The Shaker Explainer: Microlearning
Definition:
A way of teaching and delivering content to learners in small, very specific bursts. The learners are in control of what and when they're learning (elearningindustry.com)
Huh?
A simple example might be the minute-long stop-motion cooking lessons that fill your Facebook feed with unnecessary kilojoules.
OK. Got it. Why do I care?
The example above barely scratched the surface. Micro-learning can be applied to any subject (see Minute Physics below) and is designed to quickly explain complex problems or give basic information to pique the viewers’ interest for further learning.
When did all this happen?
The process has been around for ages – flashcards being a great example from the pre-digital age. However, with the huge onslaught of content and information delivered by the internet, academics started formalising and describing this method of learning around ten years ago.
Cool. How do I use it?
The first thing to do is to decide whether your audience (potential customers, employees or seminar attendees) is being taught something, or being delivered a message that reinforces something they have already learned. This will change your messaging significantly.
As for delivery, video is just one method. Something as simple as circulating Powerpoint slides – free of endless text of the presentation – is a well-known workplace version of micro-learning that is used to reinforce a message.
What makes engaging micro-learning content?
It’s important to ensure the message is simple and easy to consume. It needs to capture their attention and hold it for round sixty seconds. Here are the basic rules courtesy of schoolkeep.com
- Keep it to one objective per lesson. Don’t try to teach too much in one module. Stick to the one goal the learner must master.
- Test the learner. Although the lesson may be brief, quiz the learner to make sure they have indeed grasped the main concept of the instruction before moving them on to the next lesson.
- “Chunk” the content. Keep paragraphs short (three to four sentences and limited to one concept) and make frequent use of bulleted points.
Hey, did I just microlearn something?
You sure did! Now go off and read more.