Adult learners are busy these days and don’t have a lot of time to spend on learning new things. Younger learners, those who have grown up with a device attached to their hands since early childhood, are reported to have shorter attention spans that benefit from more engaging teaching methods. Enter the new trend of micro-learning: educational modules that are short, focused and catchy.
Micro-learning modules are short. Depending on the age of the learner and the subject matter, from 2-5-minute segments to 20-minute segments. Shorter is better, to address the problem of the “forgetting curve”; allegedly shorter, repeatable, learning sessions help you retain the information better.
The micro-learning module is available to the learner at any time, so you can choose to engage with it when it’s most convenient for you. Again and again, as needed. Many learners want to do a micro-learning lesson on-the-go (aka on their phone), so it should be designed to work well on a smaller screen.
The content of a micro-learning module is very concentrated, focused on one specific set of information or one skill, with one specific teaching objective in mind. The idea is to approach the learning material from different perspectives, helping the mind to retain the information provided through familiarity (non-boring repetition) and variety (different modes of presentation).
Micro-learning modules can be provided in written text or lecture format, although those are apparently the least effective. Video, interactive gamification and social media-style content are also often used and cater better to modern learning styles. The idea is to capture the learners’ attention quickly and totally.
You can see examples of micro-learning modules here, here and here.
No comments:
Post a Comment