Microlearning Design for Teacher Training in a Non-Formal Distance Education Context

Abstract

This article presents an experience of designing a course in the distance and non-formal modality, carried out during the pandemic, in which aspects related to interactive and collaborative activities are emphasized, aiming at the formation of teachers, whose theme was the computational thinking. As a digital technology base, WhatsApp was used, becoming the main platform for educational communication, on which the design project of this short course was guided. The objectives were: i) to expand the references of the teachers' pedagogical content; ii) explore forms of participatory communication between course mediators and teachers, organized in different working groups; iii) Make the distribution of appropriate micro-content remote learning. This design involved micro-posts in various audiovisual languages, as well as synchronous and asynchronous activities. It was found that the micro-contents produce meaning to the participants, when they present a clear purpose for learning, through the opening of dialogue with a participatory sense and exchange of experience, with critical positions of opinions and metacognition - to reflect how one learns. For specific learning actions in a teaching environment, non-formal and at a distance, micro-learning stands out as a design strategy that motivates more collaborative, engaging, critical and dynamic learning.

Keywords: Educational design. Teacher training. Computational Thinking. WhatsApp in Education. Microlearning. Non-formal education.