Abstract:

The paper presents our specific experience with the use of various microlearning formats during the official lockdown periods in the Czech Republic throughout the year 2020. The text represents an extension of our previous analyses, which were carried out in the area of microlearning within the English language courses taught at the tertiary level over the past five years. Unlike our previous research efforts in this field, which were primarily conducted in order to provide a balanced account of both the positives and limitations of microlearning within the area of English language learning, this paper mainly intends to pinpoint the potential solutions to the problems caused by a massive transfer to the distance teaching modes. Therefore, the practical issues related to the inevitable use of information technologies for distance learning purposes are combined with some deliberate references to the microlearning theory and to other educational concepts relevant within the current digital era. With regard to the complexity of foreign language course design, the focus of our analyses is not only on providing meaningful learning opportunities but also on searching for adequate ways of carrying out assessment. In order to provide some interesting insights into the issues of enriching the English language learning during a very demanding historical period, the author describes some of the implemented microlearning techniques and also presents the results of his small-scale research investigation aimed at the use of the Kahoot platform for formal assessment purposes.

Keywords:

Microlearning, Kahoot, Moodle, English language learning, distance teaching.