Microlearning

Checked my sitemeter last week & noticed Martin Lindner via the Oxford forum on mobile learning and technologies had dipped into this blog. I followed the links to his blog & then on to the microlearning conference website. The website contains links to the conference proceedings from 2006 and 2007. I have not had time to trawl through all the various presentations and reports but the concept of microlearning fits well into a mobile learning environment.

Microlearning refers to small learning units that are delivered for short learning spurts. They deliver ‘micro-perspectives’ within learning, education and training and provide a way for organising learning material in order for the material to be disseminated in a structured and planned learning sequence. For the moment, microlearning provides for a natural fit with the way in which content may be delivered via mobile devices.

However, the way in which mobile phones and other portable computing devises is developing does not mean that microlearning will always be the way things are done. A history of mobile phones ends with a look at the things that may be available on mobile phones in the future. In some senses, mobile phones seem to be developing technology that tries to replace what we now do on our desk tops. Whether mobile phones will eventually replace desk tops is yet to be seen but small UMPCs like the Asus eee show that the possibilities are there. Whether the majority of uses will engage with small screens and tiny keyboards for all of their computing needs remains to be investigated. But the possibilities are exciting and concepts like microlearning help educators adopt a more flexible mindset towards the delivery of ubiquitous access to learning resources.