When I first heard the term "microlearning", I had no idea what it meant. I assumed it referred to small chunks of learning, but I thought there must be some attribute that made it specific to instructional design. As it turns out, it simply refers to chunking content to teach one or two learning objectives at a time, rather than an entire course. Classroom teachers use this technique every day. In fact, it is a teaching best practice. In my experience, learners will engage in content for about 10-15 minutes at a time before losing focus. In the classroom, I might lecture for 10 minutes and then transition into an individual learning activity to practice or use the information. Then I might teach for 10 to 15 more minutes and move to a hands-on learning opportunity or a group discussion. These same practices can be easily applied to elearning by keeping modules short, including only necessary content and breaking up the learning with hands-on or digital practice activities that give learners the opportunity to try out what they have learned, not just answer quiz questions. To find out more about Microlearning, check out this article from the Association for Talent Development.
Article from ATD: What is Microlearning?Human-Centered Design, or design thinking, is a way of approaching a project with the user in mind. Though we cannot tailor experiences to each individual learner, I do believe it is important to know who the learners are. What are tehre there preferences, motivations and time constraints? It is also important to know the context within which they are learning and working so that instruction can be accessible and meaningful. Read more about Human-Centered Design in this article from the eLearningIndustry.com
Article from eLearning Industry: Everything eLearning Pros need to Know About Human-Centered Instructional DesignI truly believe that mobile learning is an underutilized resource in secondary and higher education. As I am completing a master's degree, while also continuing all of my previous duties, the ability to access my assignments and resources online has kept me on track. Simply being able to get some reading done, or listen to an instructional video while waiting in carpool has helped me keep my life on track. Read more about mobile learning in this article from LearnWorlds.com
Article from Learn Worlds: The Mobile Learning Approach: What is it and What are the Benefits?I enjoy listening to Dr. Brené Brown's podcast Dare to Lead. On April 18, 2022, she interviewed Dr. Linda Hill about how leading for innovation requires a different skillset than leading for change. How does this relate to ID? Dr. Linda Hill is a researcher and professor of business administration at Harvard University. She is also the chair of the Leadership Initiative at Harvard Business School. Dr. Hill speaks about how she is finding that digital transformation within companies has more to do with people than technology. I thought about how, as instructional designers, we need to understand what drives and motivates the acceptance and implementation of new methods and technologies. We are not teaching technology. We are teaching people. This podacst lasts about an hour, but it is well worth the time.
Dare to Lead Podcast: Leading with Purpose in a Digital Age with Dr. Linda HillOne of the best practices that has been emphasized in the UNCW Instructional Technology graduate program is the impoprtance of conducting a Front-End Analysis. As a teacher, especially in alternative education, I have used front-end analyses at the beginning of each school year. In my experience, making assumptions about performance decrements generally leads to wasted time and frustrated learners. Unfortunately, this is a step that is often skipped due to time or budget at the beginning of a project or school year. But if we don't know what the problem is, how do we even begin solving it? This is a great article on Front-End Analysis from Learning Soultions Magazine.
Article from Learning Solutions Magazine: Navigating Front-End AnalysisLearning should be an inclusive experience. In order to meet the needs of a diverse workforce and student populations, we must be intentional when designing learning. We must consider how cognitive biases affects the content that is received and retained. We must also be mindful of inclusivity and make sure that design does not inadvertently exclude some learners.
Article from Learning Solutions Magazine: Design to Combat Cognitive Bias and Increase InclusivityAs a former teacher, I am a firm believer in the value of effective evaluation. Teachers and students are continually judged based on the outcomes of summative evaluations. Without effective checkpoints, or formative evaluations along the way to check for student responses, cognition, and behavioral changes, the final evaluations can be shocking. Though I did not know I was using Kirkpatrick's Evaluation Model in the classroom, I certainly was. First, I built a positive classroom environment and developed engaging learning activities; second, I checked for student learning through formative and summative evaluations; third, the students applied their knowledge through a project or problem-based learning; and fourth, the results of student learning were reflected in summative state evaluations.
Article from Training Industry: The Kirkpatrick ModelChoosing an LMS that meets the needs of your organization is a time consuming, yet crucial decision for delivering and managing learning and development. Since every organization has different needs and there are so many vendors available, the selection committe in each organization has a unique challenge in finding the best fit. They must consider the features, price, hosting and support that each service offers. Through a systematic analysis, the best choice for each organization will emerge. The following articles provide helpful questions and insights to consider during this process.
Article from eLearning Industry: 9 LMS Vendor Selection Criteria: What Really Matters?