Do you know the reasons behind the effectiveness of microlearning? Microlearning is concerned with tiny learning chunks and quick learning activities. It’s all about delivering compelling training content in brief bursts of eLearning. Simply said, microlearning breaks down a large amount of training information into little, readily digestible chunks that focus on a specific learning goal. It makes it easy for students to get the knowledge they need when they want it.
Microlearning material can take many different forms, including texts, videos, graphics, audio, games, assessments, and quizzes. However, it must always be brief and straightforward. One of the biggest benefits of microlearning is that it enables learners to pick up a new skill and put it to use right away, without interrupting their job.
The best way of implementing microlearning is through a learning management system with features that enable and facilitate microlearning. To decide which LMS provides the right and useful features, read the LMS reviews. For example, if you are inclined towards Thinkfic, go through the Thinkfic reviews, and then compare them to choose the ideal one. The reviews also help you gauge how good or bad was the overall experience of others who have used that LMS.
Microlearning, on the other hand, provides more than just convenience. Its popularity and effectiveness stem from the fact that it was created specifically to aid in the process of retaining information in our brains.
The science behind it
Learning takes place in a specific environment, is dynamic, and is unique to each individual. Learning is complex and unique for every individual. Researchers, on the other hand, have discovered the elements that influence human learning. Behaviorism, constructivism, cognitivism, and experientialism are the 4 most significant factors among those.
Behaviorism
Learning is a behavioral change that happens in reaction to stimuli in the environment. Positive stimuli or rewards build positive connections with the action and urge it to be repeated whereas, negative stimuli or forms of punishment discourage people from engaging in certain behaviors.
Cognitivism
Thoughts, knowledge, memories, ambition, reflection, and problem-solving are all mental abilities and activities that contribute to learning. The most frequent learning methods are reading and lectures which are considered as the traditional ways of learning. An SME (Subject Matter Expert) usually conveys knowledge, but how much of it is retained depends on the learner’s brain ability, drive values, and effort. Many people believe that the listen-to-my-lecture-then-answer-my-test method is outdated and irrelevant.
Constructivism
Learners understand their environment and restructure their thinking on their own. Learners know organically through a discovery process, according to social constructivism. Cognitive constructivism, on the other hand, is concerned with age-based normal developmental phases that are associated with learning. It describes learning as the process of a learner’s psychological picture of the world becoming more experientially informed. If you use open-ended questions and collaborative free-thinking as part of your learning methods, you’re on the right track however it might not be suitable for compliance training.
Experientialism
You only provide a learning experience to the learners as a facilitator, but you do not influence what the learners take away from it. You’ll want to construct safe and non-threatening learning settings so that students may freely explore and experiment without worrying about being wrong or looking stupid. Microlearning, like constructivism, may only serve as a complement to experientialism.
Microlearning methods
Spaced repetition, retrieval practice, confidence-based evaluation, and interleaving are four tactics that improve a learner’s retention, as asserted by Dr. Alice Kim, cognitive neuroscience and experimental psychology specialist.
Spaced repetition
Spaced repetition is an approach in which courses are repeated at increasing intervals to assist students in fully imprinting knowledge in long-term memory. This method encourages learning in multiple brief sessions rather than a lengthy session as it can disrupt the learners’ focus and negatively affect retention. Microlearning also helps to divide complex subjects into smaller parts, allowing you to offer rewarding activities in short periods that fit into your daily routine.
Retrieval practice
Retrieval practice is a method of learning that involves retrieving knowledge from the learner. It’s an efficient way to increase long-term retention. You may use microlearning to add extra learning activities, such as quizzes, tests, and puzzles to test a learner’s ability to fix an issue.
Confidence-based evaluation
It assesses the accuracy of a learner’s information as well as their confidence in it. It is intended to improve recall and reduce guesswork. It can assist in making accurate and realistic assessments of student performance. By reflecting on people’s growth over time and making learning a part of their daily routine, one may boost metacognition and help them acquire confidence.
Interleaving
Instead of focusing on one skill at a time, interleaving practice involves acquiring two or more related abilities or ideas in sequential order. Alternating between them can help to simulate real-world scenarios and boost long-term memory.
Conclusion
Microlearning is a brain science that cannot be ignored. It is based on studies and aids in the development of people’s knowledge while learning a skill. As a result, the above-mentioned techniques must be included in current learning methodologies to help optimize their learning and perform their best at work.
