How Micro-Learning Keeps Children Engaged and Drives Results

Just so you know, this post contains affiliate links. That means if you use them to make a purchase, I may earn a commission. You can read my full affiliate disclosure HERE.

Have you come across the term “micro-learning” lately? You might already be utilizing this approach in your homeschool without knowing it, but if not, it’s worth considering.

Micro-learning is an instructional approach that is increasingly popular in e-learning, but it can be applied to non-digital lessons as well. It’s based on the idea of breaking lessons into many short “micro-lessons.” These micro-lessons are then used to teach single concepts, ideas or skills.

I’m excited to share with you this guest post from Study.com, which is a leading online education platform providing academic support for homeschooling students and parents (and really, all learners and educators!). Their engaging video lessons and many other education resources are a great example of micro-learning, and are a great support for homeschooling, teaching, test prep and more.

So let’s take a look at what micro-learning is, what the benefits are, and how you can build it into your homeschool curriculum.

What is Micro-Learning?

The benefits of micro-learning lie in its simplicity – simple ideas are conveyed in an engaging manner over a short period of time. This is why micro-learning is a favorite technique of corporate instructional designers.

However, homeschoolers can also benefit from the same proven approach that many Fortune 500 companies incorporate into training for their employees. But how does micro-learning work?

Lessons Are Very, Very Short

The essential characteristic of micro-learning is that micro-lessons are short. While there is no hard rule about the duration of a micro-lesson, they’re typically designed to be between three and five minutes. This is long enough to convey information but short enough not to lose a learner’s attention. 

Simplicity in Design

Micro-lessons should be simple. The best micro-lessons focus on conveying a single idea or concept. As a result, micro-learning is not the best tool for sharing extremely complicated processes or concepts in one sitting. As a homeschool parent, though, you can break up complex ideas into many micro-lessons and provide them through a “course” of micro-lessons. 

Reliance on Online or Digital Resources

Another defining aspect of micro-learning is its reliance on online resources. The wonderful thing about these resources is that they’re generally easy to access, plentiful and provide a break or alternative to traditional book-and-paper instruction. An added plus is that our children are familiar with and comfortable using electronic devices and the internet.

Don’t Forget Interactivity

One characteristic of micro-lessons is that they are interactive. Interactivity makes the lesson “stick” in the learner’s brain and reinforces the main idea of the lesson. The interactive element of a micro-lesson can include:

• A very brief quiz – one or two questions – that covers the lesson’s content
• Asking the child to summarize what they learned
• A game that focuses on the lesson

Think broadly when considering this characteristic. For example, if you use a short video on salamanders as the main part of your micro-lesson, you could make it interactive by asking your child what they learned or asking them to draw a salamander after watching the video. 

The Benefits of Micro-Learning for Homeschoolers

Micro-learning has a wide variety of benefits for everyone involved. It’s a fun approach that engages students and allows teachers/parents to convey essential concepts in a digestible way. It’s also affordable and easy for parents to design and incorporate into their curriculum. 

Students Stay Focused

The best part of micro-learning is that your student won’t lose focus during the lesson. Lessons are so short and simple that learners can’t stray far from the activity. 

Children Retain Information Better

Because micro-learning provides brief, focused and interactive lessons, children tend to retain information better than traditional teaching approaches. In this sense, it’s a terrific way to reinforce concepts that you may have already taught.

Micro-Learning Doesn’t Require a Long Attention Span

Micro-learning is a learning approach almost tailor-made for a generation raised on the internet, and for children who are used to receiving information in short bursts. While we might roll our eyes at the idea of catering to the internet generation, there’s a practical benefit to providing information in a low-stakes way. 

It’s Cost-Effective and Easy for Parents

While as homeschool parents we’re used to focusing on the needs of our children, the reality is that we sometimes need help. Micro-learning provides this help, and it is astonishingly inexpensive and takes little time.

Many types of digital resources can be converted into micro-lessons with little effort. For example, you can convert a three-minute video on the geography of Tasmania into a micro-lesson by writing a one-question quiz or asking your child to explain what they learned from the video. 

Building Micro-Learning into Your Homeschool Curriculum

There are many ways to easily integrate micro-learning into your current homeschool curriculum. View micro-learning as a way of complementing your curriculum and emphasizing specific themes or concepts. You should also view micro-learning as a way of encouraging increased engagement for your child.

Approach Micro-Learning as a Casual and Informal Learning Tool

Try to design lessons around your child’s interests or around things you want to highlight or emphasize. Make it fun and relaxed. If you design micro-lessons in a way that students don’t think of them as “work,” they’ll be amazingly effective. Some ways to make micro-learning fun are to:

• Select short games and maybe even provide a participation reward
• Include activities that you know your child has an interest in, like these science activities
• Use fun songs, educational cartoons or similar multimedia

Use Micro-Lessons During Breaks or Transitions

One popular way of integrating micro-learning into pre-existing curricula is by using it during breaks or transitions between subjects. In this way, micro-learning can fill gaps in the school day. Some examples of how you can use micro-learning to fill gaps include using it:  

• At the start or end of a subject
• During lunch breaks or snack breaks
• Between subjects

Integrate Micro-Learning into Your Curriculum

While you may use some longer lessons, you can evaluate your content to see where micro-learning lessons might be a better option for your child. A common way of integrating micro-learning into existing curricula is by replacing longer lessons with micro-lessons that will keep your child’s attention. These micro-lessons can also be used to highlight key concepts.

Try Study.com for Micro-Learning Benefits

Study.com makes education accessible for everyone, and utilizes micro-learning via flexible, affordable, and personalized online lessons.

If you’d like to try out Study.com for your homeschool, you can receive 30% off your first three months via the link below.

I hope this sheds a bit of light on how micro-learning can be effective for your homeschool! If you’re interested in this innovative approach to learning, you should be able to try it out with little effort. Hopefully, you and your children will enjoy micro-learning and incorporate it into future lessons.

Do you utilize micro-learning in your homeschool? What do you enjoy most about it, and what are your favorite strategies? Drop a comment below!

Related Posts

• The Word in Motion: 10 Reasons You’ll Love This Apologia Bible Curriculum
• STEM Made Easy with Online Coding Classes for Kids
• Why ACT Prep Online Bootcamp is a Great Test Prep Solution

Blessed Homeschool is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. You can read my full affiliate disclosure HERE.