approach to learning depends on the individual's needs and preferences.

Examples of microlearning in compliance training

• Anti-money laundering (AML) training: Deliver a series of five-minute lessons covering topics like red flags for suspicious activity, reporting requirements, and case studies.
• Data privacy compliance: Use short videos to explain GDPR requirements, followed by quizzes that test your understanding of key concepts.
• Workplace harassment policies: Develop interactive modules where employees navigate workplace scenarios to identify appropriate responses.

Compliance Bites is a collection of concise and engaging videos that delve into various compliance topics. Our library covers a range of key topics, including bribery prevention, AML, risk, GDPR, and modern slavery.

There are many engaging and compelling microlearning formats that can help supplement annual compliance training. Most are suitable for all types of devices and can be made accessible to everyone. Here are some of the ways you could include microlearning in your compliance training.

• Short videos: Used to construct visual scenarios or give overviews, short videos help staff visualise the appropriate action and consolidate training. Our Compliance Bites are an example of this form of microlearning.
• Mobile apps: Apps make it easy for employees to access compliance content anytime, anywhere, and can be gamified for engaging learning experiences.
• Interactive videos: Test employees' ability to act in certain scenarios and explore steps and skills in a compliant environment.
• Kinetic text animations: Animated text makes learning engaging and easy to follow, perfect for explaining difficult concepts.
• Serious games and quizzes: Drive behavioural change and improve knowledge retention while adding an element of competition.
• Infographics: Present information in an easy-to-digest format with minimal text and appealing visuals.
• Cause-and-effect case studies: Show the significance of rules and regulations by demonstrating the consequences of violations.
• Checklists, tips, factsheets, and posters: Serve as takeaways and make policies and procedures visible in the working environment.

Overcoming challenges in microlearning

• Maintaining learner focus: Short lessons must be impactful. Focus on actionable takeaways and avoid unnecessary details.
• Ensuring compliance with regulations: Work closely with subject matter experts to ensure your microlearning content meets legal requirements.
• Measuring training effectiveness: Use learning analytics to track engagement, completion rates, and knowledge retention. Pair this data with employee feedback to refine your approach.

Technologies to support microlearning

• Learning Management Systems (LMS): Robust LMS platforms empower organisations to efficiently deliver, monitor, and update bite-sized learning modules.
• Mobile Applications: Mobile-first learning applications provide a seamless and accessible microlearning experience, often incorporating features like push notifications and offline functionality.
• Authoring Tools: Authoring tools enable the rapid creation of engaging, responsive microlearning content without requiring extensive technical expertise.

Key workplace learning theories

Microlearning is just one of six of the most well-established learning theories we've examined to help improve your outcomes.

1. Instructional design
2. The 70-20-10 rule
3. Storytelling
4. Lateral thinking
5. Kirkpatrick Model

Looking for more compliance insights?

We have created a series of comprehensive roadmaps to help you navigate the compliance landscape, supported by e-learning in our Essentials Library.

We also have additional free resources such as e-learning modules, microlearning modules, and more.