Tip: Microlectures

Why 5-minute targeted lectures might be the most effective way to deliver content.

A microlecture is a short recorded audio or video presentation on a single, tightly defined topic. If you’ve ever watched a Khan Academy and TED-Ed style video, then you’ve essentially watched a microlecture.

Microlectures can be helpful because they more naturally mimic what happens in a 2 hour class on campus. We wouldn’t lecture straight for 2 hours; we break that time into much smaller chunks of lecture, discussion, activities, a break. Remotely we could offer several short videos interspersed with participating in a discussion, doing problems as a group, writing a draft - whatever task the students might attempt in the classroom. This also allows students to move somewhat more at their own pace; they could watch the video several times, for example, before attempting to apply what they learned.

Earlier newsletters shared concerns with relying on Zoom and resources about HyFlex course delivery.

This presentation on microlectures (put together by the California Virtual Campus Online Education Initiative) has a wealth of excellent resources - including many how-to videos and examples of microlectures from various disciplines.

When you need to quickly shift from teaching in a physical classroom to teaching online, it may seem natural to stick with your hour-long lectures and deliver them using a synchronous tool like Zoom. But if we keep the needs of our diverse students at the center of our teaching and learning efforts, we must begin to shift our focus to designing asynchronous online courses because equitable learning environments are focused on removing barriers (from Creating Microlectures: A New PocketPD Guide for you!)

I would love to see your microlectures & am happy to share one of mine: Evaluating Sources, Step #1.