Increased Educational Reach through a Microlearning Approach: Can Higher Participation Translate to Improved Outcomes?

Abstract

The quality of continuing medical education (CME) is frequently measured using the Moore's Level of Outcome framework, with higher-level outcomes (5 and above) perceived as more valuable than lower-level outcomes (such as Level 3-knowledge). Higher-level outcomes require more rigorous evaluation, increasing the time requirements of an interaction; however, there is a trend among adult learners towards a preference for shorter, more informal education such as microlearning. This allows for greater reach but prevents outcome evaluation to higher levels. We explored the utility of combining microlearning with more traditional eLearning formats ("microlearning programme") to increase participation while retaining the ability to measure knowledgeand competence-level outcomes. Comparing two recent programmes with similar content run previously ("comparator programmes"), we identified a slight improvement in completion of evaluation activities associated with the microlearning programme. However, the significant reach microlearning affords presents a clear need to bridge the gap between participation and evaluation. Considering these two cases, we concluded that future microlearning initiatives should incorporate evaluation at the point of education, providing a combination of microlearning and microevaluation to drive knowledge gain in a form that is measurable in terms of educational outcomes.

Review of Learning Tools for Effective Radiology Education During the COVID-19 Era

“…Microlearning has been seen to have a significant advantage in reaching a greater audience through platforms like social media because of an increased ease at grabbing and keeping one's attention through these short and concise formats. This has led to studies designed around incorporating microlearning formats to initially draw in interested learners and lead them towards teaching methods that are more detailed like full online modules and courses to balance the measured quality of continuing medical education outcomes [55] .…”

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“…While videos of surgical techniques have been made available through several other formats, including website-hosted videos such as the Toronto Video Atlas of Surgery or CollectedMed, 13,14 Bannister and colleagues found a 100-fold increase in participation when sharing a traditional eLearning module in continuing medical education to social media in a microlearning format. 15 to Twitter therefore may fill a new niche by allowing improved access to educational content.…”

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“…They urged caution though in being too rigid in applying this benchmark given the fact that the reliability of available data from the CME arena may not yet be rigorous enough. James Bannister Increased Educational Reach through a Microlearning Approach: Can Higher Participation Translate to Improved Outcomes [ 6 ] This article reported on a comparison of activities defined as “microlearning”, namely 15-minute case study clinics and podcasts, with more traditional e-learning activities. The microlearning programme was deemed to provide an increased reach to a target audience and produced a slight improvement in the number of completed evaluations but the degree of outcome evaluation was still limited.…”

“…James Bannister Increased Educational Reach through a Microlearning Approach: Can Higher Participation Translate to Improved Outcomes [ 6 ]…”

“…Outcomes [6] This article reported on a comparison of activities defined as "microlearning", namely 15-minute case study clinics and podcasts, with more traditional e-learning activities. The microlearning programme was deemed to provide an increased reach to a target audience and produced a slight improvement in the number of completed evaluations but the degree of outcome evaluation was still limited.…”