Impact of microlearning on academic performance of higher education students - a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Microlearning is the process of learning through small-sized, well-planned learning units and short-term learning activities. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the impact of microlearning compared to macro-learning on the academic performance of higher education students. Ten databases were searched including SCOPUS, EBSCOhost, Emerald, JSTOR, Taylor & Francis, PubMed (MEDLINE), Oxford University Press, ERIC, ACM and IEEE Xplore. Research conducted on microlearning in higher education, in which the academic performance in theoretical examinations in microlearning method was evaluated quantitatively and compared with macro-learning and the studies which were reported in English language were included in this study. The search retrieved 602 studies. Full texts that did not meet the inclusion criteria were excluded. Twelve studies were included in the systematic review. Cochrane’s risk of bias tool was used for the risk of bias assessment of the included studies. Meta-analysis was conducted using the RevMan 5.4 software including studies that have presented complete outcome data on academic performance of students in theoretical examination. Five studies were included in the meta-analysis. Meta-analysis showed a higher academic performance in students learned using microlearning (n=344) compared to the students learned using macro-learning (n=310) (p = 0.03). The overall mean difference in academic performance in relation to post-test scores in theoretical examinations between microlearning and macro-learning groups was 12.6 (95% CI: 1.2 - 23.9). Therefore the students who participated in microlearning performed higher in theory examination than students who were enrolled in macro-learning. Microlearning can increase academic performance of students by reducing cognitive load, providing flexible learning environment, promoting self-directed learning and by providing timely feedback. Designing the microlearning lessons according to the adult learning principles can further enhance the positive impact of microlearning on students’ academic performance in higher education.