What exactly is microlearning?

Microlearning is all about getting your education in small doses that are easy to digest. There are some simple principles that define microlearning:

• There are short bursts of learning instead of long sessions.
• The topics are narrowed down or simplified.
• The content is easy to access and refer back to.
• Each microlearning session should take little effort.

These four principles make up the bulk of what microlearning is. Microlearning as a term can be quite vague and difficult to explain, but these four points should hopefully give you a better idea of what microlearning is and why it’s important as a practical solution for both young and adult learners. It’s all about reducing cognitive load and offering concise information in bite-sized chunks that are easier to digest. Microlearning is a strategy born out of necessity. Thanks to the internet, we’re able to access an incredible amount of information on websites such as Wikipedia. This results in cognitive overload because the information isn’t digestible and requires us to read through entire articles and pages before we can find what we’re looking for. It’s also not targeted for learning. Instead, it’s just a wealth of information that we need to decipher on our own.

Where is microlearning used?

Microlearning can be used anywhere. It can be a strategy used by college and university students, you can use it for homeschooling your children and it can be scaled up to be an effective way to employees in a large company. The focus of microlearning is to reduce cognitive load and give learners an easier way to develop new skills. It makes learning more practical and accessible, offering information in small bursts instead of long and daunting sessions where you’re likely to forget crucial information or even feel fatigued.

What are the benefits of microlearning?

Microlearning offers fantastic benefits for both the educator and the learner.

• Research shows that short bursts of study are more effective for learning because it gives our brains time to digest the information and process it.
• It doesn’t create cognitive overload which can strain our minds and make it difficult to digest large amounts of information.
• There’s less investment required, meaning it’s a practical learning solution for busy individuals that can’t commit to long sessions.
• Microlearning can take place in bite-sized chunks on our phones or tablets. This makes it easy for us to study on-the-go such as during a commute.
• Shorter learning sessions reduce the chances of us getting bored or being distracted. Instead, it allows us to focus on our work and study since it’s in short bursts.
• Modern forms of microlearning can incorporate different multimedia elements to make content easier to digest and understand.
• Microlearning takes advantage of proven learning techniques such as spaced repetition to help learners memorize information.
• It breaks down a complicated subject into smaller components that are easier to understand and less demanding of your time.

There are plenty of benefits to microlearning and it’s a strategy that benefits everyone.

Using microlearning on its own or part of a larger course?

Microlearning is a learning technique that can be applied to existing courses and study materials. However, it can also be used as a standalone learning technique for specific subjects as well. There are times where microlearning isn’t effective, such as studying medical techniques or legal terms. In a situation like this, regular study techniques can be more effective. However, microlearning can still be used to commit that information to memory or be used as a means of refreshing your knowledge of a subject. Either way, microlearning is a flexible technique that allows us to study in a more casual and laid-back manner. It can be an effective study technique on its own to reduce cognitive load, but it can also be integrated into existing learning strategies.

Examples of microlearning

Microlearning can be a vague concept to understand. To make things easier, here are a couple of examples of microlearning.

• Using flashcards to remember phrases, terms or words. This is commonly used when learning a new language or for early learning such as the name of countries and animals. It can also be used as a way to memorize things such as chemical elements.
• Watching short videos to explain a subject. Short and concise videos are an excellent form of microlearning because they can incorporate different kinds of media such as audio and pictures.
• Short bursts of information on a daily cycle. This is a vague example that refers to anything that offers you a short burst of information or knowledge on a regular basis. For example, you might have an app that encourages you to learn a new word every day.
• Audiobooks and podcasts. Audiobooks and podcasts tend to be split into chapters that are short and easy to digest. They’re also easy to access and can be used during activities such as a commute.

Hopefully, this post has shown you the benefits of microlearning and why it’s one of the best strategies for learners to adopt.