Micro learning: the recipe for success behind learning in small bites

Sustainable learning methodology challenging poor attention span.

Cornelia Funovich

A sustainable learning methodology

Micro learning is an effective method of providing learners with information and teaching content in short, manageable amounts. It is used in education as a popular training approach and has now become the focus of distance learning and virtual training.

The background to this methodology is that, on the one hand, in the fast-moving world, due to a lack of time, it is difficult for many people to acquire new knowledge in addition to their main job and other tasks. The solution: Micro learning enables people to continue their education in everyday life.

Challenge: poor attention span

But the fast-moving world brings with it another important factor in addition to the lack of time: a poor attention span. The studies cited show that through the daily use of formats such as YouTube, Tik Tok or social media in general, the body, mind and spirit become accustomed to short sequences of information that are shown one after the other or – if they are videos – played back en masse.

The consequences can be, among other things: The ability to constantly focus one’s attention on one thing can decrease more with excessive consumption of social media.

Research shows: average attention unit of 8 seconds

Research has shown that people in the modern world now have an average attention unit of 8 seconds, according to a controversial study in 2015 by Microsoft Canada4 apparently even 1 second less than the attention span of a goldfish (9 seconds). According to this study, in 2000 the average human attention span was 12 seconds – this value had already fallen significantly by 2013.

The goldfish comparison, as well as the entire study that produced these results, is controversial and critically questioned due to several factors. And with it the fact that we can concentrate on something for less time.

Counterargument: Information density has changed

Because there are counterarguments. Further research has examined whether the level of attention in our society remains essentially the same and only the density of information in which topics and content compete for attention has changed5. This was the subject of a 2019 study by the Max Planck Institute for Human Development6.

So it is less the education market that educates learners so that learning units tend to be shorter and more exciting; it is more oriented towards the above developments and tries to work with these changes in people.

Further research also shows that smartphone users check their cell phones 84 times per day7 see (studies that examined the behavior of “millennials” even found 150 times per day8), and that even half of the times they picked up the smartphone, they had no specific reason to do so.

Methodology: Mechanism of short attention span

Back to micro learning and the context of the studies: For micro learning units, learners only need to pay attention to the learning content for a few seconds or minutes in order to achieve one of the learning objectives.

This methodology works with and takes advantage of the short attention span mechanism. Whichever of the above studies produces the most realistic results – the fact that it is more convenient and easier to learn in short learning sequences remains.

Advantage: Learners have control over the pace and amount of learning

It also has numerous other advantages: learners are in control of their own pace and the number of learning units they want to complete. Since the methodology is particularly suitable for smartphones and mobile devices, learning can be done regardless of location, including on the way to work, for example on the bus or train. This in turn coincides with the fact that the smartphone is constantly in use anyway and gives its use another purpose.

The short learning units are also made interesting by a mix of methods (different types of questions and quiz methods). Excitement and motivation can be increased even further when micro learning meets gamification: a reward system, such as collecting points, gives learning modules a playful character and encourages further learning.

Promoting action skills through interactive micro learning units

Another advantage is that apps and learning systems that rely on interactive micro-learning units also promote the user’s ability to act. This means that in addition to imparting knowledge, cognitive skills are also developed. These in turn include skills such as maintaining attention or, for example, creative thinking. Micro learning could ultimately counteract the effect of shorter attention spans.

Given the changing dynamics of the workplace and the need to provide short, targeted distance learning, micro learning is sure to continue to play an important role in the education industry in the years to come.