Microlearning has become extremely popular over the last few years. During Covid-19, teachers and professors realized their students were sitting at home with many other distractions to interrupt the learning process (Alias & Razak, 2023). So, to compete, educators needed to come up with quick, easy-to-digest content to grab and keep students' attention. Here is where microlearning comes in. Microlearning is an approach to delivering content in short, quick, digestible bites focusing on a single topic or skill (Alias & Razak, 2023). The content should be easy to access, meaning it should be viewable on computers, tablets, and mobile devices. This availability makes learning flexible and easy to access from anywhere. The time frame for most microlearning is still up for debate amongst most scholars. For some, microlearning can be as short as 2-3 minutes or as long as 10 minutes. However, the most widely agreed upon time frame has been around 5-7 minutes (Alias & Razak, 2023).
I recently created a scenario-based microlearning course on creative problem-solving. This course is intended for managers or leaders in the corporate workspace who need to learn or improve their problem-solving skills. As someone who has sat on the learner side of many trainings, I decided to make this as fun as possible by creating it in a gamified format. I used the software genial.ly to create the course. This software is perfect for educators who are looking to gamify content. There are many free themes available; all the educator has to do is add their content. I felt genial.ly was the best way to create content that would be viewable on computers, iPads, or mobile devices, which is also an essential component of microlearning.I created a theme for the course: a dojo or place of learning. The entire theme is karate, with a sensai as an instructor or guide for the learner. To start the course, the sensai introduces the concept of CPS (Creative Problem Solving) to the learner and explains why it is needed. Then, the sensai introduces a workplace problem he will guide the learner through. From there, the sensor guides the learner through the six-step CPS process (Proctor, 2020).
Each step of the process is a mini-challenge. The learner must make various choices and decisions about the workplace problem. For each step, the learner receives three choices: One optimal choice, one plausible choice- but not ideal, and one utterly ineffective choice. If the learner needs support, the Sensai icon is viewable at each step and provides the learner with help and thought-provoking questions to help guide the learner to the most optimal answer choice. Once the learner selects the correct choice, they earn a badge. The process continues for all six steps of the course.
 |
| Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay |
Once the learners have collected all of their badges, they are prepared to take a quick micro-assessment. I structured this assessment in a sequencing style, in which the learner has to arrange the six steps of CPS in the correct order. The learner must get an 80% or above on the assessment, or they will be directed to retake the course and the mini-assessment (quiz). After the learner successfully completes the quiz, they are presented with the Creative Problem Solving Master title and black belt trophy!
I did run into a little snag with the quiz portion of the course. Genial.ly, like most software companies, has limitations on the various software versions. Although I have a pro account, it does not allow me to collect information for graded quizzes. I tried embedding my quiz using Google Forms, but the format would not allow me to increase the quiz size, making it too small to view. So, I was stuck using genial.ly's ungraded quiz software. Hopefully, corporate entities will invest in purchasing the premium version so that their instructional designers can access all of the wonderful features genial.ly has to offer.
Although microlearning is meant to be consumed quickly, instructional design principles should still be at the forefront (Lohman, L. 2024). The way learning is designed will always impact the learner. The Creative Problem-Solving Dojo exemplifies how microlearning can be fun and educational, even in a corporate setting. I thoroughly enjoyed creating this bite-sized course and hope that it can be used in a corporate setting someday. The learning format of microlearning is perfect for 21st-century learners who prefer learning in quick, digestible bites.
Have you created a microlearning course? Did you utilize a framework to design the course? What was the time limit of your microlearning course? Feel free to comment and share!
References
Alias, N. F., & Razak, R. A. (2023). Exploring the pedagogical aspects of microlearning in educational settings: A systematic literature review. Malaysian Journal of Learning & Instruction, 20(2), 267–294. https://doi.org/10.32890/mjli2023.20.2.3
Lohman, L. (2024). How can you deliver microlearning when learners don't want it? Designing microlearning for socially oriented learners. Educational Technology & Society, 27(1), 147–165.
Proctor, T. (2020). Creative problem-solving techniques, paradigm shift and team performance. Team Performance Management, 26(7/8), 451–466.
Comments
Post a Comment