Micro-Learning

 

Micro-learning allows a hyper-focus on one professional development skill to ensure members walk away stronger professionally than when they began it. It's accessible, engaging, built for today's busy workforce, and more than anything, it's a great way to highlight crucial skills. Aug 16, 2024, Indiana Society of Association Executives

Micro-learning may include: 

Digestible Content: Microlearning revolves around the delivery of small, bite-sized pieces of content. 

Flexibility & Accessibility: Microlearning provides unparalleled flexibility, allowing adult learners to access content anytime, anywhere.

Enhanced Retention: Research consistently shows that shorter, focused learning sessions lead to improved information retention. 

Engagement through Multimedia: Microlearning leverages multimedia elements such as videos, infographics, and interactive quizzes to enhance engagement. 

Adaptable Learning Paths: Every learner is unique, and microlearning recognizes this by allowing for personalized, adaptable learning paths. 

Real-Time Application: Microlearning emphasizes practical application by providing actionable insights and skills that can be immediately applied in professional and personal contexts.

Cost-Efficiency: Traditional educational models often come with significant costs associated with classroom facilities, printed materials, instructor fees, or live online systems.

Questions:

Are you or do you plan to use micro-learning in your professional development?

What would you like to know more about micro-learning?

 

We love hearing from our members!!

Comments

I'm interested in hearing more about microlearning in the Adult Education space. Generally, instructors are coming to us with the expectation of being issued PD hours. It seems like microlearning modules or "courses" should only be a maximum of 20 minutes in length. Do you bundle them and offer choices? What do other's set-ups look like for this. Are they contained in an LMS or an outside resource?

I'd love to hear from anyone that is using microlearning with the topics you started with, the resources and logistics. 

 

Thank you for your interest and questions about using micro-learning in professional development efforts. These are great questions!

Members, does anyone want to share their experiences?

Additionally, AALPD is hosting a webinar (see PD CoP Bulletin) in November on Micro-Learning. LINCS Teaching and Learning CoP moderator, Erin Vobornik, appears to be co-presenting. They may be addressing some of what you're curious about as well.

 

Jacki & Amber - thanks for getting this conversation started! Full disclosure, I get to work with Amber every day so I have the same models as she does in our PD work. However, thinking about microlearning makes me think broadly about all the many ways we learn or could learn. Discussions (like this one) or those within training sessions or learning communities can be powerful for bursts of learning - helping each other think differently. Watching videos, examining an info-graphic, reading about successful practices in social media, even getting a reminder or reviewing notes of what we have learned earlier can all be powerful options for learning. Perhaps structuring learning sessions so there is a variety of learning options and lots of reflection time is one step we can all take infuse microlearning into our practices. Reminders to our learners to help them refocus on the value of what they have already been exposed to but are just now ready to apply could also be a strong practice. 

As Jacki mentioned, AALPD's next webinar will be on the topic of microlearning. Be sure to register for this free webinar, Maximizing Learning: The Power of Micro-Learning in Adult Education, https://lnkd.in/eHf6RHP9. It will be held on Friday, November 22 at 11:00 Eastern. Thanks to Erin Vobornik and Jennifer Blanchard for leading this powerful opportunity to think deeply about how to maximize learning! 

I'm excited to attend this workshop! I've been thinking about microlearning as a PD offering to our network of adult ESOL/ESL programs and educators. I'd be curious to know...

  • What platforms people are using for creating, distributing and tracking microlearning offerings?
  • What are the criteria for microlearning beyond being "less than 20 minutes"?
  • What are some successful models/processes programs have used?

Thank you, Sarah. We frequently discuss effective practices for our adult learners like "chunking" learning opportunities and providing learners with options for learning. Practitioners, administrators, educators, etc. are all adults and would likely benefit from those same practices from which we've witnessed our learners benefiting. Your description of the session and response reiterates that.

Tiffani, thank you for your posting and asking targeted questions about microlearning.

Members, this forum is a safe place to share your experiences and questions. We look forward to your input/feedback.

Admittedly, I love brains and brain science. One of the reasons that I have leaned in to microlearning is what Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) says about how adult learn. This research brief focuses on adult English Learners, but provides wonderful applications to all adult learning. 

When I am selecting my own PD courses, I look for ones that are bite-sized for a few reasons:

  1. It allows me to complete a course without having to schedule modules across multiple days or weeks. Honestly, new projects come up at work, and I may need to step away from my course for a bit. It can be difficult to re-focus when I come back to it. My retention is better when I can complete it in less time. 
  2. I can find something that is very specific to what I want right then. Choosing a highly relevant, shorter time commitment course allows me to put into practice what I learned more quickly. Teachers may only have 3 weeks left of class and need to implement something soon.

I'm curious to hear everyone's experience being a learner in a course that includes microlearning.