E1: Study Hack | How-to-Microlearn

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Welcome to episode one of FTCE seminar, the Florida Teachers Certification Exam podcast, where we talk about testing tips, study strategies, and how to prep to pass the FTCE, so you can launch from the campus to the classroom. I'm your host Mercedes Musto. For more FTCE study materials, videos, and resources,

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visit our website at ftceseminar.com. In today's episode, I'll be talking about microlearning. Microlearning is like a kind of bunch of mini lessons that can be repeated over and over again in less than 10 minutes. So you can individualize your learning and strengthen specific skills. It's what we use at ftceseminar.com to teach concepts.

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Put it this way, when I sat for the FTCE general knowledge, I started with a book, opened it to page one, and started plowing through it. I mean, sure, that's one way to do it, but that's because I didn't know about microlearning. Just in case there's others like me, I asked 30 teacher candidates what kind of study resources they use

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to prepare for the FTCE test and 58% stated that they used FTCE prep books too. You know those really large like they're like 300 400 pages. Okay, next I asked the same teacher candidate group what was their study preference? You know like meaning what did they study best with books or did they prefer non-traditional approaches like digital learning or video learning or podcasts. And guess what they said? 73% of the same teacher candidates preferred digital learning to traditional learning. Okay, does that make sense? It's like saying I love ice cream and chocolate's my favorite, but when given a choice I

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always choose strawberry. The takeaway here is that you have learning preferences and you have learning choices. Figure out how you learn best and give yourself the best support, whether it's books, videos, or podcasts, or even a combination of the three. Figure out what works best for you. Now where were we? Yes, microlearning. That's right. First things first. What really is microlearning and how is this educational strategy going to help me pass the test? According to the

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Research Institutes of Sweden, RISE, microlearning is a relatively new educational strategy as a result of the rapid changes in our technological society. Today's learner faces time constraints while juggling work and school and family priorities, making microlearning an effective way to study on the go. Valamis, a digital learning company headquartered in Finland, breaks it down like this. Micro means small, right? And learning is the process of gaining knowledge or skills, so you can use that knowledge and apply those skills, right? So when you put it together, micro microlearning is the process of acquiring short, focused bits of information in 10 minutes or less. Really, in preferably five minutes is the very

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research and very preferred micro study time for all this, you know, bite-sized info. So at this point you may be like, that's right, I struggle to find time to study and I just can't buy another ginormous book that I'm not going to read because I'm already pretty stressed out. And, but I mean, I don't know, I do think I could do this micro learning stuff. I mean, I've got five minutes in here and there. And I really do need to sharpen my math skills and maybe some grammar guru stuff. And, you know, actually, factually, I can't really remember how to

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structure an essay. Okay, okay. So maybe I could micro-learn this stuff. Yes, that is exactly what I'm saying. And it's what the sweetest researchers at RISE are saying too. According to RISE, micro-learning works when you have one learning goal to focus on, a highly accessible way to learn, like a video or podcast,

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that is formatted in an instructional nature, like how-to in 10 minutes or less. In fact, the researchers at RISE and the digital learning experts at Volamis suggest using microlearning in addition to traditional learning for best results. So don't ditch the big study books yet, just apply microlearning methods to the concepts so you don't get overwhelmed. Here are three problems and solutions to help you study using microlearning. Problem number one, time. The number one problem teacher candidates face when preparing for the FTCE is time.

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Teacher candidates are busy juggling school, work, family, and friends and find it difficult to commit to a rigorous study schedule. Solution, microlearning. It takes as little as one minute or as long as 10 minutes to learn and shorter content is easier to repeat and review, making microlearning perfect for your individual needs. Problem number two, information accessibility. Another problem teacher candidates face is where to get information to even start studying. Solution, you have a mobile device, right? Remember, micro learning is an on-the-go, study-anytime, anywhere learning. So log on to ftcseminar.com and start micro learning today. Problem number three, knowledge

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retention. The experts at Vlama said we forget 80% of what we learned in 30 days. Solution? Don't forget what you've learned. Stay sharp by repeatedly studying the concepts you need to know for your big exam. Let's review. How do I turn my study problems into study solutions? I can use micro learning. If committing to an hour of time to study is not going to happen, I can individualize my study goals with 5-minute video sessions that use microlearning strategies. I can use ftceseminar.com or any digital learning that is short, focused, and on the exact topic or skill I'm studying. If information accessibility is my problem, meaning I can't get to the library to check out a book, or I don't know how to access the online e-book system, or I don't even know where to begin to find to need to know what to prepare for the test.

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Listen, micro-learning methods are not the answer to all the world's study problems, but micro-learning is one educational strategy to help you prepare for the test. If you have a mobile device, you can micro-learn, and you can start micro-learning today at ftceseminar.com. What if I forget everything I studied? Listen, there's a theme here. When you schedule your FTCE exam, remember to create yourself a study schedule and use micro learning to repeatedly review the concepts you need to increase your chances of success. Small, bite-sized study sessions of information will help you remember by reinforcing knowledge.

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Next week, we'll be talking about test anxiety. Learn five tips on how to manage your test anxiety. I'd like to thank Kate and Samantha on tech. Shout out for helping with this student-made podcast, For Students, By Students. This podcast was recorded in the Pickens Multimedia Studio in access at the University of West Florida in Pensacola, Florida. This is your host, Mercedes Musto. Join me again for another test-taking tip or study strategy on FTCE Seminar, a Florida teacher certification exam podcast.

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For more information or study resources, visit our website at ftceseminar.com so you can FTCESeminar.com so you can prep to pass the FTCE.

Transcribed with Cockatoo