Studies have shown that since the year 2000, “the average attention span dropped from 12 seconds to eight seconds.” With the attention spans of humans dramatically declining, what does this mean for a student’s learning environment? Are we, as humans, adapting to learn more from technology and multimedia formats compared to long, monotonous lectures? Nano-learning is a highly targeted learning method that is being incorporated into many educational environments in our technologically advanced world. Otherwise known as bite-sized learning, nano-learning takes complex topics and breaks them down into smaller, more digestible chunks for students. Students are taught subject topics through smaller inputs in short and fixed time frames. Could this be the solution to our diminishing attention and engagement problems?
- How Does Nano-Learning Work?
Think of your daily routine – Do you need to write out all your tasks to stay organized and on track? Do you break down your day into different sections to make it more manageable for you to get through the day? Say you are scrolling through social media – do you scroll right past longer videos and enjoy the shorter, more engaging posts? Nano-learning takes a similar approach in which the idea of incorporating short, simple concepts in an engaging format allows you to tackle smaller tasks to achieve a larger goal. Nano-learning can be incorporated into many different facets of our society, but let’s look into how this learning method can aid in our ways of teaching and learning.
- Effective Nano-Learning Includes…
- Recognizing student needs, strengths/weaknesses/abilities in learning, and the learning skills needed to improve
- Taking a more complex learning topic and approaching it into smaller lessons, activities, games, etc.
- Students are actively participating throughout the learning process
- Using multimedia formats (videos, images, audio, texts) for engaging content and meeting the needs of all learning styles of all students
- Is Nano-Learning Worth Implementing Into The Classroom?
Typically at the beginning of each lesson, there is a topic, theme, or skill that needs to be learned by the end of the day; that main topic is broken down into smaller parts that can be built into the day’s schedule in different ways. This way of instruction aims to keep engagement within the classroom high, increase retention of information, and aid in the ability to truly learn the topic or skill. Nano-learning takes advantage of cognitive, psychological, and social aspects of a young scholar’s brain. With our attention spans and ability to concentrate rapidly declining over generations, it is time to start implementing an effective way of teaching and learning for our future generations of scholars.
- The Future of Online Education
Online schools provide a more flexible, academically dynamic curriculum and schedule that allows for students to have a more unique and individualized approach to learning. Students will grow more confident through nano-learning by earning more of a sense of accomplishment by completing each task, or smaller element, of a larger more complex idea. With the continuation of this accomplishment in their educational careers, students will be more motivated and eager to learn. While breaking down larger complex ideas into smaller ones in the classroom isn’t a new means of teaching, implementing multimedia elements is!
