Microlearning Apps Follow Up

I got two emails from readers asking about microlearning and what some great microleanring apps are. I wrote a paper on this and ran across some terrific articles that I've listed below. The first two I have posted below give quick overviews, and many of the others are quite worthwhile, but one resource that I really like is the book Make it Stick by Brown, Roediger,  & McDaniel. Make it Stick is a worthwhile read for anyone trying to find ways to make learning more effective and is generally worth re-reading as well. 

One of the best representative examples of this spaced iterative learning that I have run into would be the language learning app "Duolingo." I began taking a Duolingo course to learn Spanish and I was surprised by how Duolingo: 

1) broke down large classes into small bits (micro-learning) 

2) delivered and reminded the user to take the small bits over multiple days and weeks (spaced learning) and 

3) never really "taught" anything, but rather only quizzed the user (iterative learning), similar to flashcards where the user learns through failure.  

I've challenged my eLearning development team to begin trying to present material to our trainees in this style at times. Imagine that instead of telling a trainee the rules and regulations about knife safety then quizzing them on it, which is what we do now, we quiz them over and over until they get it right themselves. It would hopefully yield some variety and challenge the trainees more than the passive style of training they are used to.

Karpicke, J. (2016). A Powerful Way to Improve Learning and Memory; Practicing Retrieval Enhances Long-Term, Meaningful Learning. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/science/about/psa/2016/06/learning-memory (Links to an external site.)

Karpicke, J. & Roediger, H. (2007). Expanding Retrieval Practice Promotes Short-Term Retention, but Equally Spaced Retrieval Enhances Long-Term Retention. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition. 2007, Vol 33, No 4, pp. 704-719.

Brown, P. C., Roediger, H. L. III, & McDaniel, M. A. (2014). Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning. Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.

Larsen, D. (2014). Picking the Right Does: The Challenges of Applying Spaced Testing to Education. Journal of Graduate Medical Education. DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.4300/JGME-D-14-00170.1 (Links to an external site.)

Logan, J. & Balota, D. (2008). Expanded vs. Equal Interval Spaced Retrieval Practice: Exploring Different Schedules of Spacing and Retention Interval in Younger and Older Adults. Psychology Press. DOI: 10.1080/13825580701322171

Maddox, G. & Balota, D. (2015). Retrieval Practice and Spacing Effects in Young and Older Adults: An Examination of the Benefits of Desirable Difficulty. Mem Cognit. 2015 July; 43 (5): pp. 760-774. DOI: 10.3758/s13421-014-0499-6