MicroLearning is an educational approach where learners rapidly access small units containing the necessary information to help them achieve a specific goal. This might involve acquiring a particular skill (such as performing a mental state assessment) or grasping a specific concept (such as the role of biopsychosocial factors in mental disorders).
Within the context of the MHPOD Program, MicroLearning is characterised by two things:
Fast, targeted learning – each piece of content is limited to a maximum of 10 minutes; and
Specificity (in format and learning objective) – each piece of content uses a specific format (such as video or audio) to teach a specific skill or concept. Where relevant, links are provided to additional content for broader knowledge development. These may be within the Program (such as the Learning Portal), where it forms part of longer self-paced learning material, or an external site.
The MHPOD MicroLearning Pilot is aimed at people involved in developing and integrating the peer workforce within their organisation.
Each of the MicroLearning resource contains a range of short videos from managers, peer workers, lived experience and researchers designed to answer the questions you have.
What strategies support clear boundaries around the roles?
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What are some key strategies when embedding peer support work in an organisation?
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How do we incorporate peer workers into multidisciplinary teams?
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Why is the peer support workforce important?
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What role does the peer support worker play in recovery?
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What are some of the misconceptions about embedding peer support work?
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What are some of the challenges in embedding peer support work?
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What is and isn't peer work and what are the key benefits?
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How does culture underpin success in integrating peer support into an organisation?
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As a starting point, MHPOD has developed a set of MicroLearning resources that address the ten key questions around successfully integrating the peer workforce – for each question we interviewed:
managers who are experienced in integrating peer workforce
peer workers
non-peer worker lived experience people
international research experts
We are interested in hearing from you on the pilot so please complete the survey and let us know what we can do to expand and enhance MHPOD MicroLearning over the next twelve months.
The MHPOD team recognise that learners don’t always have time to complete lengthy modules or may be seeking knowledge in a discrete area.
We established MHPOD MicroLearning to give you an alternative way of learning when you have limited time or prefer content that’s delivered in short, sharp bursts. It also suits you if you want to learn but don’t necessarily need evidence of completion for professional development purposes.
As a form of learning based on cognitive science, evidence shows breaking down topics into more manageable pieces boosts retention.
MicroLearning’s benefits include its ability to:
access an individual’s working memory
reinforce theory through immediate practical application
increase retention by eliminating the clutter associated with irrelevant information. Studies have shown an 80% increase in long-term memory retention in learners.
Our audience for MicroLearning content includes mental health and related workforces. You’ll find information about the target audience and assumed level of experience or knowledge on each piece of content.