Hello!
Welcome to the third pillar in the series Pillars of Active Learning. If you missed the previous weeks, you can catch up here:
- βRe-imagining the lecture as the final frontierβ
- βChallenges of active learningβ
- Pillar 1 -Use storyβ
- Pillar 2 - Incorporate physical objectsβ
This week, we will explore the third pillar - Implementing Micro-Lessons.
The truth is that attention spans are changing, and the average adult now has an attention span of 7 seconds.
As nurse educators, we have little to no control over this phenomenon. But instead of expecting full attention for a lengthy lecture, you can use micro-lessons to ease the transition.
πWhat are micro-lessons?
Micro-lessons are short, focused instructional segments designed to teach students a specific concept or skill. It is a bite-sized learning experience that learners can easily consume and retain.
When we encounter new information, it begins its journey in our working memory. There is limited storage here, and we can only store about four pieces of information. To move this information to long-term memory, we need to engage with it or use it somehow.
Sounds like a great partnership with active learning, right? Structuring your class session with a micro-lesson followed by an active learning activity is an excellent way to engage students and improve their retention and recall.
A simple rule: A micro-lesson is at most 15 minutes of focused, essential information.
Benefits of Micro-Lessons π
If you are recording content videos to use as pre-work or for an online course, micro-lessons are the way to go! Here are some of the benefits:
π It feels approachable - When students are presented with a short, focused, easily consumable lesson instead of a two-hundred-slide mega lecture, getting through the lesson feels achievable instead of overwhelming.
π It respects learners' time - Students are busy. Many are working, have family responsibilities, and other coursework. Providing a streamlined content plan with essential information they will need for the next class period is an excellent way to ensure that students complete the lesson.
πͺ Easy to binge - Well-designed micro-learning is so easy that students may inadvertently binge more content than they would in longer courses.
πππ Instructor-only benefit - If you are recording lectures in short sessions, it is easy to update information. If a medication or practice changes, you do not need to re-do an entire hour. You only need to re-record one short segment!
Where to Use Micro-Lessons π
Here are a few ideas for where to use micro-lessons:
π½οΈ Video lessons - If you are working to move content outside of class, creating a 15-minute maximum video lesson can be a great way to communicate information. Use this lesson to elaborate on information (i.e. not something they could easily read in the textbook), present the information in a chart, graph, or illustration, or offer an active note-taking structure.
β±οΈ Just-In-Time Learning - When students first enter your classroom, ask them to write down topics that they found confusing from their pre-class activities, previous class sessions, or something that happened at clinical. Collecting and answering them on the fly will provide concise and summarized information - maybe even with a story from your own practice mixed in!
π€Έ Peer teaching - Give students a loose framework to present on a specific content area. Limiting their presentations to 5 minutes will seem manageable, and ensure they are specific and concise.
Linked Micro-Lessons π
Once you have a few micro-lessons, you can begin to link them together to create a cohesive lesson plan. The Rule of Three is a fundamental communication technique that suggests that when information is presented in threes, it is more memorable. The structure is brief, but our brains recognize it as an interesting, identifiable pattern and, therefore, can commit it to working memory. For close observers, it is used throughout this email. π
You can utilize the Rule of Three in a few ways with micro-lessons:
ποΈ Structure using a repetitive beginning, middle, and end. Use identifiable images/language/audio that indicate the section. Repeat it throughout the term.
βοΈ Link three micro-lessons together. Plan to cover three specific topics within a lecture and then create connections. Stitching the content together intentionally as you plan will help to build a cohesive feel.
π Use Aristotelian Triptych as a framework. Big word, simple idea. It is a presentation technique that involves telling students what you will tell them, telling them, and then telling them what you just told them. You could also think of this as an introduction, detailed description, and summary.
Embracing the power of micro-lessons in nursing education can revolutionize the way students learn and engage with the curriculum. By recognizing the limitations of the current attention span and adopting our approach, nurse educators can empower their students to work confidently within an active learning class while still offering the comfort of a lecture.
Remember, the transformation to an active learning classroom does not happen overnight or even over a semester. Start small (maybe try some of these micro-lesson techniques!) and increase your confidence and skill in using these tools. Just one activity at a time!
Active Learning Virtual Case Studies
Check out the newest active learning tool from BreakoutRN. I currently have two unfolding case studies that use discovery learning to keep students engaged while still practicing clinical judgment skills through alternative format questions.
Stay tuned for next weekβs pillar, where we will explore enticing curiosity!
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