What's the Big Deal About Microlearning?

by Chris Davis, IU8/JoltEDU

Can we really learn something valuable in a matter of minutes? Sure, why not?

At JoltEDU, we’re excited about microlearning because it allows learners to acquire a skill quickly and on demand. It is short and usually digital, fitting into daily routines quite well. Adults are used to seeking the info they need when they need to learn something; people microlearn all the time! Many industries have embraced microlearning for just-in-time learning, like nursing, agriculture, and tech. Why shouldn’t good, quality microlearning be available for educators as well?

What is microlearning? What is it not?

Take a few minutes to hear how we define microlearning and check out the examples from everyday life (below the video).

Let's explore a few everyday examples of short learning experiences or microlearning. With each, see how the microlearning would be classified according to authors, researchers, and learning designers, Kapp and Defelice (2019). 

• Ever watch a video to figure out how to fix something around the house? I have (how to fix a squeaky dryer). Videos like this are an example of performance-based microlearning since learners often engage with this learning just before or as they perform a task.
  

• Ever see a TED talk that made you look at things differently? My favorite is How to Make Stress Your Friend, by Health Psychologist Kelly McGonigal. Kelly’s presentation changed the way I perceive and handle stress. Although this video is 14 minutes long, it is still smaller than most traditional lessons. This TED talk is an example of persuasive micro-learning. 
  

• Ever looked at a diagram to remember how to tie a tie (🙋)? An instructional graphic is an example of practice-based microlearning since it breaks a process into a series of small steps.
  

• Ever listen to podcasts? I subscribe to many podcasts for entertainment value, like true crime shows (Casefile and Cold Case Files are two of my faves). I also subscribe to podcasts for learning, like Hidden Brain (about unconscious patterns that drive human behavior) and That’s Awesome ID (about awesome ideas in the field of instructional design). My colleagues at the World of Learning Institute have a podcast too, sharing insights about providing authentic, relevant, and engaging learning in the virtual world. They call it, We Do This Every Day.

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Want a new microlearning experience? Check out JoltEDU’s most recent micro-course releases.

What have you learned in just a few minutes? Leave a comment, we’d love to hear your examples of microlearning!