Written by: Keith Tramper, Kent ISD Education Technology Consultant

Professional learning for educators is shifting dramatically with the challenges schools and educators face today. With sub shortages, staff illness, a shrinking teacher workforce and frequent disruptions due to Covid 19, professional learning is hard to even consider. At the same time, the circumstances our schools and educators face right now increase the need for professional learning to meet the evolving needs of our learners. 

With limited time, energy and capacity, the question becomes how do we provide relevant, meaningful and flexible professional learning under the current circumstances? At Kent ISD, we are exploring microlearning as a way to meet the needs of our educators.

What is Microlearning?

Microlearning is the process of breaking down larger concepts into small “bite-sized” segments of learning. Usually micro-learning delivers a sequence of small bites of new information to participants. In addition, most microlearning offers an opportunity to reflect and a small “nudge” to apply the learning. It is asynchronous and can be immensely helpful for professionals with busy lives and limited attention spans.

At Kent ISD, our approach to microlearning is to effectively provide professional learning while limiting the extraneous cognitive load on our learners. Here are a few examples of our microlearning offerings:

Remote Learning Micro-Bootcamp

In 2020, we released a few microlearning courses to support teachers preparing for remote teaching. Text messages were delivered daily at a time selected by each participant and focused on small strategies and ideas for success in remote teaching. 

EdTech Cheer

Each year, Sarah Wood creates a microlearning adventure that focuses on edtech tools and strategies for teachers. In 2021 focused on meaningful and applicable strategies to support student SEL learning in under 15 minutes per day.

Design Thinking PDx

Design Thinking PDx is a monthly newsletter for alumni of our design thinking programs. Our consultants share resources and strategies with participants who have the opportunity to reflect, apply and share their learning through social media. 

Why Micro-learning (and Why Not)?

Breaking down larger concepts into smaller segments is common in education. In fact it can be linked to research from the 19th century showing that learners retain information better when content is revisited regularly. More recent applications of this idea have shown that when content is broken down into small segments over a period of time knowledge is increased, retention improves and learners enjoy it more.

Other researchers have applied microlearning to behavior change, leveraging digital age tools and the work of Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein. They found that when they delivered digital “nudges” to present a co-reading strategy and encourage parents to try it with their children, they were able to increase behaviors that improved early literacy outcomes.

In addition, microlearning approaches often leverage technology to make them more accessible. Text messaging is an especially effective tool, especially when it’s designed to limit the number of logins, searching and navigating required of learners.

It’s not hard to see that microlearning provides the flexibility that is necessary for educators right now. It provides critical learning in manageable segments at ideal times and frequencies to limit cognitive load, increasing the likelihood of engagement and application.

Microlearning shouldn’t be applied to everything, however. Some topics are too complex to approach in small segments and issues of equity can arise when we significantly alter the way we learn. Lastly, it can be difficult to incorporate social learning into microlearning without significant planning and intention.

Want to Know More about Microlearning?

Microlearning Guidelines

Interested in starting your own microlearning adventure? Check out the Microlearning Guidelines that we’ve compiled from our experiences, reading and research in implementing microlearning. 

For the Purpose of… 

The Kent ISD edtech team recently discussed concepts of microlearning on their February episode of their podcast For the Purpose of… titled “Professional Learning for Limited Attention”

MACUL Conference

Attending MACUL Conference, check out “Beat the PD Blues with MicroPL” on Friday, March 18 at 10:00 AM.

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