Your Chief Virtual Learning Architect

Learning to Performance

Read More
Custom Design & Delivery

Read More
Predictive Evaluation

Read More
Enterprise Learning Strategy

Read More

› ‹

1
2
3
4

Dave Basarab Consulting has elevated the training experience, offering an end-to-end comprehensive approach that includes training strategy, instructional design, development, delivery , post program training transfer, and evaluation (via the unique Predictive Evaluation methodology). Virtual Chief Architect Dave Basarab has combined all of these individual training elements with his user-friendly, comprehensive Learning to Performance approach, which significantly increases companies' training ROI.

Why we are different

Innovation: Our primary focus is creating learning programs using a Learning to Performance approach.
Expertise: Dave offers the depth and breadth of his experience, including working internally at prestigious companies (Motorola, Ingersoll Rand and Pitney Bowes) as well as his knowledge and expertise as a highly-respected, sought-after consultant.
Partnership: Basarab collaborates with companies, serving as their own Chief Learning Officer whenever they need to plan, strategize, or implement training initiatives.

Training Services

Enterprise Learning Strategy

Enterprise Learning Strategy

At Dave Basarab Consulting, we're experts in creating Enterprise Learning Plans. We work with you to develop your company's learning strategy and direction.

Custom Design, Development, & Delivery

Custom Design, Development, & Delivery

Custom training is an effective way of developing the capability required to execute your strategy. We are a custom design house that creates programs specific to your business.

Learning Burst Development

Learning Burst Development

We can create and deliver your courses via our unique Learning Burst Method - keeping your employees at their jobs while receiving world-class training.

Predictive Evaluation

Predictive Evaluation

We predict the ROI for your courses and establish success gates. We then evaluate the course against the success gates to show value realized and continually improve results.

Leadership Development

Leadership Development

Turn-key virtual custom leadership development program that combines world-class leadership speakers/educators with post-event personalized coaching to provide you with a cadre of highly skilled leaders.

Predictive Evaluation

How to Design Microlearning That Improves Retention

Microlearning works best when it helps people perform a specific task at the moment of need. A short video, scenario, checklist or quiz is not automatically effective simply because it takes five minutes. The learning experience must remove distractions, focus attention and give the brain a clear path to remembering and applying the information.

For Australian organisations, this focus matters across dispersed workplaces. A mining crew in the Pilbara, a nurse in regional Queensland and a hybrid team split between Sydney and Melbourne may all need the same capability, but they will access it under very different conditions. Mobile access, limited time and inconsistent connectivity should shape the design from the outset.

The aim is to create small learning experiences that support an enterprise learning strategy rather than becoming a disconnected library of content. When each burst has a measurable purpose, microlearning can improve knowledge retention, training adoption and workplace performance.

Design around one performance outcome

Begin with the action employees need to take, not the information a subject matter expert wants to share. “Understand privacy” is too broad for a useful burst. “Identify a phishing email before opening an attachment” gives the designer a clear behaviour, context and success measure.

A single burst should answer one practical question or solve one common problem. If the content requires several explanations, decisions or procedures, divide it into a short sequence with a logical order. This prevents the familiar problem of compressing a full course into a smaller screen while leaving the cognitive burden unchanged.

When external content is involved, align vendor training with internal language, systems and performance expectations. Learners retain more when examples match the tools and situations they recognise at work.

Lower cognitive load deliberately

Cognitive load rises when learners must process unnecessary detail, search for the main point or interpret unclear visuals. Use plain language, consistent layouts and one dominant message per screen. Remove decorative animation, excessive terminology and background information that does not support the task.

Segment procedures into visible steps and reveal complexity gradually. A short demonstration followed by one decision may be more effective than a dense infographic. Audio should add value rather than repeat every word on screen, while captions support accessibility and people learning in noisy environments.

Designers should also manage the learner’s existing knowledge. A new employee may need definitions and examples, while an experienced operator may need a realistic exception or troubleshooting scenario. Adaptive pathways and optional detail can reduce overload without making the experience too basic.

