Presentation for the 2009 LearnTrends conference. This is a summary of research in the area of microlearning. References and resources are on the last page.

1. Microlearning within
Web-Based
Communities of Practice:
Microlearning for on-the-job practices and development
of skills and knowledge
November 19, 2009
Janet Clarey, Researcher and Analyst
Brandon Hall Research
LearnTrends09

4. …occurring at
the most
minute of
levels…minutes
or seconds of
time.”
– Hug & Friesen,
2009

5. • Low time
commitment
• small chunks
• short effort
• narrow topics
(but complex as
a whole)
Hug & Friesen, 2009

7. Learning Object?

8. Just-in-time?

9. Differentiators
1. No formal teaching structure
2. Situated
3. Not dependent on time or place
4. No grades / ratings / certifications
5. Relies on peer-to-peer interaction
6. Relies on interaction with Internet media
7. Not stored in a central repository
8. Folksonomy approach to tagging vs.
standardization
9. Unorganized and unmanaged

10. Differentiator
“Microlearning as a term reflects the
emerging reality of the ever-increasing
fragmentation of both information sources
and information units used for learning,
especially in fast-moving areas which see
rapid development and a constantly high
degree of change,”
– Langreiter & Bolka, 2006

11. Knowledge worker

13. Process is controlled
Conversations get smaller
Classes get fragmented
Courses
get shorter

15. “I’m only as good as my
network.”
© Photographer: Geotrac | Agency: Dreamstime.com

18. Summary
1. Research in this area is new and minimal.
2. Many people are exchanging ideas about
microlearning but it lacks a consistent
definition.
3. The microlearning process can be studied in
the framework of learning in communities of
practice (social).
4. There is a need to address the realities of
learning in the digital age.

19. Microlearning References
Brown, J.S. (2006). New learning environments for the 21st century: Exploring the edge. Change. September/October
2006
Güler, C., Altun, A., & Aşkar, P. (2008). Teacher trainees as learning object designers. (Paper) Microlearning and Capacity
Building. Proceedings of the 4th International Microlearning 2008 Conference. Innsbruck, Austria.
http://www.microlearning.org/proceedings2008/ml2008_proceedings_final.pdf
Hierdeis, H. (2005). From meno to microlearning: A historical survey. Didactics of Microlearning: Concepts, discourses and
examples. Waxmann Verlag. http://books.google.com/books?id=E5hUxZjy4JAC
Huberman, B.A., Romero, D.M. & Fang, W. (2008). Social networks that matter: Twitter under the microscope. Social
Computing Lab, HP Laboratories, Palo Alto, CA and Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.
Hug, T. & Friesen, N. (2007). Outline of a microlearning agenda. Didactics of Microlearning: Concepts, discourses and
examples. Waxmann Verlag. http://books.google.com/books?id=E5hUxZjy4JAC
Hug, T. & Friesen, N. (2009) Outline of a Microlearning Agenda. eLearning Papers, September 2009.
http://www.elearningeuropa.info/files/media/media20252.pdf
Lave, J. & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University
Press.
Linder, M. (2008). The shift toward microinformation. Microlearning and Capacity Building. Proceedings of the 4th
International Microlearning 2008 Conference. Innsbruck, Austria. Retrieved April 5, 2009 from
http://www.microlearning.org/proceedings2008/ml2008_proceedings_final.pdf