LMS for Microlearning: What Is It & How To Choose The Right One

Training doesn’t need to be long to be effective. Microlearning delivers information in short, focused lessons that help employees absorb key concepts quickly and retain them longer. When delivered through an LMS, microlearning becomes a powerful tool for scaling training across your organization.

Instead of overwhelming learners with long sessions, microlearning breaks topics into smaller chunks that fit better into real-world schedules. It also improves engagement and makes knowledge easier to apply on the job.

EasyLlama’s LMS makes this simple with “Llama Bites”—mobile-friendly modules that take just 5 to 10 minutes to complete. Employees can train on the go, no login required. This format works especially well for busy teams and deskless workers who need flexibility without sacrificing compliance.

In this guide, we’ll explore how a microlearning LMS works, why it’s more effective than traditional training, and how to choose the right platform for your team.

What makes microlearning different from traditional training

A microlearning LMS delivers short, focused lessons—typically 5 to 10 minutes long—that help employees learn one concept or skill at a time. This format is built for the way people learn best: in small doses, over time. It aligns with cognitive science models like spaced repetition and the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve, which show that shorter, repeated exposure to content leads to stronger memory retention.

Here’s how microlearning compares to traditional training using common metrics:

• Completion rate per module
• Time spent per session
• Return visits to content
• Time-to-competency per skill
• Average time per module completion

Traditional training often asks learners to sit through long courses and retain everything at once. Microlearning avoids this by keeping content short, mobile-friendly, and easier to revisit. EasyLlama’s LMS is designed around the concept of microlearning. Our content is bite-sized, built for real-world attention spans, and includes quizzes and flashcards to reinforce learning.

The science of learning retention

Shorter lessons aren’t just more convenient—they’re more effective. Research shows that spreading out learning over time helps people retain information longer. Microlearning supports this by delivering short bursts of content that are easier to absorb and revisit. According to Continu’s research, microlearning can improve retention by 25% to 60% compared to traditional methods.

It also drives better follow-through. eLearning Industry reports that 83% of employees complete 10-minute microlearning modules, while only 20% to 30% finish traditional e-learning courses. That’s a huge difference—and it matters. Even the best content is useless if no one finishes it.

EasyLlama is built around this principle. Our “Llama Bites” break training into short, spaced modules with interactive elements and quick assessments. This keeps learners engaged and helps key information stick. It’s a smarter way to train, and a more effective way to ensure compliance at scale.

Benefits for compliance and skills training

Microlearning works especially well for compliance and skills training because it’s easy to access, simple to complete, and built for how people actually learn. Instead of asking employees to sit through long courses, microlearning delivers the right information in short bursts that fit into real workflows. This makes it more likely that learners will complete the training and actually remember it.

Here are a few key benefits of using microlearning for compliance and workplace skills:

• Higher completion rates
• Better on-the-job application of knowledge
• Reduced overall training time
• Lower training costs
• Faster updates when laws or policies change

This approach is especially effective for compliance topics, where content needs to be refreshed often and completed by everyone. EasyLlama customers like Core Digital Media have seen significant improvements in training completion rates and employee engagement after switching to shorter, more focused courses. Microlearning helps organizations stay compliant without overwhelming their teams.

Applying microlearning to key workplace training needs

Microlearning easily adapts to a variety of use cases. From onboarding new hires to meeting state-mandated compliance requirements, short, focused lessons help solve real HR challenges across industries.

New employee onboarding

Onboarding can overwhelm new hires with too much information at once. Microlearning solves this by breaking training into shorter lessons that are easier to process and remember. Instead of sitting through a two-hour presentation, employees can complete bite-sized modules that cover compliance basics, company policies, and role-specific procedures on their own time and at their own pace.

This approach is especially useful for growing or distributed teams. At Pipl, onboarding new remote employees used to require lengthy one-on-one sessions that consumed hours of HR time. After switching to EasyLlama, the company saw immediate time savings and higher engagement. With short, state-specific courses and automated delivery, Pipl was able to onboard more efficiently while staying compliant across 15 states.

EasyLlama’s microlearning format gave Pipl’s team a way to meet requirements without sacrificing flexibility. New hires could complete training in focused chunks, and HR could track completions without manual follow-up. It was easier for everyone and much more effective.

Compliance and regulatory training

Microlearning is a powerful way to meet mandatory training requirements without overwhelming your team. Instead of long, one-size-fits-all courses, it delivers short, targeted lessons employees can complete quickly, while still meeting state and federal regulations. This makes it easier to keep up with evolving laws, especially in industries where compliance is high-stakes and often location-specific.

Here are a few common areas where microlearning works well:

• Harassment prevention training: timely, scenario-based content tailored to state laws
• Data security training: bite-sized lessons that reinforce safe practices and reduce risk
• Workplace safety training: clear, memorable training focused on practical actions
• DEI training: consistent, scalable lessons that support a more inclusive culture

EasyLlama's LMS makes it simple to deliver the right training to the right people at the right time. Shake Shack, for example, replaced their in-house training with EasyLlama’s restaurant-specific compliance modules. The result? Higher completion rates, more engagement, and realistic, relatable content that actually resonated with staff.

Compliance training doesn’t have to feel like a checkbox. Microlearning helps make an impact.

Skills development and performance support

Microlearning isn’t just for compliance, it’s also a great fit for building practical workplace skills. Short, focused lessons can be used to reinforce customer service scripts, walk through sales techniques, or provide quick refreshers on safety protocols. These just-in-time modules give employees access to the information they need, exactly when they need it—without pulling them away from the job for hours at a time.

For Natural Retreats, EasyLlama helped support a dispersed hospitality workforce with mobile-friendly, skills-based content. Their team used the platform to deliver DEI training and soft skills education, giving staff the confidence to navigate guest interactions with professionalism and empathy. Because every module is customizable, HR teams can tailor lessons to match role-specific needs while still meeting required learning objectives.

With the right LMS, skills training becomes more than a box to check. It becomes an ongoing part of workplace culture.

How to choose the right microlearning LMS for your needs

Choosing the right microlearning LMS starts with understanding your team’s needs. HR, compliance, and L&D leaders should evaluate platforms based on training goals, learner experience, and ease of management. The right system will reduce friction, boost engagement, and support long-term outcomes, without overwhelming your team or draining your resources.

Assess your specific training challenges

Before choosing a platform, it’s important to identify the biggest obstacles in your current training program.

• Are learners failing to complete required courses?
• Is knowledge fading too quickly to be useful?
• Are compliance risks slipping through the cracks?

If the answer to any of these is yes, microlearning could be the solution. It’s designed to support just-in-time learning, improve retention, and reduce the burden of long, one-size-fits-all training. EasyLlama helps teams address these issues with mobile-friendly, short-form content and automated compliance tracking that makes it easier to stay on top of training at scale.

Evaluate core platform capabilities

Once you’ve identified your needs, it’s time to evaluate the features that will support them. A good microlearning LMS should do more than deliver short content—it should provide the tools HR and L&D teams need to build, assign, and track learning efficiently.

Here are a few must-have features to look for:

• Mobile-first experience so learners can train on any device
• Simple content creation tools for quick updates or custom modules
• Gamified elements like quizzes and knowledge checks to drive engagement
• Automated assignments, reminders, and tracking to reduce admin effort
• Seamless integrations with HR and payroll systems for better data sync

EasyLlama checks all of these boxes so you can simplify training while improving completion and compliance.

Consider implementation and adoption factors

Choosing the right LMS means considering how easy it is to roll out across your team. A platform might have great features, but if it’s hard to set up or frustrating to use, adoption will suffer. Look for a tool that simplifies implementation and minimizes the learning curve for both admins and learners.

Questions to ask include:

• Setup time and required technical resources
• Availability of onboarding and training support
• Ongoing customer service responsiveness
• Built-in change management tools
• Expected learning curve for admins and employees

EasyLlama’s LMS is fast to launch, easy to maintain, and intuitive for all users. This improves user adoption rates and makes learning programs more effective.

Review pricing and ROI considerations

When evaluating LMS pricing, it’s important to look beyond the base cost. Consider the total cost of ownership, including setup, training, support, and how much manual effort it takes to manage over time. A lower upfront price can cost more in the long run if the system is hard to use or doesn’t drive results.

To measure ROI, compare the time it takes to create and assign courses, completion rates, and how well training supports compliance outcomes. Time saved and higher engagement often translate into real business value.EasyLlama offers transparent pricing that reflects its full-featured platform, without hidden fees or unexpected costs.

Top microlearning platforms to consider for your business

Here’s a look at some of the top microlearning LMS platforms on the market, including how they compare in features, use cases, and learner experience.

1. EasyLlama: Best Overall

EasyLlama is a modern microlearning LMS built to meet the training needs of today’s workforce. It offers a powerful mix of compliance readiness and skill development tools in a user-friendly package. From onboarding to ongoing professional development, teams across industries rely on EasyLlama to deliver short, engaging lessons that drive real outcomes. With features like mobile access, AI-powered course creation, and robust reporting, it’s built to make training easier to manage and more effective to deliver.

Key Features:

• Extensive interactive course library with compliance and skills content
• Mobile-friendly learner access with no-login magic links
• Llama Bites short-form modules for fast, focused learning
• AI-powered custom course authoring and editing tools
• Automated course assignments, reminders, and recertifications
• Real-time reporting and audit-ready compliance dashboards
• Seamless integration with HRIS and payroll platforms
• Scenario-based learning with built-in knowledge checks
• Learning paths and progress tracking across roles and locations

Pros:

• Exceptionally easy to use with an intuitive interface that streamlines training rollout for both administrators and learners
• Broad course selection with engaging, pre-built content that covers compliance requirements and professional development needs
• High learner engagement and retention through interactive formats and realistic, scenario-based lessons that support real-world application
• Scales effectively for teams of all sizes with flexible licensing, automated features, and support for growing or distributed workforces

Cons:

• While capable, highly complex or specialized custom content creation might still be more detailed on dedicated authoring platforms.
• Some very short "bite-sized" expectations might find certain modules slightly longer, though still within microlearning principles.

2. Axonify: Best for knowledge reinforcement

Axonify is built to support frontline teams with personalized microlearning that sticks. It focuses on driving behavior change through daily reinforcement, adaptive learning paths, and gamified experiences. With a strong emphasis on real-time performance and retention, Axonify helps employees retain essential knowledge and apply it consistently in fast-paced environments.

Key Features:

• Adaptive learning paths
• Gamification elements (quizzes, challenges)
• AI-powered content delivery
• Focus on measurable business impact

Pros:

• Highly effective for improving knowledge retention
• Engaging and motivational for learners
• Strong analytics to track performance and impact

Cons:

• May require integration with existing systems for a full LMS experience
• Primary focus on reinforcement, so initial content creation might be a separate process

3. 7Taps Microlearning: Best for AI-course creation

7Taps is a fast, no-friction microlearning platform designed to turn static materials into high-impact, mobile-first learning. With built-in AI tools, users can create courses in minutes using existing content or prompts, then deliver them instantly via a sleek, "story-style" format learners can access anywhere, without needing to log in.

Key Features:

• AI-powered microlearning copilot and transformer for course creation
• Simple, no-login access for learners
• Mobile-optimized "story" format
• Integrations with external apps like Slack and LMS

Pros:

• Extremely fast content creation with AI assistance
• Easy for learners to access and consume content
• Ideal for quick, digestible training modules

Cons:

• Might have limitations for very long-form or complex courses
• Video length limits (e.g., 1-minute limit on videos)

4. 5Mins AI: Best for AI-driven gamified content

5Mins AI is an AI-powered microlearning platform inspired by the design of social media apps, making training feel familiar, fast, and fun. It offers gamified, skills-based lessons tailored to each learner’s role, goal, and interests. With high engagement and easy integration, it’s built for fast-paced teams who want results without the admin.

Key Features:

• AI-powered personalized learning paths and recommendations
• Extensive library of bite-sized micro-lessons
• Gamification (leaderboards, badges, points)
• Content conversion from existing materials (PDFs, videos)
• Integration with HR systems and communication tools (Slack, Teams)

Pros:

• Highly engaging with a "TikTok-style" user experience
• Strong focus on skill development and upskilling
• Personalized learning journeys
• Efficient content conversion and creation with AI

Cons:

• Some users reported app glitches or limited customization options
• While it has a vast library, custom content creation might require some learning curve for the AI tools

Looking for a microlearning LMS that blends ease, engagement, and compliance? The right platform can make all the difference. Get a demo of EasyLlama to explore our microlearning module and AI-powered LMS.