The Market

A picture says a thousand words- and the above graph clearly sums up the potential of the microlearning market. Why is the market so good currently?

Fortune Business Insights highlights Covid-19 as a big driver to produce flexible learning quickly on any device.

Global Market Insights points out that distance learning is only growing in popularity globally, as is the number of smartphone users and their preference for short, audio-visual content.

With a predicted Compound Anual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 13.2% in the upcoming years, the question is not whether these platforms are a good investment, but how to choose which one is best.

This is where it is beneficial to take a look at the trends in the market.

The video covered how wide-ranging microlearning platforms can be. In every category, there can be dozens or even hundreds of companies competing for business. What sets some companies apart is the ability to offer something MORE. Here are some of the areas where micro learning is moving in the future:

• AI: continuous real time assessment of learners and feedback to designer on effectiveness of content (More on this from The Centre for Association Leadership).

• Compatibility with traditional Learning Management Systems (LMS): microlearning is a great way to break down lessons, but can be even better when combined with a larger LMS that covers more information and different learning styles (more on this in this paper by Redondo et Al. (2020).

• Compatibility with a wide range of delivery (Platforms, like Docebo, integrate with over 400 different SaaS (Software as a Service), so that learning can combine with communications, meetings, and more). The xAPI standard is the mobile version of SCORM, allowing for the use of multiple platforms which can be tracked under the same system.

With so much variety, it's easy to get caught up in the positive hype with these platforms. Here are some features to take into account when choosing where to invest:

• Adoption rate: Some businesses might be slower in adopting these technologies, especially if they have a large initial cost. However, this does not seem to be the trend.

• Security: The more security measures, the safer the platform. However, the more difficult it is for learners to login and start a lesson, the less often they will do it. Security must be balanced out with convenience.

• Privacy: With all the bells and whistles on these apps, there is also data collection. If a platform is offering something for free they're going to want something in return- typically the personal information of students. Even paid services will be collecting data, especially if they are offering AI monitoring and assessment. Look for platforms that keep data separately- students' personal information can be kept in a different secure database than the anonymous scores and averages which help to improve the courses.

• Simplicity: Unless an app is simple to access and use, it will not be well received. Make sure and walk through the actual UX Design of an app, regardless of it's deliverables.

Regardless of how technologically advanced a product might be, without a good team to back it, the foundations of the business are less trustworthy. Here are some companies that put their people first:

• Kahoot! started as a joint project with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and entrepreneur Asmund Furuseth. One of the founding members is still the CTO today.

• Arist started as a system to deliver messages in a warzone, but soon realized this could be translated to delivering learning to those who need it, when they needed it.

• Other companies back their culture with their own videos- here are two examples below: