Introduction
This article presents a brief overview of microlearning strategies. The article focuses on creating or selecting microlearning material, microlearning benefits, and microlearning delivery platforms. Microlearning is not a new concept by any means. A review of the literature shows that microlearning existed in the 1960s, in some instances by using flashcards. But as new technology such as smartphones and apps emerged in the1990s, the usage of microlearning in teaching and learning increased (Pappas, 2019, para. 3). Smartphones and social media increased accessibility of microlearning objects.
There are several definitions of microlearning, but the one below best explains the concept:
“Microlearning is a way of teaching and delivering content to learners in small, very specific bursts, with the learners having control of what and when they are learning” (Singh, Education World, para 2).
Unlike microlearning, which focuses on broad understanding or gaining deeper insight into a particular subject, the microlearning approach focuses on meeting one specific learning objective. It breaks down a large topic into smaller segments and allows the learner to take them in the order of their choice.
The purpose or application of microlearning may include solving a simple problem, providing tips about a particular task, or providing reminders or reinforcement of content that was covered during previous instructional events. Some of the short videos that we watch on YouTube may be examples of microlearning content.
Factors to Consider When Designing or Selecting Microlearning Content
When preparing to integrate microlearning into your teaching, it is important to consider the following factors:
- The learning needs of your students
- The primary purpose of the microlearning objective is to attend to the needs of your students promptly so that they are better prepared to achieve the broad learning goal. It is a learner-centered strategy. Therefore, you should consider student diversity, and what they are capable of and likely to want from the task or learning assignment.
- How the topic or task is related to the overall course or unit goal
- Consider how you will break the content into smaller segments while maintaining connections to the course goal.
- The delivery channel that will be used to post the learning material
- Consider accessibility of the content for all of the students who will be expected to participate. The content might include a short article on your social media site, video, podcast, or an infographic. Think about a convenient way to reach your students, keeping in mind limitations in accessibility and individual privacy.
- The reason for using a microlearning strategy
- For example, is the task a prep for a new lesson coming up? Is it a follow-up to reinforce components of a lesson or unit that you taught? Will the student be able to perform a particular task when finished with the microlearning object? When students realize that you expect a certain level of performance, they will pay more attention.
Benefits of Microlearning
Microlearning is flexible. You can complete a learning task from your laptop or mobile phone or wherever you may be. Due to the fact that learning content is short, it becomes easy to complete an assignment even when you have a busy schedule. You can also pace yourself, depending on the time and type of material that you are required to cover. Below are some of the advantages of using microlearning strategies:
- Opportunity to complete objectives one-by-one
- When the microlearning strategy is applied, the module or unit is divided into smaller segments so that the student can complete each objective separately. This ensures that learners take one step at a time so that they clearly understand the segment before moving to the next one.
- Accommodates students with very limited study time
- With only one performance objective per segment, microlearning is so structured that learners need not invest more than eight to ten minutes to complete an objective. This aspect of microlearning makes it ideal for today’s learners with tight schedules.
- By chunking information and providing frequent microlearning opportunities, microlearning has the potential to decrease the cognitive load and increase knowledge retention (The Science of Microlearning, 2019). Cognitive load was defined by Clark and Mayer (2003) as “…the amount of mental resources in working memory required by a task” (p. 310).
- Accessible Through Different Media or Devices
- Because of the of the increase in uses of social networks and the Internet, the interest in microlearning has also expanded. These channels are quicker and convenient and some of the information is free. Users do not need to turn on their computer always to access a microlearning object. Tools that learners use frequently to access content include smartphones, tablets, notebooks, and iPads.
- Deliverable in Different Formats
- Microlearning objects can be independent learning segments in any form such as a short video, an infographic, a podcast, scenarios, whiteboard animations, or instructional games. Delivery platforms may include Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, or Facebook.
Impact of Micro-learning Strategies on Students’ Academic Performance
According to Ashad et al. (2024), micro-learning strategies contribute to students’ academic performance. Their report was based on a quasi-experiment that they conducted. Participants were university students enrolled in an educational psychology course. Professors in the experimental group integrated micro-learning strategies in
their teaching whereas those in the control group used traditional methods. The researchers concluded ”… through micro-learning, knowledge
understanding, remembering the lesson and retaining the information became very easy tasks for students as compared to traditional learning.” (pp. 919-920
References
Arshad, H., Naoreen, B., Gull, H., & Shahzad, S. (2024). Effect of micro-learning on students ’academic achievement at higher education level. Migration Letters, 21(2), pp. 913-922. https://migrationletters.com/index.php/ml/article/view/7001
Pappas, C. (2019, November 18). E-book release – maximizing microlearning: An overview of short form learning in the corporate sector. eLearning Industry.
https://elearningindustry.com/maximizing-microlearning-in-corporate-sector-free-ebook
Ruth, C. C.& Mayer, R. E. (2003). Elearning and the science of instruction. Pfeiffer.
Singh, P. (n.d.). Benefits of microlearning for today’s students. Education World.
https://www.educationworld.in/benefits-of-microlearning-for-todays-students/
The science of microlearning: Why small is the new big. (2019, June 4). Growth Engineering.
https://www.growthengineering.co.uk/neuroscience-of-microlearning/