Implementing Microlearning in Nursing Homes: Implications for Policy and Practice in Person-Centered Dementia Care

Microlearning: A Concept Analysis

With an overall rise in technology adoption, the information-seeking behaviors of today have become instant and single-focused, and demand convenience for learning and the acquisition of knowledge. Digital technologies expand the reach of learning and allow for the development of innovative and creative methods of teaching. The use of microlearning has been gaining popularity in academic and professional development settings and corporate training. Currently, there is no standardized definition of microlearning. Using Walker and Avant's method of concept analysis, a comprehensive overview of microlearning is provided through identifying the concept and describing its uses, attributes, exemplary cases, antecedents, consequences, and empirical referents. Seven attributes associated with microlearning are single focus, bite-sized, asynchronistic, accessibility, flexibility, interactivity, and multimodal delivery. A proposed definition is a self-directed, on-demand, teaching strategy where small single-focused interactive content is presented to learners asynchronously, using technologies that accommodate multimodal delivery, and access where and when convenient for the learner. This analysis will assist informatics and nursing educators in understanding how microlearning, as a strategy, fits into the electronic learning landscape, is supported by digital technologies, and adds portability to leverage in an on-demand asynchronous way providing targeted learning for use in all areas of clinical practice.

Factors that influence the implementation of innovation in aged care: a scoping review

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this scoping review is to identify factors that influence the implementation of innovation in aged care.

INTRODUCTION

Aged care is a dynamic sector experiencing rapid change. Implementation of innovations in aged care has received relatively little research attention compared to health care.

INCLUSION CRITERIA

This review included studies of any design, that examined the implementation of innovations in aged care settings.

METHODS

Searches were conducted in MEDLINE, CINAHL, AgeLine, and ProQuest Social Sciences Premium Collection for studies published between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2022. The titles and abstracts of retrieved citations were screened by two independent reviewers. Full-text articles were screened by one reviewer to determine inclusion. Data were extracted in NVivo using a tool developed by the research team. Factors that influenced implementation were inductively coded, interpreted, and grouped into categories in a series of workshops.

RESULTS

Of the 2530 studies that were screened, 193 were included. Of the included papers, the majority (74%) related to residential aged care, 28% used an implementation theory or framework, and 15% involved consumers. Five key categories of factors influencing implementation were identified: organizational context including resourcing and culture; people's attitudes and capabilities; relationships between people; the intervention and its appropriateness; and implementation actions such as stakeholder engagement and implementation strategies.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings can be used to develop practical resources to support implementation efforts, and highlight the importance of resourcing for successful implementation. Attention to community-based aged care, and greater engagement with theory and community is needed to promote research rigor, relevance and applicability.

A Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Educational Interventions in Promoting Person-Centred Care in Dementia Services

OBJECTIVES

To review evidence about the effectiveness of educational programmes in promoting the delivery of person-centered care by staff in dementia services.

METHODS

Several databases were searched, and the methodological quality of identified studies systematically evaluated. A summary mean effect size was calculated for several types of outcome (direct knowledge, applied knowledge, attitudes, self-reported and observed working practices).

RESULTS

Eighteen studies were identified. Results were mixed, with findings of no change, significant improvement, and (in attitude) significant deterioration. Effect size was modest for direct knowledge (standardized mean difference = 0.6), but small or negligible for applied knowledge (0.29) and self-reported (0.06) and observed (0.25) working practices. There was a negative effect for attitudes (-0.17).

CONCLUSIONS

The quality of evidence was poor. Apart from attitudes, the effect sizes are likely to be overestimates. There was little evidence that education programmes can reliably produce substantial improvements in working practices.

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

Education alone is unlikely to be sufficient for establishing high standards of person-centered care in services. It needs to be supplemented by steps to ensure that staff develop skills in delivering such care in practice, and by organizational support to ensure staff have sufficient motivation, cues and opportunities for implementation.

Microlearning in Diverse Contexts: A Bibliometric Analysis

In recent years, publications on microlearning have substantially increased, as this topic has received extensive attention from scholars in the instructional design and technology discipline. To better characterize and understand microlearning, there is a need for comprehensive bibliometrics assessments of the literature on microlearning. To this end, this bibliometric study collected 208 relevant publications on microlearning from the Scopus database, published in diverse contexts. Using quantitative topic modeling and qualitative content analysis methods, we identified four major themes in these publications, namely: (1) design of microlearning; (2) implementation of microlearning as an instructional method strategy and an intervention; (3) evaluation of microlearning; and (4) the utilization of mobile devices for microlearning. Based on the study findings, we discuss the significance of the study and provide implications for research and practice, particularly in fostering rigorous inquiry on the topic of microlearning, expanding the context of research to include K-12 settings, and focusing on mobile-based microlearning.