Microlearning delivers the
right information to the
right learners, at the
right level of detail at at the
right moment they need it.
Microlearning offers short bursts of learning when it is most convenient for the learner. They can take advantage of the most optimal time for their learning during the work day, at home, or on the weekend at the coffeeshop. It is mostly used for those in higher education and those in the workforce and adjunct to their studies or work obligations.
With the increased usage of mobile devices there is a solid base for gamification in the microlearning market. This allows for anywhere and anytime learning that is engaging and motivating in which many organizations are attracted by. Organizations use microlearning as a medium for professional development for their employees as well as empower them.
Opportunity Statement
The growing demand of millennials for job variety and flexible work hours has resulted in the increasing number of freelancers who would take on multiple jobs instead of working for long hours on one job. Microlearning solution providers often target freelancers who are looking for opportunities to upskill and diversify.
Essential Resources
Our Microlearning OER, download the application EdApp, create a profile, and access our course using the invite code “#etec522micro”. Alternatively, you can also create a profile and use EdApp on your desktop.
Shannon Tipton, founder of Learning Rebels and on Twitter.
Authoring tools: iSpring, edume, MLevel, skillpill, and EdApp.
This is a RePost of our original Microlearning OER by Adriana Silvestre, Connie Sim, and Mark Pepe.
While true that microlearning is easiest to use in the Higher Ed and adult learning scenarios mentioned above, I think there is a strong case to be made that we should strive to implement this approach in K-12 classrooms.
Most educators would already be enthusiastically implementing this approach if not for the numerous complications, hurdles, and obstacles that prevent them from doing so. The time and effort required to gather and analyze the necessary assessment data is prohibitive and its extremely unlikely that a teacher would have the necessary resources to act on it anyways.
It seems like the technologies necessary to bridge these gaps exist but I have yet to see an effective, user friendly, and pedagogically sound solution.
I believe this is one of the most important and groundbreaking learning and EdTech trends we will see in the years to come. That said, it’s not all positive. The increasing access to ultra-short, “to-the-point” content will undoubtedly continue to affect our attention spans, already fragmented by the constant stimuli we’re exposed to. I say this from personal experience—more and more often, I find it difficult to focus for longer than 10 minutes.
On the other hand, this shift makes it imperative for content creators to be concise, crafting more condensed learning materials. But is “condensed” necessarily better? Where is the value in the process of step-by-step learning? Where is the patience being nurtured in not knowing everything in five minutes?
From an entrepreneurial point of view (if I may invent the word “entrepreneur-ially”), microlearning has definitely caught my attention. I’ve seen how microlearning projects and startups are growing and drawing significant interest. I recognize the magic in making people believe they can easily learn anything—but I also see the risk: gaining surface-level knowledge on many topics, but lacking depth in any.
I appreciate the duality you’ve captured in this comment. Microlearning is indeed powerful, especially in how it meets learners where they are, but your concern about attention span and depth is valid.
I think the key lies in how we design microlearning, not just how short it is. When used strategically, microlearning can serve as an entry point—a way to spark curiosity, build confidence, or reinforce deeper learning that happens elsewhere. The danger arises when it’s treated as a replacement for more sustained, reflective learning experiences rather than a complement to them.
You also bring up a great point about the entrepreneurial potential of microlearning. The appeal of “learn anything in 5 minutes” is great, but it puts pressure on educators and designers to balance accessibility with intellectual integrity. I believe there’s room (and responsibility) to design microlearning experiences that scaffold toward deeper mastery, rather than stop at quick hits.
A micro-learning platform that comes to mind is DuoLingo. I think they execute the microlearning practice wonderfully in their efforts to teach language. Learning a new language is a daunting task and without proper resources, it’s difficult to know where to start. Providing bite sized learning modules through gamification and scheduled lessons, while offering a self paced learning environment is a great way for a language learner to feel accomplished, retain information, and not become overwhelmed in the process to where they want to give up. Microlearning is a great tool to push an engaged learner to seek further education on a topic, once they feel ready. Microlearning works best when it’s the appetizer, not the whole meal.
“That said, it’s not all positive” (Victoria, 2025). I’ll keep it short. I loved your post.
I believe microlearning is an important and emerging form of education, but it does have its limitations.
As an educational developer at a university, one of the main challenges I face when doing faculty development is time—professors are incredibly busy. It’s often difficult to get everyone in the same room for a traditional workshop. That’s why I’ve found microlearning, both in the literature and in my own practice, to be particularly effective. Professors appreciate the flexibility: bite-sized modules allow them to explore new teaching trends, tools, or strategies on their own schedule. I’ve used this approach to introduce various teaching methods and tools, and the response has been consistently positive.
However, the downside is clear: microlearning doesn’t lend itself well to deep exploration. There’s just not enough space for nuanced discussion or critical thinking. That’s why I see microlearning as something best used in combination with other formats—especially those that foster in-depth engagement. For example, I often offer follow-up workshops for those who want to dive deeper into a topic. These sessions allow for discussion, reflection, and the sharing of experiences. I also provide supplementary reading materials for those who want to go further. This blended approach has worked well to meet the diverse needs of faculty members.
On a personal level, I also use microlearning as part of my own ongoing learning. It’s convenient and accessible. But I’ve noticed that most microlearning content tends to stay at the lower levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy—things like remembering and understanding. It rarely supports higher-order learning outcomes like applying, analyzing, or creating.
In short, I see microlearning as a valuable response to our fast-paced lives. It’s well-suited for quick learning needs and can efficiently reach busy audiences. But if we’re aiming for meaningful, transformative learning—not just acquiring information, but applying and building on it—then microlearning needs to be part of a broader, more integrated learning design.
I think microlearning will present many opportunities going forward, particularly for adult learners. With much of our lives and attention trained on our smartphones and with what seems like an increasingly shortened collective attention span, micro learning delivers the sort of just-in-time learning that is well-suited for where we are heading.
I liken micro-learning to the shift towards a just-in-time manufacturing process in the 1970s (originating with Toyota) wherein consumer demand for products was met just-in-time. The idea was that it would streamline the manufacturing process, manage overproduction, and eliminate waste. In our daily lives, there are so many things competing for our attention (news cycle, social media, 24/7 connectivity) that the practice of micro-learning can be a way to streamline that learning process and effectively compete for real estate in the attention economy.
More on the just-in-time manufacturing process: https://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/research/dstools/jit-just-in-time-manufacturing/#:~:text=JIT%20is%20a%20Japanese%20management,in%20many%20Japanese%20manufacturing%20organisations.
Professionally, I see microlearning as a strategic way to make complex content more digestible, reduce cognitive overload, and improve knowledge retention, especially in just-in-time training and upskilling contexts. Its alignment with mobile learning, gamification, and personalized learning pathways makes it an ideal fit for today’s fast-paced learning ecosystems. Similar to persuasive learning, microlearning promotes routine, and habit building in order to attain learning retention. Something I personally feel is a highly effective learning strategy.
I have issue with micro-learning, but I do think it is going to be more common and a bigger and bigger part of educational designs and ventures moving forward. Social media’s success (at altering our minds and manipulating our thoughts) is measured through its ability to keep us engaged as users and pathways to profit in an attention economy. My fear is that micro-learning’s design will be paved by those with manipulative designs and nefarious intent for future profit and politics. Perhaps this is a tad cynical, but it is important to consider moving forward (in my humble opinion).
While I am not an expert in micro-learning, I think that micro-learning can be effectively incorporated into the classroom. Rather than teaching a long lesson which has a chance to create cognitive overload in students, micro-learning can allow students to learn in short bursts, which may also help by combating the shortening attention span in students nowadays.