Microlearning

It's the TED-talk revolution! Haha. I definitely think this is the way people are trending towards learning. People are always busy, always on the go, and always want to feel like they're still doing something productive with their 'down-time'. One challenge with little, discrete bits of learning will be eventually finding someway to "accredit" this kind of learning so that employers can compare candidates knowledge and skills in a meaningful way. Once organizations can do this AND get more organized at offering their full courses in this format as a way to generate money, we'll see many more people opting for this type of education.

"The ways in which we work and learn have changed" Through both working and studying online, micro-learning has provided me the opportunity to be on the go. From a professional context, this means that I have freedom from constraints that tie me to a single geographical location so that I can be more mobile. I have been able to physically teach in South Korea and Japan while studying online, and I have been able to teach business professionals from countries all around the globe online while in the comfort of my own home. From a personal context, being mobile is important to me as my family spreads across two countries and four cities. There are a number of other professional and personal motivations that enable learners to favour micro-learning over traditional teaching and learning methods (cost-friendly, convenience, accessibility, user-friendliness, flexibility). Additionally, during a commute to work or a long-car ride, I like to use Duolingo to learn Spanish - the app is easy to use and the learning activities are short and engaging. This is also a reason why I believe micro-learning overlaps other emerging markets in some areas, such as mobile learning and apps.

Microlearning is on the rise through learners' participation in online, self-directed learning through MOOCs and sites like Lynda.com, and people are seeking these learning opportunities at all stages of their lives and educational and professional levels. Educational institutions and industry will shift toward accepting the accomplishments of learners through these formats and create their own credentialing and accreditation standards, which will lead to more universal acceptance of this learning format. I think the potential is huge, as people are already engaging in this without it being required of them.

I view micro-learning as a necessary part of every educator's career in the years to come. As the world slowly changes from a classic 9-5 workday to work from home, work 3 jobs to pay your bills or part-time at work at 2 different jobs. People are in need of ways to learn and be flexible. Mirco learning is the answer to this. I personally use this all the time for personal study and with my students to make the most of an already lack of class time. Small concise bits of learning seem to be digested easier within most peoples learning spans.

Micro learning has a lot of potential in online education and education in general. As we progress through times the demands on peoples time continues to increase. This has led to people searching out educational alternatives to the traditional in classroom on a set schedule programs. Working at a online school I see more students both school age and adults coming to us because of our flexibility with pacing and their ability to work asynchronously from both their instructor and other student. Microlearning is going to be the next step in students need for flexibility and if I'm being honest they are already demanding it. The ability to learn something that is broken down into very small chunks will allow students to access and continue with their learning whenever they have a moment. Just like students are moving away from the classroom and into digital learning due to the flexibility and access it gives them they are also moving towards the flexibility that microlearning provides them versus the need to sit down for large periods of time to learn something.