On smartphones, the vogue for microlearning: what do you think of these ultra-short training courses ?

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By breaking down knowledge into small training units, it would become easier to learn, especially on a smartphone. This would allow everyone to train according to their needs wherever they want and at any time. Thus, many companies or training structures praise the advantages of “microlearning”. But is this an approach to adopt in all cases?


If you have ever followed online training courses, such as those on smartphones dedicated to language learning , you have probably already come across the term “microlearning”. Many applications use it as a sales pitch to boast the educational benefits of courses designed around a set of short sessions, making learning more flexible.

However, beyond these speeches, the precise characteristics of what we call microlearning and its real effects on learning remain unclear.

Let’s explore this concept, based on scientific studies, in order to understand its interest, the promises it carries, but also its limits.

According to Austrian researcher Theo Hug, the term microlearning emerged in the early 2000s, with the rise of information and communication technologies . Gradually, this concept would have become “essential” for trainers in the online training industry.

Despite this popularity, microlearning still attracts only limited interest from researchers. This is mainly reflected in the low number of publications listed in international databases. Nevertheless, in-depth analyses of existing research articles highlight a proven effectiveness of microlearning from the perspective of comprehension , engagement , motivation and learning performance .

The authors indicate that microlearning is often used to reduce the cognitive load of learners by delivering content in small doses or “units”, “just in time” or “on-demand resources”. They add that learning on smartphones and tablets – also called “mobile learning” – allows training at any time and in any place. And, finally, that “social learning” is also a way of training in microlearning from often informal interactions between peers on social networks.

Although video is the most widely used medium for microlearning, infographics or other visual materials are also recognized as powerful learning tools. Possible formats include sending a simple SMS, serious games, an interactive GPS system, quiz-based exercises, etc.

Furthermore, microlearning activities can be fully integrated and encountered without technological tools , in daily school teaching situations, in primary, secondary or higher education.

However, microlearning is not a panacea and we should not infer from these studies that it is effective in all circumstances. Situations where results are mixed do exist but they are generally not found in large numbers in the literature. This is what is called “publication bias” where it is rather the favorable results that appear rather than the unfavorable ones.

This state of affairs should lead the user to be vigilant about the arguments put forward by training designers. To do this, it is important to understand in more detail what is meant by microlearning with a point of view informed by research.

Educational experiences perceived as short

The promise of saving time is one of the first arguments encountered when talking about microlearning. However, the brevity that is supposed to characterize it quickly appears as a major difficulty when trying to define it. For example, if you ask yourself whether a minute is a short or long duration, it is very likely that you will choose the first proposition. However, this choice would have taken on a completely different dimension if you had had one of your fingers stuck in a door for the same duration.

In this way, saying that a microlearning training course is short because it lasts 1 minute, 2 minutes or 5 minutes does not make sense, since it will depend on the actual needs of the learner and the context of the training. For this reason, Theo Hug pointed out 20 years ago that the duration of a microlearning training course could vary widely from “less than a second to more than an hour” . This therefore largely puts the supposed time “gain” of microlearning into perspective.

As for a possible guarantee of better acquisition of knowledge or skills through microlearning, a point of vigilance concerns the design of training courses. For this, Carla Torgerson proposes a new definition by excluding, like the researcher Theo Hug, any precise notion of duration which ultimately has little meaning. For her, microlearning is above all an “educational experience that is targeted, short and effective” .

Thus, any “educational experience”, whether formal, non-formal or informal, would be useful to the learner, provided that he has validated educational objectives (learning target) over a suitable period of time and therefore acquired knowledge or skills (learning effectiveness).

Microlearning: a good business argument?

While microlearning can be considered an effective strategy for teaching and learning, precautions must be taken to ensure its effectiveness, particularly with regard to training design and the definition of educational objectives .

Indeed, without solid educational engineering by the designers to structure and plan the training, it is difficult, as Carla Torgerson points out, to affirm that they will be sufficiently targeted to be pedagogically effective and perceived as short by the learner.

Faced with any training, a certain number of questions arise for the learner: how does each training unit meet my needs? Have I acquired new skills or knowledge? Has the articulation of the different units helped me to progress towards a specific or more global objective?

Ultimately, microlearning is certainly a powerful tool when used well, but it cannot be summed up as a simple sales pitch. Whether for the user or the training designer, careful and critical reflection is essential to exploit its full potential, always keeping in mind that each educational situation is unique.

Author Bios: Emmanuel Burguete is a PhD student in education and training sciences at the University of Haute-Alsace (UHA) and Regis Forgione is Director of the Canopé Workshop in Nancy. PhD student in education and training sciences at the University of Strasbourg

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