The term microlecture is ''not'' used here to refer to

microcontent There are at least two interpretations of the term microcontent. Usability adviser Jakob Nielsen originally referred to microcontent as small groups of words that can be skimmed by a person to get a clear idea of the content of a Web page. He includ ...

for

microlearning Microlearning refers to a set of compact e- learning modules that are designed to reduce learner fatigue. The modules can be educational, professional, or skill based, and are usually designed to be less than 20 minutes long, with a single learnin ...

, but to actual instructional content that is formatted for

online In computer technology and telecommunications, online indicates a state of connectivity and offline indicates a disconnected state. In modern terminology, this usually refers to an Internet connection, but (especially when expressed "on line" or ...

and

mobile learning M-learning or mobile learning is "learning across multiple contexts, through social and content interactions, using personal electronic devices". A form of distance education, m-learners use mobile device educational technology at their convenienc ...

using a constructivist approach. More specifically, as described in the Chronicle of Higher Education, these are approximately 60 second presentations with a specific structure. They are not just brief (one minute) presentations: although Dr. McGrew had success with "one minute lectures" at the

University of Northern Iowa The University of Northern Iowa (UNI) is a public university in Cedar Falls, Iowa. UNI offers more than 90 majors across the colleges of Business Administration, Education, Humanities, Arts, and Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences and grad ...

as did Dr. Kee at the

University of Leeds , mottoeng = And knowledge will be increased , established = 1831 – Leeds School of Medicine1874 – Yorkshire College of Science1884 - Yorkshire College1887 – affiliated to the federal Victoria University1904 – University of Leeds , ...

. David M. Penrose (aka the One Minute Professor), an independent instructional designer and eLearning consultant, has articulated the process for creating these microlectures. As stated (Shea, 2009), these specific

lecture A lecture (from Latin ''lēctūra'' “reading” ) is an oral presentation intended to present information or teach people about a particular subject, for example by a university or college teacher. Lectures are used to convey critical inform ...

s are combined with specific activities designed to promote the epistemic engagement of the learner. The response of the Higher Education community was mixed, with some positive and some negative. The interest surrounding the use of microlectures has continued to grow, even outside of the United States, to places like Hong Kong University, Yantai Nanshai University, Liaoning Police Academy, and East China Normal University. In the United States, the use of microlectures are even considered a vital part of the Pandemic Response Plans. Additionally, even scholars at schools like Princeton University (Humanities Resource Center), UNC's School of Government, Humboldt State University, University of West Florida, and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign support the importance of an innovative teaching-learning approach for learners in the 21st century. The popularity of the microlectures has been the focus of a recent (November 1, 2012) EDUCAUSE resource, the Educause Learning Initiative "7 Things You Should Know About" series. The EDUCAUSE series is published monthly and dates back to May 1, 2005. In each issue, the focus addresses seven basic questions ...

What is it?
How does it work?
Who's doing it?
Why is it significant?
What are the downsides?
Where is it going?
What are the implications for higher education?

It is appropriate to include a quote by Xueqin Lu of Wuhan Textile University (2015) "... we can conclude micro-lectures focus on delivery of topics, show cutting-edge updating of knowledge and provide insight, vision and careful management for students.".Lu, X. (2015). Micro-lectures used in college English teaching for students majoring in arts. 2nd International Conference on Education, Language, Art and Intercultural Communication held November 7–8, 2015 Kaifeng, China retrieved on November 23, 2016 from http://www.atlantis-press.com/php/download_paper.php?id=25847415

References

Teaching Educational technology

See also

References