If you're like most people, you have a love-hate relationship with learning new things. On the one hand, learning something new and gaining a new skill or knowledge can be exciting. On the other hand, it can be daunting and time-consuming, especially if you feel like you're starting from scratch. Luckily, there's a happy medium: microlearning.
Microlearning is a way of breaking down a larger task or concept into smaller, more manageable pieces. It's an effective way to learn because it allows you to focus on one thing at a time and make incremental progress instead of feeling overwhelmed by everything you need to know. Plus, microlearning is usually done in short bursts (think 10-15 minutes), so it fits easily into your busy schedule.
Don't let the name fool you – microlearning is no small feat! Discover how this powerful learning method can help you achieve your goals.
Microlearning: What Is It and Why Is It Effective?
Microlearning is a modern educational method focusing on small, easily digestible chunks of knowledge. Rather than attempting to provide a comprehensive overview of a subject, microlearning can cover individual topics in great detail and provide bite-sized pieces that learners can quickly comprehend.
This concept has the advantage of allowing popular topics to be divided into various sub-topics and covered thoroughly. With microlearning, instructors can tailor content to the needs of their learners and build an engaging narrative across different packets resulting in a better learning experience.
Microlearning helps turn your average student into a lifelong learner.
The Microlearning Advantage
It is also efficient as learners move through topics much more quickly than traditional methods, allowing them to quickly implement what they’ve learned while retaining the material better.
Microlearning effectively provides learning content in an optimized format so individuals can efficiently acquire new skills without wasting precious time.
Microlearning: Pros & Cons
Microlearning has become increasingly popular in recent years due to its ability to accommodate modern attention spans and consider different learning styles.
Pros
The primary benefit of this approach is that it allows for complex topics to be broken down into digestible chunks, making them easier to understand. Additionally, microlearning modules can be easily accessed from any device at any time, creating a convenient way to learn even on the go.
Cons
On the other hand, microlearning can sometimes backfire if learners feel overwhelmed by the amount of content presented in a short time frame or need help to make connections between different pieces of content presentation. In this sense, ensuring the modules are well executed and relevant is critical for effective microlearning implementation.
Microlearning Use Cases: Corporate & Education
Microlearning techniques in different settings, such as corporate and K-12 education, can provide excellent opportunities to engage with content.
Corporate Environments
For example, microlearning might involve video snippets explaining the company’s mission, values, and goals in a corporate environment.
Education
In a K-12 educational setting, microlearning could involve using apps or videos that reinforce classroom material that can be used to review material after school hours. Recent research also illustrates the potential for gamified microlearning activities that allow students to increase their engagement with subject matter beyond the boundaries of the traditional classroom.
Real World Examples of Microlearning
Microlearning is utilized in various contexts, from corporate training to higher education.
For example, the University of Massachusetts-Amherst recently launched a microlearning program for students to complete short modules on specific topics and receive feedback on their progress.
Apps such as Duolingo and Coursera provide users with microlearning modules to learn at their own pace, while LinkedIn Learning is a popular resource for corporate training. In addition, several corporations have adopted microlearning, such as Walmart, Berkshire Hathaway, and Magellan Health.
Microlearning has also provided support and resources to frontline healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Microlearning Best Practices
Microlearning experiences can be a great way to deliver content in bite-sized chunks efficiently. When creating these kinds of experiences, it is essential to keep your target audience in mind and create interactive questions or activities that align with their skills and goals.
Be Mindful of Time
Keep the time short. Blocks of 10 to 15 minutes are ideal for preventing learners from getting bored or sidetracked. After all, it's called microlearning for a reason.
Focus on Comprehension
Identify objectives and develop relevant and engaging content, ensuring the focus is on comprehension rather than memorization. Additionally, when creating microlearning activities, consider the overall user experience – use design elements such as visuals or audio to engage learners with the material better.
Follow a Pattern
Ensure the microlearning sequence follows a clear pattern, starting with the objective and ending with a quick review and summary.
Reconsider Tests
Knowledge tests are only sometimes the best option for students. Requiring learners to finish a quiz each time they access microlearning can be disheartening and goes against microlearning's fast-paced, just-in-time nature.
Instead, look for creative ways to measure the more interactive and engaging progress, requiring little time to complete.
Don’t Forget About the Visuals
Finally, including visuals such as images or videos can add interest and engagement for learners by providing them an additional ‘hook’ to remember the content.
Examples of Microlearning Activities
An example of successful microlearning projects includes interactive videos that explain the scientific process to primary school students, delivered through a tablet creatively and engagingly.
Similarly, online quizzes offering quick assessments of new concepts on topics as varied as mathematics and healthcare can be great ways for students and professionals to test their knowledge in a low-stakes environment.
Conclusion
As you can see, microlearning is a powerful tool that can be used to deliver content engagingly and efficiently. When designing microlearning experiences, it’s essential to consider the target audience and create interactive questions or activities relevant to their skills and objectives.
Many large corporations use microlearning to help their employees increase productivity and stay up-to-date on new topics. At the same time, educators can utilize microlearning to make learning easier for students and help them develop new skills.
By utilizing creative visuals, interactive activities, and quick assessments, microlearning can effectively make learning more enjoyable and engaging – while ensuring that learners conserve time and energy.
As the microlearning industry grows, keeping up with the latest best practices and using the right tools to create engaging and effective microlearning experiences is essential.
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