Microlearning in Educating Healthcare Professionals

The aim of this study was to test the impact of the use of microlearning in educating healthcare professionals. A mobile learning application was developed consisting of 20 flip cards with questions and answers. The learning program was related to a vital paragraph regulating healthcare professionals working with mentally and socially handicapped people in Norway. A between-subjects design was used with a randomized selection divided into one control group and two test groups. Both test groups used the mobile learning app. In addition, one of the test groups used social media. The control group was given ordinary teaching. Level of knowledge (dependent variable) was measured in a pre-test before the intervention and in a post-test after the intervention. Results show that level of knowledge for Test Group 1 and Test Group 2 increased compared to level of knowledge for the Control Group. This study demonstrates that behavioral principles in gamification and precision teaching can increase learning. Our conclusion is that microlearning may give a more effective learning process in some situations. Implications for healthcare educators as well as suggestions for future research are given.