The Impact of Educational Microcontent on the Student Learning Experience

Abstract

This case study investigates educational microcontent as an online delivery mechanism for course content, specifically assessing its impact on the subjective student learning experience. Microcontent was introduced as a supplementary resource to students across three Computer Science courses at the University of New South Wales (UNSW). Content was distributed via Snack, a platform developed by the research team for efficient creation and distribution of short, "bite-sized" instructional videos. The case study suggests microcontent had significant positive impact on students' non-achievement outcomes; improving confidence, interest in subject material, academic self-efficacy and learning ability, as well as self-perception of achievement outcomes such as learning ability and academic performance. Findings support the position that microcontent is an effective supplementary tool for teachers which can engage a large student audience and positively impact their learning experience.