Title: Benefits of micro learning
Course: Producing Micro Content in a Team (Digivisio 2030) > Section: What is Micro Content?

Benefits of Micro learning

The human brain absorbs and understands information better when presented with small bursts of information. Micro learning breaks down complex concepts and helps to reduce the cognitive burden of more traditional approaches to learning design. Samala et al. (2023) have outlined the seven benefits of micro learning, which are:

- Speed to knowledge: micro learning enables immediate access to knowledge and information, saving time and effort.
- Improves the completion rate of material: Micro learning is often produced in a more engaging and interactive way, which can improve motivation and engagement, leading to a higher completion rate compared to traditional training methods.
- Brain friendly: Micro learning reduces cognitive load and enhances focus by segmenting information.
- Anywhere and anytime: Digital channels have transformed the learning landscape, enabling individuals to access educational materials while commuting, travelling, or on the sofa! This supports the acquisition of knowledge and the exploration of new learning methodologies.
- Aligned to lifestyle: Micro learning acknowledges that people use a variety of digital platforms (mobile phone applications, social media, etc.) to access information, which can accommodate their preferred modes of information consumption and enhance the learning process.

- Self-directed learning: empowers learners by offering them choices. This gives the learner agency and triggers a reward response in the brain, enhancing motivation and engagement. When learners have agency, and the content is personalised, the learning results are better.
- Supports peer-to-peer learning: since content is easily shareable and accessible among learners, it promotes active engagement and exchange of diverse perspectives.

While micro learning clearly has certain benefits, it is not a perfect approach to learning design. The small bite-sized pieces of micro content can lead to fragmentation of learning, especially if the structure of the course is weak. Fragmentation or lack of a "red thread" between the different content can make it difficult for the learner to make connections. Furthermore, it is challenging to break down complex topics into micro content, which might require deeper understanding and a broader context. We'll discuss the challenges of producing micro content in a later section of this course (See: Challenges of Producing Micro Content).

Read more

Samala, A. D., Bojic, L., Bekiroğlu, D., Watrianthos, R., & Hendriyani, Y. (2023). Microlearning: Transforming Education with Bite-Sized Learning on the Go--Insights and Applications. International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies, 17(21).

Matellio. (2024, June 13). Microlearning in Education: Engaging Students and Boosting Learning Outcomes - Matellio Inc. Matellio Inc. https://www.matellio.com/blog/microlearning-in-education/