Use retrieval to strengthen memory

Retention improves when learners actively recall information instead of merely rereading it. Add a prediction, short quiz, branching decision or “what would you do next?” prompt. Feedback should explain why an answer is correct and connect the decision to a workplace consequence.

Spaced reinforcement is more valuable than a single polished module. Follow the initial burst with a reminder, a second scenario and a practical prompt several days later. These small retrieval opportunities help move knowledge from short-term awareness into usable long-term memory.

Use realistic cues from the job. A supervisor might practise responding to a difficult conversation, while a field technician identifies a safety control from a photo. The closer the practice resembles the real decision, the more likely the learning will transfer.

Make microlearning work in Australia

Australian organisations often operate across large distances, multiple time zones and mixed workforce arrangements. A burst intended for a Perth office may also be used by FIFO teams travelling to remote sites or by contractors with limited access to corporate systems. Mobile-first design, downloadable resources and low-bandwidth options can make participation more reliable.

Local context should appear in examples and language without turning content into forced regional decoration. Refer to toolbox talks, Australian workplace safety expectations and the practical constraints of regional operations where relevant. A concise, direct tone generally suits busy teams better than corporate jargon or overly formal explanations.

Consider accessibility and industrial realities as well. Shift workers may complete training between tasks, while employees covered by different rosters may not receive reminders at the same time. Coordinate release schedules with operations so learning is available when people can use it, rather than simply when the LMS administrator publishes it.

Place bursts in the workflow

Microlearning becomes more useful when it appears near the moment of performance. A prompt before a customer call, a checklist after a system update or a scenario during a team huddle can connect learning to an immediate need. Managers also play an important role by reinforcing the behaviour in regular conversations.

Integration should be planned rather than added after launch. Guidance on integrating learning bursts can help teams consider enrolment rules, notifications, completion records and the relationship between bursts and formal courses.

Avoid flooding employees with alerts. Use clear triggers, sensible spacing and role-based pathways. A learner should know why the burst has appeared, how long it will take and what they should do differently afterwards.

Build a repeatable design standard

A shared standard helps instructional designers, subject matter experts and vendors produce consistent learning experiences. It should describe the expected length, interaction level, accessibility requirements, review process and evidence needed to show that a burst supports performance.

A practical checklist can include:

Define one observable workplace behaviour.
Remove content that does not support that behaviour.
Use one realistic example or decision.
Include retrieval practice and corrective feedback.
Provide captions, transcripts and mobile-friendly layouts.
Schedule reinforcement after the initial burst.
Select an adoption and performance measure before release.

Review the standard with managers and frontline employees, not just the learning team. Their feedback can reveal whether the burst fits real workflows, uses familiar terminology and can be completed during an ordinary working day.

Compare formats and measure value

Different formats suit different learning purposes. A short scenario may support judgement, while a checklist is better for a sequence that must be followed accurately. The format should serve the task, not the preference of the content creator.

Format	Best use	Retention support	Common risk
Short video	Demonstrating a process or conversation	Visual modelling and replay	Passive viewing
Scenario	Practising judgement and decisions	Retrieval with consequences	Weak feedback
Checklist	Supporting task execution	External memory aid	Overly broad content
Quiz burst	Checking recall and misconceptions	Active retrieval	Guessing without explanation
Job aid	Supporting performance at the point of need	Immediate application	Becoming outdated

Measure more than completion rates. Track attempts, repeat access, quiz accuracy, manager observations and relevant operational indicators. Predictive Evaluation can help teams connect these signals with training value, including adoption, business impact and return on investment.

Start with one high-value task, create a five-minute burst around a single behaviour, test it with Australian frontline employees, and record the baseline performance measure before releasing it.

Learning to Performance

Learning to Performance, a complete training approach, gives companies world-class training to drive significant return. This approach includes upfront work (Impact Mapping, design), training (for staff and company executives), and post-training efforts to ensure training transfer. This unique recipe - the key for successful training and adoption - is changing the way companies implement training. This methodology could work with any content for organizations in any industry.