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Micro learning Part 1

As part of the social-networking for e-learning series, I look at Micro learning…

Could you define Micro learning?

Here’s what Wikipedia says:

Microlearning deals with relatively small learning units and short-term learning activities. The term is used in e-learning and related fields in the sense of learning processes in mediated environments. Microlearning is a holistic approach for skill based learning and education which deals with relatively small learning units. It involves short-term-focused strategies especially designed for skill based understanding/learning/education.

The Wikipedia page however contains much that seems inaccurate or naive to me.

Take this:

Microlearning, in a nutshell, is a digital learning experience designed to be effective, engaging and enjoyable.

Really? This doesn’t mention the key concept of being ‘small’.

Surely every learning experience is (should be) designed to be “effective, engaging and enjoyable” ?

And this:

Microlearning provides bite-sized learning content in stark contrast to the traditional model of learning and thus engagement follows.

Do you see the logical fallacy here?  (Let’s ignore the obvious missing commas).

Take out the reference to traditional learning and you have: “Microlearning provides bite-sized learning content and thus engagement follows.”

Sorry, I think engagement follows, or should follow, in any learning experience. To suggest that bite-sized learning content magically (“thus”) leads to engagement is nonsense.

I do like this though:

In a wider sense, microlearning is the way more and more people are actually doing informal learning and gaining knowledge in micro-content.”

Yes !

A lot of learning can happen in very small piece, informally, and people often don’t recognise it as learning at all 🙂

So, I’ll be posting each month on Microlearning – although I can’t stand the spellcheck underlining all the time so I will call it Micro Learning 😉

Stuart Mealor
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Stuart Mealor

Stuart is interested in all things e-learning, with specific interests in Moodle, e-learning strategy, and business development. His experience in education over 30 years, MBA in International Business, and knowledge of e-learning systems implementation, together with graphic design background, give him a unique skill set for e-learning projects.

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