Market Analysis
Global Market
Globally, the microlearning market was valued at 1.59 billion USD in the year 2020 and shows no sign of slowing down either as it is expected to reach USD 4.04 Billion by 2028 according to Verified Market Research (2022). The growth of the North American market has specifically been described as the most mature microlearning market as of current, due to the large presence of IT companies such as IBM and Saba Software, digitization in the US and Canada and companies offering microlearning solutions to their customers (MarketWatch, 2021)
Although most of the microlearning market is dominated by corporate businesses at the moment looking to train or upskill their employees, the market has expanded into different sectors including continuing or higher education and this is an area of growth within massive online open courses (MOOCs) and even traditional universities and colleges. The University of Edinburgh for example has already begun offering a library of microlearning courses for higher education through their affiliation with Coursera (Markets and Markets, 2019) (Shcherbina, 2019) (The University of Edinburgh, 2022).
Current Trends
MOOCs have contributed to the current microlearning market as a lot of these companies have condensed their original online courses into smaller microlearning courses and micro-credentials earned by completion of these as described by HolonIQ (n.d.), “Several longer course originally launched in 2012 and 2013, have been separated and re-launched, supporting the micro-credentialing trend.”
Cloud-based services have also contributed to the rise in the use of microlearning as with microlearning companies using these services, they are able to store information easily and therefore offer ubiquitous learning and more flexible options for students or customers through their mobile and at-home devices.
Another driver of growth for the microlearning market has been the rise of the flexible worker and therefore more need for other skills development to allow for these workers to take on different jobs in different sectors and fulfill their flexible work goals. The need for skill-based and result-oriented (deskless) training amongst enterprises has also been one of the main drivers of growth in the microlearning market thus far (Verified Market Research, 2021).
Higher Education and Microlearning Integrations
Microlearning has expanded in higher education as the student needs have changed along with the advances in technology. We are beginning to see an integration of microlearning in higher education to accommodate the new learning needs of students. The following four main categories can be found in many institutions across North America (Kohler et al., 2021).
Curricular-Based
The microlearning segments are integrated into the course content or assessment via video, audio, or other forms of media. Students can learn the content at their own pace with assignments designed to develop specific skills. For example, Penn State's Mechanical Engineering course. This course awards students badges upon completion of specific micro-credential workshops.
Cross-Curricular
The reuse of microlearning materials across disciplines. This form of microlearning allows for greater use of materials and consistency of information among students. For example, library tutorials or writing center information guides. These can be broken down into smaller segments according to skills found alongside short quizzes and video content like the UBC Library Skills Tutorial
Open Curricular
Offered by higher education institutions, this type of microlearning is outside of traditional programs. This form of microlearning includes MOOCs, seminars, conferences, or microlearning apps. Students can leverage their learning within these microlearning opportunities by deciding which learning resources best fit their needs. An example is HarvardX which is provided on the edX platform.
Co-Curricular
Students wanting to stand out when graduating will often participate in club or research projects within their majors. Providing opportunities for further exploration of related learning material using microlearning strategies. McGill University's Co-Curricular Record Program recognizes any mini-courses students have taken or co-curricular activities they have participated in, to which they can then add to their resume.