New ATD Research Highlights Practical Strategies for Microlearning Success

In June 2025, ATD Research published Microlearning: Short-Form Learning for Long-Term Impact. In this research report, 271 talent development professionals answered questions about whether the use of microlearning has changed, the benefits and challenges of microlearning, and the most effective ways to incorporate microlearning into training.

More organizations have incorporated microlearning into their training portfolios since ATD last surveyed talent development professionals about the topic in 2017. Now, two-thirds of respondents say they use microlearning, up 28 percentage points. Another 27 percent plan to implement microlearning in their organization next year.

Why should TD professionals incorporate microlearning into their portfolios? In part, because it’s flexible. It can be consumed quickly and accessed on demand when users need information or have time to learn. Because the pieces of content are small, cognitive overload is reduced, and learners can retain more information over the long term. Microlearning’s strengths lie in helping the learner do their job in the most effective and efficient way possible.

For those who are looking to implement or improve microlearning in their organization, talent development professionals who responded to our survey offered the following tips:

• Start small, if necessary. Start with a single piece of content, such as a video or an asset teaching how to use a single tool. These can be used on their own or to supplement existing training programs. This is an easy way to get started and an easy way to introduce learners to microlearning.

• Be intentional. Before jumping into creating microlearning assets, analyze the organization’s learning needs. Not all training content lends itself to microlearning. Be just as deliberate with creating microlearning assets as you would with long-form learning.

• Have a marketing plan. Be sure you have a plan to draw attention to and ensure engagement with microlearning assets. Make sure the content is easily accessible and that learners understand how using it will benefit them.

To learn more about incorporating microlearning into your organization, check out ATD’s research report, Microlearning: Short-Form Learning for Long-Term Impact.