New trends in digital learning: Personalized learning and Microlearning

Personalized learning pathways allow learners to create a customized education plan based on their interests or career goals. This approach is becoming more popular as adults seek more flexibility in their education and as technology allows for more personalized education. Personalized learning pathways may include a mix of online and in-person courses, as well as experiential learning opportunities such as internships or apprenticeships.

Adaptive learning refers to highly personalized courses that adapt to the learner’s wants and needs as they progress. It’s possible to create something almost “tailor-made” for each learner. Interested teachers should seek out platforms that will allow them to mix machine and human learning.

Microlearning is essentially using the building blocks of learning and dividing them into small units or shorter activities. There are many advantages to this method, including its flexibility, affordability and overall engagement with a learners used to fast access to information. “According to microlearning research, when you study something repeatedly and revisit it when you are close to forgetting it, you retain it much better. Such repeated study fits nicely with microlearning units since they are small, self-contained, and easy to return to,” said Nikos Andriotis in an article by eLearning Industry. Micro-learning is found in the form of small videos, texts, infographics, podcasts, quizzes, or interactive activities. The main components of this nano-learning trend are short durations, accessibility across various devices, extremely brevity, and just-in-time delivery. These short lessons most often start with a surprising fact or humor to draw the attention of learners. Why is this trend gaining traction now? GenZ and Millennials prefer to not complete longer, traditional-length programs but they are eager to learn new skills and tools. Couple this with the fact that attention spans are declining.

Micro-credentialing is a trend that allows learners to earn credentials for specific skills or competencies, rather than completing a full degree program. This approach allows professionals to quickly upskill or reskill in response to changing job demands. Micro-credentials are often offered through online learning platforms or professional associations, and they can be stacked together to create a more comprehensive credential.