Does Microlearning Actually Work?

With the emergence of technology in education, microlearning has become a popular way to study information. This article explores the benefits and drawbacks that microlearning provides for students.

Picture by EQS Group. 

What is microlearning?

Microlearning is a style of studying that has become increasingly popular since the beginning of the 21st century. Essentially, it is where tiny bits of information are consumed in short sessions that last a maximum of thirteen minutes each, so that it can be easily digestible and make people motivated to learn. Its methods are used in well-known websites and applications such as Duolingo and Khan Academy, and are usually technology-based, so it’s easy for students to access them. The goal of microlearning is to teach a concept without taking up a big chunk of the learner's day and is also designed to be more engaging and less overwhelming. However, many question just how much microlearning can teach individuals and if its use may negatively affect students’ cognitive abilities in the future. While microlearning is appealing because of its accessibility and active engagement, it may be an ineffective way of learning due to its quick bursts of content that usually foster a shallow understanding of the subject. 

How does it help students achieve their goals?

Microlearning is appealing to many students because it increases knowledge absorption and engagement with a certain subject. Because of the short lessons that microlearning applications and websites provide, it makes it much easier for students to remember what they are learning about rather than trying to cram everything all at once. In this aspect, microlearning is extremely effective, as “studies have shown that people are more likely to remember information when it is presented in smaller, more digestible pieces…”(Austin 2024). Not only can students apply this in the school building, but also for any other hobbies or extracurriculars they may want to pursue, like learning a new language or conducting outside research. One of the main reasons microlearning has become so popular is that it makes its users excited to learn. By turning learning into a short, accessible game on phones and computers, studying becomes a fun process and makes students more motivated to consume new information. For example, Wayground (formerly known as Quizizz) turns a normal quiz into a fierce competition between classmates and friends, making everyone more engaged in the process. It also helps that technology has made these kinds of learning games incredibly easy for teachers to put together for their students, as they are able to implement it more often in classrooms, making students excited for what could be a weekly round of Quizlet Live or Blooket.

Duolingo, a language-learning app that applies microlearning, turns learning into a fun game that uses streaks and leaderboards to motivate people to use the app again.

Picture by LMSNinjas. 

How does it harm students?

On the other hand, microlearning can be extremely harmful to a student's overall understanding of the topic, and it adds to a short attention span. Microlearning, with its quick sessions of gamified information, only provides shallow comprehension of a subject. For students who will need a deep understanding in classes like history and literature, microlearning is an ineffective learning strategy for them. Eleni Zoe Papaionnou writes that, “microlearning can be used to explain in consecutive, clearly defined steps even complex processes, like machine handling”(2021). However, it cannot explain complex stories or help the student to find connections between passages that encourage them to build the skills they need for harder classes. Moreover, microlearning adds to students’ shrinking attention spans instead of fighting it. Hannah Nwoko says that “studies have already found that our attention spans are shrinking…researchers have linked digital device dependency and symptoms of depression, suicidal tendencies, and screen-time induced poor sleep quality”(2025). Because microlearning is based entirely on technological platforms like computers and phones, schools would just be adding to the amount of screentime a student has, encouraging short attention spans and the other negative effects listed above. 

Conclusion

At the end of the day, microlearning is attractive to many students because it is engaging and it increases knowledge absorption. However, microlearning also feeds into short-term memory issues and only provides a shallow understanding of a certain subject. If used correctly, this studying strategy can actually improve students’ performance in school due to the benefits it provides, but it must be used with another method of learning that provides a more in-depth comprehension of the topic. With the rise of Artificial Intelligence and more computers being added in schools, microlearning platforms will become increasingly popular throughout the years, and it is important that students and teachers consider both the benefits and the drawbacks that they contain. 

Works Cited

Austin, R. (2024, September 16). Microlearning: key benefits and best practices. Cognota. https://cognota.com/blog/microlearning-benefits-and-features/

Nwoko, H. (2025, September 10). Students' attention spans are getting Shorter—Microlearning might help. Parents. https://www.parents.com/students-attention-spans-are-getting-shorter-microlearning-might-help-11807579

Papaioannou, E. Z. (2021, May 12). 4 Truths and 4 Myths about Microlearning. eLearning Industry. https://elearningindustry.com/microlearning-truths-myths