This is the ninth article in a series of articles by CCCEP about the value of high-quality continuing education for pharmacy professionals, the difference it can make in their practice and careers, and the role accreditation can play in ensuring the quality of continuing education.

The Canadian Council on Continuing Education in Pharmacy’s article on learning science talked about learning as a process and an outcome. Learning takes place in 3 stages:

1. Encoding — information acquired to the brain
2. Consolidation — storing information in the brain
3. Retrieval — retrieving information from the brain

By optimizing the learning process, learners can make the most of their learning, potentially in a shorter period of time. Microlearning is one of the approaches that can help learners do so by breaking down the content into easily digestible smaller pieces, also referred to as bite-sized content, micro-courses, or just-enough information.

The Need for Microlearning Approach

“…a wealth of information creates a poverty of attention…” ^1p(40)

Learners are facing an increasing amount of information. However, at the same time, the average human attention span has decreased. ² With the emergence of the Internet and the exponential growth of social media, instant gratification has become an expectation. ³ Such an expectation has affected how people think about their time and how they learn. Technology has changed the way we learn, remember, and transform information. ⁴ The desire for just-in-time learning has increased. ⁵

Microlearning is an innovative pedagogy in which the material is broken down into smaller pieces — single definable ideas published in shorter formats ⁶  that learners can process more easily ^7,8,9 resulting in learning at a higher speed. Learning content in small pieces also makes it easier for learners to access the information in specific moments and conditions of their day. ¹⁰ In addition, microlearning creates small structures (memory) repeatedly, which in turn helps learners to develop a long-term memory of learning materials. ^11.12

Key Benefits of Microlearning

The key benefits of using microlearning include:

1. Better retention of concepts,
2. Better engagement for learners,
3. Improving learners’ motivation,
4. Engaging in collaborative learning, and
5. improving learning ability and performance.” ^13p(89)

Several clinical studies have reported the effectiveness of microlearning for health care professionals. ¹⁴ Furthermore, many health educators, programs, and organizations have also endorsed microlearning to facilitate student learning, training, and continuing education. ^15,16 Studies have demonstrated that microlearning can potentially improve performance in the clinical environment and increase safety. ^17.18 Additionally, it can be used as a refresher [to refresh content & knowledge] before performing infrequently used skills or when performing new skills for the first time. ¹⁴

Conclusion

Microlearning format optimizes all three stages of the learning process, ie, acquiring, storing, and retrieving information (memory). For pharmacy professionals, pursuing continuing education in a microlearning format represents a new way to learn and master information in a shorter period of time and more effectively while performing their daily responsibilities.

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References

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