Microlearning in Higher Education by Victoria Karolina

Microlearning in Higher Education by Victoria Karolina https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7 Refer to the infographic above, and answer the activities described here. en-us 2018-10-26 21:46:31 UTC 2019-08-31 18:14:33 UTC hello@padlet.com Activity 1: 7 Reasons to Use Microlearning in Higher Education https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/297612043 Read this article:
Discuss briefly why 2 of these benefits would convince you to use microlearning in your higher education class.

]]> 2018-10-27 04:38:19 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/297612043 Activity 2: Micro Learning in Higher Education https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/297612145 Read this article:
Choose one of these best practices. Briefly describe how you would use it in your higher education class.

]]> 2018-10-27 04:41:50 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/297612145 Activity 1 (Kate Quinn) katequinn https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/298166025 Of the seven reasons to use microlearning in higher education, the following two were the most intriguing to me:

Focuses on relevance: ‘as microlearning is task-oriented, it cuts out all extraneous information; trimming the fat in essence. Instead of providing irrelevant course materials, microlearning strives to provide students with the exact information they to get a job done to the very best of their abilities.’ What concerns me about this idea is the potential for not delving deep enough into content; sometimes students need to be exposed to that ‘fat’ or what they currently deem ‘irrelevant’ in order to gain useful information for the future. What would be best, perhaps, is if the content is presented through microlearning so that the classes can focus on case-studies or scenarios that assume prior knowledge (which has occurred through microlearning) of the students. This way, those students already familiar with concepts or vocabulary could disregard those small chunks of learning.

Prevents burnout: ‘Similarly, if educational institutions put more time into creating microlearning resources, educators would have more time to dedicate to one-on-one time with individual students, nurturing their development further as a result.’ As educators, we all know the value of one-on-one, authentic conversations with students. Wouldn’t it be great if that’s really what we could focus on? And yet, with all these advancements in tech, it seems we spend more time creating tech and having fewer of these conversations. For instructors (and students!), the notion that already-created microlearning resources could give more time for spontaneous discussion and reflection is certainly attractive.

]]> 2018-10-29 17:34:21 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/298166025 Activity 2 (Kate Quinn) katequinn https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/298168679 The micro-quiz is something I've used and continue to use in classes. I usually make these quizzes worth very little (or nothing) or allow students to pair up and complete the quiz together; I generally use the test-making tools available in Blackboard (our LMS) so that I can track participation and common incorrect answers. Again, for language learning, recall is very important; having students revisit the material shows them - and me - what they have, or haven't, internalized. Usually I make each small quiz as a pool of many questions, assigning a handful randomly; I'll then create a test later in the semester from these pools which may offer different random questions, but in the same format. This helps prepare students for later, higher-stakes quizzes or tests within the course, or for later standardized tests such as IELTS or TOEIC. ]]> 2018-10-29 17:38:01 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/298168679 Activity 1 (Adam Brody https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/298242195 Offers cost-effective alternatives: Considering the current cost of education and as the article stated 'the average student graduates with over $30,000 in debt, learning can be an expensive business.' The micro-learning is a real opportunity to allow students to develop a specific skill without breaking their bank.

Focuses on Relevance:
Again, as Micro-Learning focuses on one specific skillset it would allow students the opportunity to truly personalize their education. Instead of having to stiff through a wide array of information over the course of several weeks, much of which might be irrelevant
to them, students may select the content matter that directly impacts their profession. ]]> 2018-10-29 19:36:48 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/298242195 Activity 2 (Adam Brody) https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/298247083 Not that I have had much experience teaching a 'higher education' class, but I have that 'gamifying' the learning process in the from of a Kahoot is often a fun and effective way to maintain engagement and assess learning. I found this is often held at the end of the learning secession as it aids participants recall what they have learned throughout the micro-learning secession. For those who are unaware of what Kahoot is I have attached a video to this post. ]]> 2018-10-29 19:48:51 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/298247083 Activity 1 (Harshita Rathore) rathore_harshita89 https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/298432027 Requires less commitment
When tie is limited and the list of things keep growing day by day, we feel pressured. I am totally convinced by this benefit of micro learning. the intention of learning affects the understanding of the knowledge. As micro learning short ,crisp and concise which and I know that it will be quick read and useful. I would do it without any external pressure instead with an intrinsic motivation.
I believe that could be one of the reasons of mentioning time on the blog post (for example- "2 minute read'). This quantifies the act of reading in combination with information gained for readers and makes it look like a quick thing.

