Micro learning involves in learning in "nuggets" or digestible chunks. Learning this way discourages the idea of mastering a topic but instead promotes learning information as it is needed. You can check out some resources on micro learning in my previous post entitled, Micro learning Basics.
Teaching online requires teachers that are subject matter experts in addition to course designers. Micro learning supports this by presenting material in a less threatening way to students who may be easily intimidated. Also, creating learning "nuggets" allows you the freedom to present materials in different, more interesting ways rather than spend countless hours developing materials.
Micro learning can also support the customization of content in a course. By presenting nuggets that a linkable in a concept map, you can empower students to create their own learning paths.
Here are some easy micro learning strategies to try with your students:
| Area | Microlearning Strategies |
| Lessons | Use 1-page informational sheets to introduce a topic. Present the relevance and general definition of the topic. Make sure to include additional resources for students to follow-up on if they choose to. |
| Assignments | Make a brief podcast to explain what is expected for an assignment. I have done this in classes that have a multi-phase, final project due at the end of the semester. |
| Homework | Offer 1-2 problem sessions on video for students to download. You can use a software like Camtasia to record simple video that can be saved as an MP4. Students would then download this file to use as supplement for there homework sessions. |
| Simulations | Turn on your screen capture software and record yourself demonstrating the use of a software. I've done this to illustrate to students how to use campus resources such as the digital library collection at my school. |
| Instructional Videos | Look for instructional videos on YouTube and other sites around the Web. Include these in your discussion forums, assignments and assessments. |
| Concept Maps / MindMaps | Concept maps are an excellent way to present an overall look at a subject to students. You can use an online software such as Padlet.com or Mindmeister.com to present a overall view or learning map of a topic. Students can click on different parts of the map to learn in the sequence that they wish to learn. Within each part, you should include basic information and then additional resources. With these choices, some students will just use the basic information while other students will want to delve deeper into a topic for reinforcement or for interest. |
| Feedback | Use quick polls or surveys throughout your course schedule to gain feedback from students. Include no more than 3 questions that students can answer quickly and move on to other work. |
| Student-created work | Ask students to use presentation software to briefly explain a topic they have learned or an additional area of interest to the class. These types of assignments really promote independent learning in that they motivate students to make sense of concepts and how they are related. Students learn what they need for the presentation but more importantly learn how concepts are connected to form an overall "picture" of the topic in their heads. |
| Student-curated work | Ask students to curate resources on a topic in a wiki or a bibliography. Curation is the process of collecting relevant and useful materials concerning a topic. Students can use cloud-based tools such as Google Docs to upload their documents to for other students to use. Always ask students to describe the resources they find and why they felt it was important to include them. |
Other strategies I suggest:
This company promotes the creation of small slide presentations that can be completed using tools and templates from their websites and then stored in the Cloud (my link). Haiku decks are a great way for students to present lessons. Consider asking students to create haiku decks in the form of study guides to use for their midterm or final exam. The study guide can then be peer-graded by other students.
This company allows you to create and view short presentations that consist of no more than 20 images that automatically advance along with narration. The use of no more than 20 images is "Pecha Kucha" style which is a format created by architect Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham in 2003. Ask your students to view this website and create a short presentation in the PechaKucha style. It sounds easy but being succinct is really not.
