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Forecasting
Forecasting
At the moment the microlearning market is dominated by corporate businesses looking to train or upskill their employees however, the market continues to grow steadily in higher education as the number of students enrolled in higher education continues to rise (HolonIQ, n.d.). More institutions are beginning to offer complete online microlearning programs for continuing education including bachelors or masters degrees alongside shorter skill-based courses to suit the differing needs of modern 21st century learners. The demand for students wanting immediate use or application of their obtained knowledge and skills required alongside the option for ubiquitous learning is increasing and therefore microlearning aims to fill this gap in the market.
The upward trend of participation in post-secondary education over the past 50 years globally indicates that the demand isn’t going anywhere for a now and enrolments are set to double over the next 10 years with cheaper cost of courses and more flexible learning opportunities helping to drive this growth (HolonIQ, n.d.). The rising student population worldwide indicates a need for more post-secondary course providers such as microlearning course providers to attend to these rising needs.
Two particular post-secondary subject areas that have seen a very noticeable increase in participation since 2008 have been in AI (Artificial Intelligence) and machine learning. What is interesting about these subject areas is that the preferred mode of learning has been through microlearning courses as seen in comparison to enrolments in these subject areas to traditional university environments (HolonIQ, n.d.). The IT subject area has also seen an increase in students taking microlearning courses and credentials due to the ever-evolving nature of IT and the ability of these courses to provide up-to-date information and knowledge quicker (Kazin, 2017).
Another factor helping bring microlearning to the forefront as the preferred method of future learning is that the use of mobile internet is predicted to surpass desktop computer use, with half of the world's youth expected to have mobile only internet connections by 2030 (HolonIQ, n.d.). The mobile friendly method of microlearning will likely continue to grow to accommodate this growing trend of easily accessed and displayed learning content available to those who will be spending increased time on their mobile devices over the next few years (HolonIQ, n.d.).
Reshaping of Higher Ed
Reshaping of Higher Ed
Partnership between Universities and Potential Employers
Universities are realizing they can no longer operate as an island, they need to partner with corporations to facilitate the learning needs of students. When students graduate, employers are expecting them to have specific skills in their fields. Therefore, co-designing programs with professionals in the field aims to do just that. The aim is to develop microlearning curricular-based opportunities whereby students develop specific skills and attain professional recognition as digital badges or university credits. A similar model currently being used is the partnership between Northeastern University and IBM
Expansion of Microcredential Programs
Due to COVID, the workforce took a brutal hit, and many people were out of work. Microcredentials were seen as the opportunity to seek new career paths or upskill. The advantage is the ability to do this at an affordable rate and in a short space of time. In Canada, there was a considerable shift in Universities to implement Microcredential programs. The growth of these certifications or degrees is causing institutions to rethink curriculum development, the relationships between their credit and noncredit programs, and the diversity of needs among learners (Macdonald, 2022; Pelletier et al., 2021).
Microlearning and EdTech
Students have different learning styles and microlearning accommodates them by facilitating content in various media. When designing content, educators need to ensure the content is concise and comprehensive within a bite-size context. Engaging learners with gamification, animations, interactive tutorials, and videos. Experiential learning occurs with the implementation of AI and VR into microlearning courses which permit students to put learning into action and develop skills.
Quick Poll
Quick Poll
We would like to know about your experiences and opinions on microlearning.
We would like to know about your experiences and opinions on microlearning.
POLL RESULTS BELOW
POLL RESULTS BELOW
Results from survey
Results:
Yes-28.57%
No-28.57%
Unsure-42.86%
Results:
Primary-64.29%
Secondary-92.86%
Post-Secondary-85.71%
Agree-71.43%
Disagree-21.43%
None of the above-7.14%
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