Aids retention:
Again, an interesting one , its hard to remember so much of data and after reading the whole article of 13 pages and later when you conclude it, it could be done in less than 3 pages. I would like to study something which is easy to understand and remember and can be applied- leads to transfer of knowledge and meaning making. ]]> 2018-10-30 11:55:04 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/298432027 Activity 2 (Harshita Rathore) rathore_harshita89 https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/298455744 I am not into teaching but as a student I have experienced flipped classroom pedagogy and it has helped me in a great way. One of the major benefit I have personally experienced in my classes through flipped classroom pedagogy- is it leads to deeper learning. The students reflect based on their past experience though their own construction of knowledge(meaning making) from the assigned article/video/reading before the class. And when it is discussed in the class , the students gain not just their own perspective but also different perspective from the entire class which it itself enlightening.]]> 2018-10-30 12:45:49 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/298455744 Activity 1 (Heeweon Joo) hwjoo https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/298648584 Two of the benefits that I thought was important to me from the articles were "Focuses on Relevance" and "Increases Efficiency". With each microlearning experience focusing on a specific content, it seems to me that it does a very good job of presenting a specific learning objective and delivering a specific content to achieve that learning objective. This allows efficiency and focuses on what a learner would like to learn.

]]> 2018-10-30 17:30:48 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/298648584 Activity 2 (Heeweon Joo) hwjoo https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/298652871 As a learner, I like the idea of using microlearning to challenge preconceptions with a video. I often find myself looking for compact video to learn something rather than looking for a 10 minute one. The shorter the videos are, I often find the content more focused and beneficial to my own learning. If we incorporate the idea of flipped classroom, I see the benefit of post classroom discussion to be more centered and efficient way of time being spent. With all the students coming to class with ideas and comments about a specific issue, the learning will be more focused as my personal opinion. ]]> 2018-10-30 17:36:43 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/298652871 Activity 2 (Molly Tuttle) https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/298816784 Gamification/Micro-quizzes: I currently use Kahoot! to review grammatical structures, vocabulary that we've learned in class or for practice quizzes every week or so. The level of engagement is very high, and it is beneficial for students to have another opportunity to actively practice what they've been learning.
Videos: I do several flipped discussion group activities during a session. Students watch a couple of shortish videos (under 10 mins) and read new articles related to a current event, and we use class time for small group discussions about the topic. ]]> 2018-10-31 02:14:42 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/298816784 Activity 1 (Dustin Hyde) https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/298907554 From a teaching and learning perspective, I think the most important of the seven benefits of microlearning are aids retention and enables personalization. In today's hyper distracted world that we live in, the notion of microlearning increasing learner attention is very appealing. The very concept of short, technology based, multimodal lessons is very appealing and exciting to me. Having students stay focused for brief snippets of time on an important microlesson is a much more appealing learning situation by comparison to a standard / traditional 75 minute lecture on a topic. Not only are students more hyperfocused for a short burst of time, but as a result of that focus, learners are likely to formulate long term memory and improve retention. Personalization is also appealing to me. Rather than students sit through a long class, or worse, a series of classes on a topic that is unappealing to them, the microlesson approach allows for customization based on learners ability, skills, and knowledge.

