Microlearning refers to the idea of chunking content into smaller parts and then presenting those parts in small bursts rather than all at once. This is important because many people have really short attention spans and will lose focus if the instructor takes too long to convey information. This is especially an issue for millennials who have an average attention span of approximately 90 seconds. Microlearning tackles this issue by presenting content in a way that gets the key points across quickly (Eades, 2017). For my microlearning project, I had to learn a new tool that I could use to help myself in work or as a designer. I then had to reflect on my learning process and discuss what learning theories I used as I taught myself this new tool and whether or not they were effective. The tool I chose was actually born of necessity. For this course, we had to create several infographics and to do that I typically use a program called Visme. However, I discovered that I could only have up to five projects in the free version of Visme and that I was running out of space for new projects. I did not feel like paying for the premium version of Visme so I decided to choose another tool. I ended up using Piktochart which is a design tool that can be used to create not only infographics, but also presentations, fliers, posters, and other documents. I know a lot of people used it to create projects back when I was at TCNJ and they had good things to say about it, so I figured I would give it a try. I used Piktochart to create the infographic on the andragogy page of my portfolio and, overall, I am pretty happy with how it turned out. I still like Visme better because I thought the templates there were easier to manipulate, but Piktochart is a good backup until I decide to shell out the money for a Visme subscription.
As for the learning theories I applied while learning Piktochart, I would say the most prominent one that I noticed was andragogy. I relied very heavily on past experiences with other tools to help me become familiar with Piktochart. To help me pick up on the interface quickly, I tried the steps that worked in Visme or other graphics programs (such as illustrator). Sometimes this worked and sometimes it did not. For example, I realized that Piktochart does not have a replace feature for icons like Visme does and that I instead have to replace icons manually. On the contrary, I learned that common keyboard shortcuts, such as Ctrl + Z for undo, work in Piktochart just like in other programs. I also have trouble motivating myself to focus for long periods of time, so I had to keep on pulling from my internal pool of motivation and reminding myself that this was necessary to learn about andragogy which will help take me closer to my degree and make me a better instructional designer.
Going off of that idea, I also employed elements of cognitivism to help me learn Piktochart. I realized that trying to learn all the features at once would overload my mind, so I tried to employ strategies that would reduce the cognitive load in this process. For example, I tried chunking the content and only learning about a few features at a time rather than trying to explore all of the features at once. I also took frequent breaks to allow my brain to relax if I ever felt I was too overwhelmed. Related to cognitivism, I also used elements of connectivism while learning about Piktochart. I used the internet to my advantage and Googled things when I hit roadblocks and could not figure out what to do. I also referred to Piktochart’s support blog a lot.
The final theory that I used when learning about Piktochart was behaviorism. Specifically, I used rewards to help encourage behavior that would help me learn Piktochart. I pick up new technology quickly, so learning Piktochart did not take me an extremely long time, but it was not an instantaneous process either. To keep me motivated, I would set goals for myself and give myself rewards when I completed those goals. For example, I would say that when I completed the section of my infographic dealing with Knowles’ 5 Assumptions, I could take a break and do something fun for 15 minutes. This gave me something to look forward to and made the learning process more enjoyable overall. There was also an additional layer of motivation because I knew if I did not complete one of the goals I set for myself, I would not get the corresponding reward.
I think the biggest aha moment I had while learning Piktochart and observing my learning process is how short my attention span actually is. It is very hard for me to maintain focus for long periods of time without getting distracted. This was especially scary because this was for a topic I was actually interested in and I know my attention span is even worse when I have to learn about topics that I do not care about. This gave me a better appreciation for microlearning. It also helped me understand why I am able to get through, and even enjoy, short lessons like the ones posted on TED-Ed with no problem but could not sit through four-hour classes back in college without being drained. I will use this knowledge to help me learn better in the future. I now fully know that I need to present information to myself in short bursts so that I do not lose focus. I will also use this knowledge to help me better teach others because I know there are other people out there with short attention spans like me, and I am now better equipped to help them learn in a way that works for them.
References
Eades, J. (2017, July 19). Why Microlearning Is HUGE And How To Be A Part Of It. Retrieved December 09, 2018, from https://elearningindustry.com/why-microlearning-is-huge