Micro-Courses: The Future Of eLearning
After some decline in 2016, the eLearning market continues to grow rapidly. Investors are still quite willing to invest in educational startups. One of the most promising areas in EdTech today is microlearning. Micro-courses are a format of educational content that can be consumed in 15–20 minutes; for example, while standing in line for coffee or on the way to work. Such courses are usually presented in the form of short videos accompanied by a large amount of visual content (pictures, illustrations, and so on).
Signum.AI "Focusing On Trends'" predictive analysis revealed that the microlearning market is growing at about 46% per year and predicts that it will continue such rapid growth until at least 2024.
Initially, microlearning was seen as a tool for quick and effective corporate learning. However, it seems that the scope of this method can be much wider, and it is possible to introduce microlearning technology into the educational process in higher education schools and continuing education courses.
Microlearning Trend
Global courses that require months of deep immersion are increasingly being replaced by microlearning or point-by-point training. Artificial Intelligence and chatbots are part of such decisions. They can ask what users are looking for and offer content in response to the request.
Another technique that allows you to connect small educational modules in microlearning into a single system is educational artifacts. During the classes, students can work on creating some material objects that will become a reminder of the training at the end of the course.
Example: Developers added an element of gamification to a course intended for engineers. After passing each lesson, users get new instructions on how to create a Star Wars X-Wing Fighter from office supplies. Participants are happy to assemble the model, photograph it, and post it on social networks. Most students now have a fighter on their desktops as a reminder of the course passed and the knowledge acquired.
Advantages Of Microlearning
- Time
It’s easier for people to sign up for a course if they know that they will probably be able to allocate time for it. - Quick results
If you have something to brag about after each lesson, this is a great motivation to continue training. - Engagement
Since the student can quickly get results and rewards (if you add elements of gamification to the course), this leads to a high level of student involvement. - Flexibility
If the company supporting microlearning requires frequent changes, you can easily replace the information blocks without having to rebuild the entire course. - Low cost
You can use content that has already been created. For example, recordings from a webinar or lecture notes will fit perfectly.
What Is The Perfect Micro-Course?
The first important characteristic of microlearning is the short duration of content units. In the learning process, breaks can be counterproductive. At the same time, the habit of a modern person to obtain information from several sources simultaneously leads to an increase in potential distractions. When deciding on the length of the training module, the maximum time of student attention is also important.
The next feature is the need and sufficiency of the information. The task of creating content is the selection of only the content that is currently needed to solve specific problems. The next step will be to present the selected information in a concise and concentrated form.
Another important feature of microlearning is maximum mobility (i.e., the ability to learn at work and/or to implement remote learning). Here we turn to the importance of training and modern technologies interactions. An example is the so-called “mobile learning.” Currently, each employee or student has a smartphone that allows you to access the necessary information 24/7.
Thus, you can avoid additional costs for expensive equipment and its maintenance by investing these resources into a modern training management system. Students get the opportunity to quickly access the necessary information as well as receive an individual approach to eLearning.
The rapidly changing world forces us to look for new ways to adapt that will help us successfully socialize and remain competitive. Given the fact that technological progress is largely responsible for the new realities of the educational environment, the future of learning and educational activities are seen in the synergy of studying and modern information technologies. This has become an emerging trend in eLearning and will be for at least the next several years.
