Microlearning in Mobile and Flipped Contexts

EDUCAUSE LEARNING INITIATIVE | OCTOBER 2014

The resources below explore the growing role that microlearning plays in higher education. Small units of learning, often based on online technologies, can be an important element of both mobile and flipped learning environments, which encourage learners to focus on discrete chunks of content, often learned through independent efforts.

Micro Learning and Narration

2005

This paper discusses the history and fundamental aspects of microlearning, and it explores the role that narration and storytelling can play in learning environments that employ integrated microlearning.

Closing in on Vocabulary Acquisition: Testing the Use of iPods and Flashcard Software to Eliminate Performance Gaps

2012

This case study from the Seeking Evidence of Impact program describes an initiative at Carleton College that used flashcard software on mobile devices to increase student learning in foreign language classes.

Flipping the College Classroom: Participatory Learning, Technology, and Design

2014

This book chapter provides an overview of flipped classrooms and how such learning environments are structured. It explains participatory learning and includes pedagogical strategies for flipping classrooms in higher education.

Mobile computing devices in higher education: Student perspectives on learning with cellphones, smartphones & social media

2013

This article reports on qualitative research into the effects of the integration of mobile technologies in higher education at three U.S. universities. Findings include both advantages and disadvantages of mobile learning, as well as information about the role of social media in education.

The Story Behind Micro-Learning

2014

This post covers some of the pros and cons of microlearning and discusses the ways in which Web 2.0 learning techniques can complement more traditional forms of teaching and learning.

7 Things You Should Know About Microlectures

2012

This ELI Brief describes microlectures and how small units of learning—from sources such as the Khan Academy and TED-Ed—have become a part of the curriculum in many cases, as well as an increasingly common resource for individual learners.

Micro-Level Design for Multimedia-Enhanced Online Courses

2007

This article addresses the design aspects of microlearning for online courses that use multimedia. It describes the intersection of pedagogies for multimedia and the implications of small-scale units of instruction.

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