BY: Fred DiUlus, PhD                                                                           

According to a website that promotes its condensed and neatly packaged learning modules AKA Micro Learning, a teaching methodology that "is the breaking down of information into topical, bite-sized chunks. By interacting with these highly-targeted learning bursts, lessons become much easier to digest and the likelihood of knowledge retention is increased."

This 'gobble gook' claim was spawned and repackaged from its predecessor by another "oxymoron" known as "traditional education". Since "micro-learning" is supposed to be something new, we actually find that marketers searching for new ways to monetize free programs have dusted off an old concept and repackaged it into buzz words like 'bite-sized chunks, targeted learning bursts", all with the false claim that with them a buyer's "knowledge retention is increased"; a claim that has no substantive research validation in academia to back it up. In fact, poor, not accelerated, learning is the result.

"Micro", the word, is the newest marketing buzz word to invade the field it insists it aids. The small, miniscule, tiny, compact, etc., learning we are asked to believe is it seems nothing more than a failing education providers "dream" packaged gross waste of one's time now "magically' profitable to the providers; struggling alleged education firms who want the public to accept their "learning faster" with smaller content, chunked in sequence, and only obtainable through them. Really?

In order to learn faster, we can actually and technically take an entire body of knowledge and surround learners within an immersive 2D/3D virtual and augmented reality; a technologically advanced immersive new learning world. Unquestionably, it increases learning up to 50%. Moreover, it's a proven fact. The system is a standalone or within an existing Learner Management System, without separately stacking knowledge to do so and without taking shortcuts or creating giant gaps in the pedagogy in order to achieve learning and profitability. Things like "micro MBA, micro Masters, etc., are nothing but bait and switch con games designed to do one thing; make the buyer believe they are getting something greater with lesser knowledge while actually offering skewed and incomplete learning acquisition for a worthless piece of paper. i.e. a "Micro Degree"

The Bottom line – Thousands of colleges both two and four year institutions currently offer online, flip, and classroom continuing education courses to the public in literally everything. Before biting on a website's bogus claims of learning faster in "bite sizes", individuals interested in courses from bricklaying to rocket science will find thousands of community colleges around the nation loaded with learning opportunities. California, for example, under former Governor Jerry Brown spent millions establishing a community college to do just, all totally online.

There is no free lunch. A "micro" student will pay a fee, regardless of how lame the learning opportunity – always, somewhere along the line. That we can all take to the bank!

XXXX