Micro learning involves 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.
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.
Here's how to do it.
Here's how to do it.
Chunking your course content
One of the first ways to support micro learning in your courses is to chunk your course's content. You'll need to look at the content of your entire course and then do the following:
1 - Prioritize
Prioritize involves figuring out which is the most important content to include for each topic. Keep in mind that micro learning differs from traditional learning in that it involves learning the essentials and not "A to Z".
1 - Prioritize
Prioritize involves figuring out which is the most important content to include for each topic. Keep in mind that micro learning differs from traditional learning in that it involves learning the essentials and not "A to Z".
2 - Group
The next task is to group the content into learning modules. Try to make the modules independent so that they can be learned in any sequence and in a complete way. If it is a bigger topic, then you can cover a basic level and then an advanced level. Just make sure that within each level, students have all of the information they need to learn that part of the topic.
3 - Present
The final task for you is to decide on how you want to present the learning modules to students. In classes such as mathematics and accounting where topics are nested and dependent more on one another, you will need to impress upon students what the suggested order is. In these cases, you should provide links to requisite materials within the modules so that students can fill in their own knowledge of an area.
By doing this, students can decide and follow their own path for learning. Some students may choose to learn Topic 1 and then Topic 2 in the suggested order. While other students may choose to skim Topic 1, jump to Topic 2 and then go back and fill in the gaps.
The idea is that this is completely okay as long as students become proficient in the area and would be able to complete course requirements.
Delivering learning nuggets
Another way to encourage micro learning in your courses is to consider how technologies can be used to deliver course material in a more concise and succinct way.
Another way to encourage micro learning in your courses is to consider how technologies can be used to deliver course material in a more concise and succinct way.
Presentations
| Consider brief slidedeck using PowerPoint, haikudeck, slideshare. Also, use lesson book in your LMS or concept maps at Mindmeister.com. |
Audio
| Create small audio files in the form of podcasts for students to listen to. There are free, cloud-based tools online that allow you to create the file and download it or share it on-demand. |
Video
| Use instructional videos at YouTube to demonstrate topics to students. Subscribe to a YouTube channel for collections of videos. |
Interactive
| Use PowerPoint slide decks that help students study for exams. Include resources from your LMS screens for students to get to. |
Games
| Create online scavenger hunts for students involving topics they need to learn about. |
Course design for micro learning
You can also design your course to support micro learning by looking at its components in a different way.
You can also design your course to support micro learning by looking at its components in a different way.
Lessons
| Use video channels that lists multiple videos on a topic for students to select from. |
Discussion Forums
| Create discussion forums that motivate students to learn deeper about subjects at hand. |
Communications
| Use quick polls to communicate with students and collect their feedback on topics throughout the semester. |
Assessments/Quick Checks
| Ask students to answer quick questions on what they have just learned. Ask them to answer a question, solve a problem or apply what they have learned to a given situation. |
Related articles I recommend
* Micro learning Basics
* Micro learning Strategies for Online Courses
http://www.trendingineducation.com/2015/08/easy-micro-learning-strategies-for.html
http://www.trendingineducation.com/2015/08/easy-micro-learning-strategies-for.html