]]> 2018-10-31 11:27:50 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/298907554 Activity 2 (Dustin Hyde) https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/298912994 I find the use of brief videos very, very powerful to hook students into a topic. Youtube is fantastic for this and I find myself looking for short videos as an engaging way to engage students. As the article suggests - videos can be very engaging and information packed which learners tend to enjoy and engage with as opposed to other pedagogical tools. At my school, we have about 4 teachers employing the flipped classroom approach and it well received by both students and their parents. Most the videos are no longer than 10 minutes in length, focused on a single learning topic and the expectation is that students come to class prepared to discuss the learning from the video. The class is then dedicated to activities designed to encourage deeper learning by way of group activities, discussion, short assignments and micro assessments. ]]> 2018-10-31 11:44:28 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/298912994 Activity 1 (Katie Cowen) https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/299191398 From the perspective of both a teacher and a student, the two micro learning benefits that stand out to me are aids in retention and focuses on relevance. It is amazing that microlearning or short learning bursts aid in over 20% more content or information retention. The other aspect that really interests and excited me is micro learning focuses on relevance. It is so important for our fast-paced world where people are expected to know a lot, about a lot, but there just isn't enough time in the day to be spent overwhelming ourselves with 'reading between the lines' to understand content. In these two cases, micro learning offers the best of both worlds where the learner is able to zone in for 5 or 10 minutes and learn the main points of the objective while in turn retaining even more content than they would in an instructional setting.]]> 2018-10-31 21:49:40 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/299191398 Activity 2 (Katie Cowen) https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/299196459 As a teacher, I would use micro learning in a higher education class to enhance content retention. Whether it is to introduce a topic by first introducing it's main ideas and facts or to use it as a review tool for a topic of study. Microlearning videos are engaging and loaded with information, leaving out all of the 'extras'. Students attention span is only so long before they stop paying attention or retaining information, so being an educator, it excites me that micro learning can enhance retention.]]> 2018-10-31 22:33:02 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/299196459 Activity 1 (Philip Barrington) https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/299239964 The relevance concept is one that would appeal to all learners. We are living in a time when individual's attention span is shorten and the need to give students the most relevant information in a quick and concise way is the most effective way to ensure memory retention.
This will encourage more individuals to want to learn from more MOOC style courses that are providing key chunks of information that is specifically personalized for those individuals.
This also always courses to personalize the information even more for those courses to ensure that the individuals in the course are receiving the key concepts they need.
A fellow teacher and I were inspired by mirco learning to have our students create short 3 minute videos that would discuss one specific grammar rule in a more engaging way.]]> 2018-11-01 03:59:15 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/299239964 Activity 2 (Philip Barrington) https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/299241359 For me, I find videos would be a better way for students to demonstrate their understanding of the material that they have learned in a course. The ability to clear demonstrate your understanding and to present it in a clear and concise way that would appeal to a larger audience This would also demonstrate the learning of the students.]]> 2018-11-01 04:08:19 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/299241359 Activity 1 https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/299643388 From Reg Surette
Focuses on relevance
Task-oriented, just-in-time training. Applicable to the job at hand. A refresher microlearning
module prior to performing a technically complex task may be of value for aircraft technicians.
Prevents Burnout
In the workplace, the focus is on flying and maintaining the aircraft. Professional development and skill maintenance come along with that. Microlearning might be a way to maintain skill and
knowledge proficiency without overtasking the technicians already busy with performing regular aircraft maintenance.
I could see the benefits of microlearning to technical trades jobs in that they could stay up to speed on technical data, product characteristics, and basic procedural and safety knowledge.
Otherwise, some other benefits described in the article may not apply to a performance-oriented
workplace. Technicians at my work require a comprehensive understanding of engines,
hydraulics, overall systems, and how they tie in to make the aircraft fly. This requires a large
commitment, time requirement, and investment on the part of the technician, as well as the
organization to ensure safety and airworthiness standards are being met. Unless carefully
customized, microlearning may not be the best fit in all workplace situations, such as this.]]> 2018-11-02 01:25:06 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/299643388 Activity 2 https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/299643581 From Reg Surette
Micro quiz. At a Learning & Development conference, I came across a company called BoosterLearn, who ‘Boosts’ recall of training with reflective email or text message quizzes, post-lesson. They are micro, 2-3 minute questionnaires on the previous training provided. Under the notion that learning and achievement are improved with prolonged content interaction, they used the
2(hours)/2(days)/2(weeks) model, where reflective activities were sent at each interval to encourage further reflection and understanding of previously trained concepts. Such a great idea, and one I hope to further incorporate into my lessons!]]> 2018-11-02 01:26:25 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/299643581 Activity 1 (Bryn Hammett) https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/299669678 Offers Cost Effective Alternatives
Academic support can be very costly for a university or higher educational facility. Any time that a professor works with a student one-on-one to address misconceptions is taxing on the educational facility. Microlearning offers an alternative whereby students can learn autonomously. Instead of seeking support from a professor, students could supplement their understanding through a micro learning activity.
Increases Efficacy
Microlearning breaks larger concepts into smaller chunks. As such, students are able to focus on skills that they need the most support with. I can see microlearning being particularly effective in supporting students in studying for exams and extending their understanding of concepts covered in class.]]> 2018-11-02 04:46:26 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/299669678 Activity 2 (Bryn Hammett) https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/299670516 The micro-quiz has enormous potential with higher education in the field of science education. I would consider sending my students formative micro-quizzes periodically throughout the week and ask that answers be submitted within 12 hours of receipt. I would then let the quality of the responses inform my lessons for that week. ]]> 2018-11-02 04:58:21 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/299670516 Activity 1 https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/299914142 From Henna Patel
Focus on Relevance and Increases Efficacy

