Microlearning is a teaching and learning approach that focuses on delivering small, bite-sized pieces of information in a format that is easy to consume and retain. This approach is gaining popularity in both pedagogy and professional development for teachers. But what are the benefits of microlearning for teachers? How can it be used as an effective tool for continuing professional development?
Benefits of Microlearning for Teachers
1. Convenient and flexible: Microlearning allows teachers to consume information in small chunks at their own pace and on their own schedule. This makes it easy to fit into busy schedules and ensures that critical information is noticed.
2. Engaging and interactive: Microlearning often involves interactive formats, such as videos, games, and quizzes, which can be more engaging and effective than traditional learning methods.
3. Cost-effective: Microlearning is often delivered online, which reduces costs associated with traditional professional development programmes, such as travel, materials, and time away from work.
4. Focused and effective: Microlearning focuses on delivering specific, targeted information, which helps teachers retain and apply the information more effectively.
Using Microlearning in Professional Development
1. Incorporating microlearning into ongoing professional development: Microlearning can supplement traditional professional development programmes, helping teachers reinforce and retain information.
2. Developing specific microlearning modules: Teachers can create their own microlearning modules, focusing on specific skills that play to their strengths or areas of professional development, such as classroom management, technology integration, or effective teaching strategies.
3. Collaborating with peers: Teachers can collaborate with peers to develop microlearning modules, fostering professional learning communities and sharing best practices.
In this way, a bank of resources that reflects your staff’s skill, values, philosophy and curiosity can be developed quickly and shared throughout your school’s community.
These micro bites are called “chunked learning” or “just-in-time learning.” They are designed to be quick and focused, allowing learners to quickly acquire new knowledge or skills without overwhelming them with too much information. This way, teachers can learn a new skill or concept on mobile devices while having a coffee, not in the traditional didactic staff meeting.
A key benefit is flexibility. Microlearning modules can be accessed anytime, anywhere, on any device, making it easy to fit into busy schedules. It can also be used in various settings, from in-person training sessions to online courses and self-paced learning.
Microlearning is also designed to be engaging and interactive. It often involves interactive formats or microlearning modules that can be used for professional development and pedagogy in teaching, such as:
1. Short videos: Providing quick, concise explanations of teaching strategies or educational theories or demonstrating how to use new technology in the classroom.
2. Interactive quizzes: Challenging teachers to test their knowledge on a specific topic and providing instant feedback to help them determine areas where they may need to focus their learning.
3. Infographics: Presenting information in a visually appealing and easy-to-understand format, explaining complex concepts engagingly and memorably.
4. Podcasts: Allowing teachers to listen to experts in their field while on the go and encouraging them to reflect on their own teaching practices.
5. Online forums: Providing teachers with a supportive community where they can connect with other professionals and share ideas and experiences.
6. Gamified learning: Using games and simulations to engage teachers in problem-solving and critical thinking exercises, helping them to develop new skills and improve their decision-making abilities.
7. Job aids: Providing quick reference guides for specific strategies or techniques teachers can refer to when needed.
These are just a few examples. Microlearning aims to provide focused, targeted information that is easy to absorb, retain, recall and build upon, allowing teachers to continue to grow and develop as professionals while not adding onerously to the time constraints they already have.
Psychologically, this approach is highly effective for retaining information and improving recall, as it focuses on delivering specific, targeted information. Designers create effective mobile micro-courses, taking into account the cognitive load theory and making sure the load is at most what learners can accept. This is achieved by reducing extraneous cognitive load and increasing germane cognitive load3.
Theories behind microlearning suggest that short, repetitive learning increases long-term comprehension rates. It has only recently been popularized due to the widespread availability of mobile devices and apps that allow us to apply and integrate the theory into our everyday lives easily.
The concept of spaced learning was best explained by the research of Hermann Ebbinghaus, a German psychologist who, in 1880, found that progressive injections of new knowledge have a rapid memory decay in the brain. His spaced learning theory suggests that learning is more effective when smaller amounts of study are spread out over periods of time rather than closer together or at the same time in a longer format. Ebbinghaus found that repeated practice would enable people to retain more knowledge with each repetition (1,2).
Now, let’s look at this theory from a neurological perspective. The more we repeat and use information, the more likely it is to end up in long-term memory (3). That is why microlearning works so well, particularly with the shift in learning demands we’re seeing today.
In terms of professional development for teachers, microlearning could provide a cost-effective alternative to traditional professional development programmes. It can be delivered online, reducing costs associated with travel, materials, and time away from work. Alternatively, it can also be used as a supplement to traditional professional development programmes, helping teachers reinforce and retain information. According to research (4), Microlearning improves focus and supports long-term retention by up to 80%. This means we should use micro-learning as a stand-alone learning vehicle and a supplemental strategy to support a main training event.
Microlearning is a powerful teaching tool, offering convenience, engagement, cost-effectiveness, and focused learning. Whether used as a supplement or a standalone tool, microlearning can help teachers grow and develop as professionals.
References
1. Kapenieks, J. (2020). Spaced E-learning for sustainable education. Journal of Teacher Education for Sustainability, 22(2), 49-65.
2. Murre, J. M., & Dros, J. (2015). Replication and analysis of Ebbinghaus’ forgetting curve. PloS one, 10(7), e0120644.
3 Wiklund‐Hörnqvist, C., Stillesjö, S., Andersson, M., Jonsson, B., & Nyberg, L. (2021). Retrieval practice facilitates learning by strengthening processing in both the anterior and posterior hippocampus. Brain and behavior, 11(1), e01909.
4 Shail, M. S. (2019). Using micro-learning on mobile applications to increase knowledge retention and work performance: a review of literature. Cureus, 11(8).