Authors

  1. Tennyson, Carolina DNP, ACNP-BC, AACC
  2. Smallheer, Benjamin PhD, RN, ACNP-BC, FNP-BC, CCRN, CNE

Article Content

Microlearning is educational content delivered in short bursts for learners to study at their convenience. The concept of microlearning is growing in popularity, and research shows it to be highly effective.1 Several disciplines have successfully used this concept on social media sites such as Instagram, Twitter, and audio podcasts. Nursing faculty in an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner program aimed to increase student confidence and comfort with evaluating and interpreting important diagnostic studies through exposure to intentional microlearning activities. A closed-group Instagram account was created for enrolled students to incorporate education into the established social media network. Faculty posted twice per week with deidentified images such as electrocardiograms and radiographs and captions with clinical questions to stimulate critical thinking (Supplemental Digital Content, Image 1, http://links.lww.com/NE/A912). The correct interpretation and relevant clinical pearls were provided in a second page to provide immediate feedback to learners (Supplemental Digital Content, Image 2, http://links.lww.com/NE/A913). Students posted their individual interpretations and discussed their critical thinking and diagnostic reasoning using the comment section. This content provided students exposure and repetition in interpreting images and considering their implications. Students were surveyed about their comfort level with electrocardiogram and radiographic interpretation before and after 1 semester of access to the Instagram account. Students provided favorable reviews of using Instagram as an asynchronous microlearning platform and felt more confident interpreting electrocardiograms and radiographs.

 

Reference

 

1. De Gagne JC, Park HK, Hall K, Woodward A, Yamane S, Kim SS. Microlearning in health professions education: scoping review. JMIR Med Educ. 2019;5(2):e13997. doi:. [Context Link]