Looking at this as an adult learner within Higher Education, I would find applications of micro learning to help increase focus on relevant concepts, pedagogies, applications of theory would be very helpful to learners who are also balancing careers and often families, along side learning. And increasing efficacy by use of smaller blocks could be very helpful for topics/concepts that are especially challenging and for exam preparations.]]> 2018-11-02 17:36:01 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/299914142 Activity 1 (Scott Skanes) scottskanes https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/300057299 Focuses on Relevance
Microlearning (ML) "trims the fat" and provides only the most essential information to students to perform a task. This could convince me to try out ML in college classes as my students are at the college sometimes for over 12 hours in a day; by maximizing the relevance of the educational materials selected (e.g. YouTube video related to a specific welding task) there can be more time allotted for practical exercises, hands-on experiences and well as discussions.

Enables Personalization
I teach Math and Science prep courses to 1st- and 2nd-year college students. They all work through the same curriculum regardless of their background or experience. This leads to classes with students who range from extremely competent, experienced high-achievers to students who struggle from day one. Introducing meaningful curriculum personalization to their programs (e.g. ALEKS) could determine pre-existing knowledge and mastery of students from the get-go, allowing the often-bored high-achievers a challenge while providing scaffolded support to students with little-to-no background knowledge. Personalizing curriculum to students is also immediately more engaging than a course-in-a-box approach. This seems like a no-brainer to me as long as the approach to personalization is based on best practices and pedagogically sound.]]> 2018-11-03 12:29:48 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/300057299 Activity 2 (Scott Skanes) scottskanes https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/300058318 Gamification
Gamification allows a means of engaging students for educators who don't have the time, or the means, or experience, to completely re-invent their curriculum materials. With the simple addition of game-like elements like badges, experience points, rankings, competitions, awards, achievements, and so on, students are often more motivated to complete a given task - especially ones that are not worth marks. There is ample research at this points as to the benefits of gamification being a positive inclusion on the classroom, at any level. It's not a magic bullet - no ed tech is - but it's a tool in the toolbox to be used when appropriate. The nice thing about this tool is that it can be used in most educational scenarios and it can - and usually does - improve student engagement to some degree. I expect anyone who has run a match of Kahoot on even a fairly mundane topic would agree!

