Background Microlearning, the acquisition of knowledge or skills in the form of small units, is endorsed by health professions educators as a means of facilitating student learning, training, and continuing education, but it is difficult to define in terms of its features and outcomes. Objective This review aimed to conduct a systematic search of the literature on microlearning in health professions education to identify key concepts, characterize microlearning as an educational strategy, and evaluate pedagogical outcomes experienced by health professions students. Methods A scoping review was performed using the bibliographic databases PubMed (MEDLINE), CINAHL, Education Resources Information Center, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Education Full Text (HW Wilson), and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global. A combination of keywords and subject headings related to microlearning, electronic learning, or just-in-time learning combined with health professions education was used. No date limits were placed on the search, but inclusion was limited to materials published in English. Pedagogical outcomes were evaluated according to the 4-level Kirkpatrick model. Results A total of 3096 references were retrieved, of which 17 articles were selected after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Articles that met the criteria were published between 2011 and 2018, and their authors were from a range of countries, including the United States, China, India, Australia, Canada, Iran, Netherlands, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. The 17 studies reviewed included various health-related disciplines, such as medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry, and allied health. Although microlearning appeared in a variety of subject areas, different technologies, such as podcast, short messaging service, microblogging, and social networking service, were also used. On the basis of Buchem and Hamelmann’s 10 microlearning concepts, each study satisfied at least 40% of the characteristics, whereas all studies featured concepts of maximum time spent less than 15 min as well as content aggregation. According to our assessment of each article using the Kirkpatrick model, 94% (16/17) assessed student reactions to the microlearning (level 1), 82% (14/17) evaluated knowledge or skill acquisition (level 2), 29% (5/17) measured the effect of the microlearning on student behavior (level 3), and no studies were found at the highest level. Conclusions Microlearning as an educational strategy has demonstrated a positive effect on the knowledge and confidence of health professions students in performing procedures, retaining knowledge, studying, and engaging in collaborative learning. However, downsides to microlearning include pedagogical discomfort, technology inequalities, and privacy concerns. Future research should look at higher-level outcomes, including benefits to patients or practice changes. The findings of this scoping revi...

The COVID-19 outbreak has profoundly changed daily life and the ways in which students learn and interact. This study explores the nature and content of tweets posted by students enrolled in nursing programs (hereafter nursing students) in the United Kingdom, the United States, and South Korea during the COVID-19 pandemic between March 4 and April 7, 2020. A total of 8856 tweets from the Twitter accounts of 95 selfidentified nursing students were included in our qualitative analysis. The findings revealed five categories of tweet content: (i) reactions to COVID-19; (ii) everyday life; (iii) role as a student; (iv) social connections; and (v) sociopolitical issues. Students shared concerns about the impact of COVID-19 on their education, discussed their experiences as nursing students, tweeted details of their daily lives, and sought social connections for support as well as for information sharing. The findings of this study can inform nurse educators to better understand their students' responses to and sentiments about the COVID-19 pandemic. Nurse educators should incorporate this understanding into curricula for pandemic preparedness and response efforts.

Purpose Older adults experience challenges employing technology in their health-care management due to changes in cognitive and physical functions. This study aimed to investigate the acceptance of technology among older Korean adults with multiple chronic health conditions and examine factors associated with technology acceptance, adopting the senior technology acceptance model (STAM). Patients and Methods In total, 226 community-dwelling older adults with more than two chronic conditions participated in this study. We conducted a survey that covered demographics, gerontechnology self-efficacy, gerontechnology anxiety, facilitating conditions, self-reported health conditions, cognitive ability, social relationships, attitude toward life and satisfaction, physical functioning, and technology acceptance. Results Older Korean adults with multiple chronic health conditions scored moderately high for technology acceptance (25.36±5.28). There were significant differences in technology acceptance according to age (r=−0.241), cognitive ability (r=0.225), gerontechnology self-efficacy (r=0.323), and facilitating conditions (r=0.288). Only age and education were significant factors predicting technology acceptance (Adjusted R 2 =0.151, p<0.001). Conclusion Although older Korean adults with multiple chronic conditions displayed good technology acceptance, their age and education level predicted the level of acceptance. Given that some components of the STAM model have social and cultural relevance, it is necessary to conduct research across various cultures to better understand technology acceptance by older adults.

MicroContent is a new phase in the development of Internet. After sites and web-pages, MicroContent defines an even smaller content fragment. MicroContent Items are content fragments that focused, self-contained, indivisible, structured and addressable. These attributes allow a new phenomenon on Internet: mixing and mashing. There are multiple ways how MicroContent can be combined into larger macrocontent containers, such as web-pages, applications, DVD's, etc. Although we are at the very early stages of this development several mashing parameters can be described.MicroContent mashing allows the audience to become the producer and will have impact on many content usages, such as learning.