Effect of Micro-Courses on Learners’ Attention and Memory Retention Author:Zih-An Chen, Po-Sheng Huang
Research Article
With the development of science and technology, the generation and spread of knowledge has accelerated. Peoples’ attention spans have decreased as intelligent technological devices have been developed. In addition, modern people continue to receive excessive amounts of information due to the high frequency of Internet use, but a large amount of information cannot be effectively stored in the brain (Small et al., 2009). Scholars have claimed that, given the massive amounts of information and the learning style of digital natives, designing effective learning units that avoid cognitive overload and optimizing students’ learning patterns have become important issues in education (Fyfe, 2016; Wang & Fan, 2016).
Micro-learning is a new type of learning based on micro-content and micro-media. It was first proposed by Martin Lindnerin 2006. Micro-learning is a general term for all short and small learning models, and it is not limited to any form. Microcourses for micro-learning were proposed by David Penrose, a senior instructional designer in the United States (Wen & Zhang, 2015). He defined a micro-course as a form of curriculum with short films. A previous study noted that the length of the video is related to the participation rate of learners; that is, the shorter the video length, the higher the participation rate (Guo et al., 2014). The short-film characteristics of micro-courses likely increase the focus of learners, thereby increasing their participation rate. Some of the early conventional online courses were derived from the digitization of in-person courses, and the online videos lasted for approximately 40 to 50 minutes, which would make it difficult for learners to maintain their attention (Wen & Zhang, 2015). Therefore, scholars have divided the long-term online course videos into small-scale fragmentary course videos. This increased learning retention effects (e.g., Cheng et al., 2014), showing that attention plays an important role in online video learning.
In summary, micro-courses are characterized by short videos, and their content is more streamlined compared with conventional online courses and small-scale fragmentary courses. The use of short films helps students to maintain attention in the learning process, improves learner participation, and enhances learning retention. The development of micro-courses is of great importance in the current learning environment due to the rapid increase in information and the advancement of media technology. However, past studies on micro-courses have focused on learners’ affective attitudes toward microcourses, including learning motivation and learning satisfaction (e.g., Frydenberg & Andone, 2016; Yu, 2016) or have surveyed willingness to use micro-courses among teachers (e.g., Fang & Liu, 2017). Rigorously designed experimental studies examining the learning process for micro-courses are lacking; studies evaluating the learning effectiveness of micro-courses are required.
This study explored the attention and learning retention effects of micro-courses featuring simplified content. Based on the course segmentation and total length, three types of courses were designed. In this study, “conformity”, a topic in social psychology, was the subject of the course. A conventional online course video of approximately 24 minutes was produced (traditional course group); this video was then cut into four fragmented course videos of approximately 6 minutes each according to theme units (fragmented course group), and a micro-course video of approximately 9 minutes was produced after by condensing the original material (micro-course group). Attention and learning retention were compared between these three groups. This study adopted an experimental design. In total, 90 college students were recruited as participants and randomly assigned to one of the three groups (traditional course, fragmented course, and micro-course). Approximately 3 to 6 participants who were assigned to the same group watched the video together. Before the experiment, participants were reminded that mobile phones and other communication devices must be turned off during the class.
The experimental procedure was divided into two phases. At the beginning of the first phase of the formal experiment, participants in the traditional course group watched the video of 24 minutes with no break. Participants in the fragmented course group watched the four 6-minute videos with a 1-minute break between each video. Participants in the micro-course group watched the 9-minute video without any breaks. When they had finished watching the film(s), participants in the micro-course group were allowed to rest for 1 minute, after which they completed questionnaires.
The results of this study showed that (1) participants in the fragmented course group had higher performance in the attention recognition test than participants in the traditional course group. Moreover, participants in the micro-course group reported higher levels of attention than those in the traditional course group. (2) No significant difference was found in the learning retention effect between these three groups. However, in further analysis, compared with the traditional course group and fragmented course group, the learning retention effect in the micro-course group increased in the later stages of the course.
The qualitative data showed that although the three groups of participants all indicated that their attention gradually declined as the course video progressed, they paid attention when introducing real-life cases. However, these three groups of participants reported diverse reasons for attention changes. Participants in the traditional course group reported that the video included too much information, with no room for distraction. In the fragmented course group, although the length of the course was the same as that of the traditional online course, participants were allowed rest periods in between. Some participants reported that during the rest period, they could recall and reorganize what they have learned and could refocus their attention. Some participants in the micro-course group reported that their attention can be maintained during the learning process. In addition, based on the qualitative data from participants, the average time of video that most participants were willing to watch was approximately 10–15 minutes. Few participants could pay attention to videos more than 30 minutes. Moreover, all three groups of participants mentioned that the inclusion of real-life events in the design of the course would be helpful for their comprehension. The presentation of vivid animation and images in the course is not only interesting but also helpful for improving memory.
The results of this study imply that through well-designed course content, even a short online learning video can achieve the same learning effect as a longer online learning video. It also allows learners to maintain a higher level of attention in the learning process. In other words, compared with the courses with long online videos, the micro-course could yield greater learning efficiency. Therefore, when designing online learning videos in the future, teachers should use the format of welldesigned micro-courses. By shortening the learning time and reducing individuals’ attention loads, micro-courses can achieve the same learning effect as courses with long videos.
Effect of Micro-Courses on Learners’ Attention and Memory Retention
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