Speaking of which, Kahoot for Schools was recently released - check it out!
[no, I am not affiliated in any way with Kahoot, just providing resources :D ]]]> 2018-11-03 12:43:27 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/300058318 Activity 1 jonesylvr https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/300086263 Lori Jones

As part of a whole toolbox of learning strategies Microlearning's efficacy for more mature learners is a big plus. It hits the ABE market well but not as the sole delivery mechanism. It also focuses the learner and educator to the relevant information. Back in the days of SMART learning it was all about the chunking of information and microlearning is the epitome of that.

As a tool in the toolbox micro learning is effective, but not a stand alone]]> 2018-11-03 17:05:09 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/300086263 Activity 2 jonesylvr https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/300086729 Lori Jones]]> 2018-11-03 17:09:15 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/300086729 jonesylvr https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/300092902 2018-11-03 18:02:48 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/300092902 Microlearning limitations day_ryanj https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/300115364 I strongly believe in authentic assessment, especially for adult learners. I work in continuing education which is admittedly a bit different from degree studies. At the end of each course I design I want the learner to have completed something they can take to work the next day and use. Micro-learning I think can be quite limited especially to rote-memorization and things that are on the lower end of bloom's taxonomy. I see it having it's place as a way to engage learners but I think it's quite limited to remembering and understanding. - Ryan]]> 2018-11-03 22:08:21 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/300115364 Activity 1 https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/300126361 (Aggie Woodworth)
Prevents Burnout- by being able to learn small bits of information and use them, people would get immediate gratification.
Requires less commitment- Most people have a few hours here and there to spare. However, committing to a course once a week for a few months can be a big decision.

]]> 2018-11-04 01:02:50 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/300126361 Activity 2 https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/300126694 (Aggie Woodworth)
Gamification- As someone else mentioned kahoot. I have seen Kahoot used along a wide array of age groups. This is a easy, quick and fun way to gage when the class is at with the content. Something that I really like about Kahoot, you can see which questions people got wrong and who got it wrong. That makes it easier to target information that was misunderstood.

]]> 2018-11-04 01:08:28 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/300126694 Activity 1 gnowsirhc https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/300146726 (Christopher Wong)

I would say that the Requires less commitment and prevents burnout would be the most important selling points for me. I think many people are already stretched for time as it is. Knowing that something will only take an hour or less will be a strong incentive for me to start it and see it through to completion. Preventing burnout would be similar to requiring less commitment. I do think that there is a limitation regarding what can be learned through micro learning and agree with many of the challenges that your group has listed above. ]]> 2018-11-04 07:52:53 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/300146726 Activity 2 gnowsirhc https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/300147074 (Christopher Wong)
I think I would use a microlearning lesson to challenge preconceptions at the beginning of a lecture. I don't think students will be able to adequately absorb all of the information within a video or micro-lesson at the start of a class. Therefore, I think it would be an effective method of challenging student preconceptions. The focus should be on having the students understand the framework around what they are going to learn or have them understand how well they do/do not know the material that will be covered. By having students understand that they have a great deal to learn, perhaps they will be more receptive to the full lessons that will occur in the future. ]]> 2018-11-04 07:59:11 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/300147074 Activity https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/300186047 2018-11-04 14:43:50 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/300186047 Activity 1 https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/300186107 2018-11-04 14:44:12 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/300186107 Activity https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/300194108 2018-11-04 15:36:47 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/300194108 Ac https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/300194181 2018-11-04 15:37:13 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/300194181 Activity https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/300194308 2018-11-04 15:37:39 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/300194308 Activity 1 Philip Barrington https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/300265368 Prevent Burnouts is one that I think would be a benefit. The demands in terms of readings can wear on an individual so the ability to chunk information into smaller bits will promote more engagement in class for discussions and classroom activities ]]> 2018-11-04 23:10:24 UTC https://padlet.com/victoriakramsey/3ok6xzycq9c7/wish/300265368