Technological advancements have made life easier and connected, and they have also had a profound impact on our societal norms, they manifest in elements such as new online identities, language use, and cultural and commercial forms.Learning has been affected by these developments as well and traditional learning methodologies have had to be revised. Novel methodologies and technologies have become recognized and used in different learning mediums. E-learning, for example, was one of the first new methodologies to be implemented, providing learning to broader audiences at a low cost.
Even with the widespread acceptance of these new ways of learning in an online medium, duration is still considered as a factor to determine the quality of a course. Long content over the course of weeks with diverse types of elements within the course are considered to be ideal, however this is not necessarily true in all contexts and for all users. However, small bite-size portions of content are increasingly becoming more available, and the internet is helping making them easily accessible for most people, this is ‘microlearning’.
Microlearning is a term first used in 2015, and this methodology is aimed to satisfy an increasing market demand to limit course length, and at its simplest form it’s the type of learning that provides short “nuggets” of learning, as opposed to long and content-heavy learning modules.
It’s content can take many forms, from simple text to fully interactive multimedia, particularly video, while keeping the content short. While microlearning might seem like a trend itself, it actually is a manifestation of a larger phenomenon, a shift towards anytime, anywhere engaging learning solutions that improve long term retention.
Microlearning has multiple benefits, but one of the most important ones is that is has been proven as one of the best methodologies to improve user engagement and completion, this is because content is presented in small portions, specifically arranged as not to overwhelm the learner with too much information.
In an ideal scenario the learner becomes engaged purely with the content, but it’s possible to make the learning content more engaging.
That’s where game-based earning comes in. Game mechanics and game elements can motivate learners to continue playing and learning and it also connects them to the learning lesson at an emotional level. The innate characteristics of games, such as a storyline and constant human and computer feedback, make it easier for the learner to remember the content presented. Additionally, games soften the resistance some learners feel when faced with a required training.
Games are a solution that can encourage short play sessions and it can be highly effective at improving recall if the content is reinforced with each repetition. In order to take advantage of this type of learning combination, it is also ideal for it to be readily available on learner’s device and time of choice. Delivering game-based learning on a mobile device is a way to make it easy for learners to take part.
Gamoteca is an authoring tool, marketplace and mobile app which allows the creation of engaging games for learning in which content can be presented in small portions, while also allowing peer-to-peer interaction and creating engaging scenarios for learning.
Register at Gamoteca now and start creating your own games!