Abstract:

Current changes in society and the education system, cumulated with the accelerated development of new technologies, entail inherent changes in the educational process. Numerous studies have shown that the pandemic has forced a rapid transformation of higher education. Thus, if before the pandemic digital technologies were used to supplement the learning process, now they are the main means of learning delivery. In addition, as previous research has shown, new pedagogical strategies and new ways of teaching and learning are needed for the current generation of students, the so-called Generation Z, to acquire new knowledge and develop new skills. In this necessary evolution of the educational process, a possible solution to increase the effectiveness of the learning process for the Generation Z students is to use microlearning to extend the traditional ways of learning. Many studies have shown that microlearning, based on how today’s students learn and memorize, facilitates learning. In recent years there has been a growing trend in approaching micro-learning in the educational process. But, to be effective, this approach must allow the individual knowledge building, by indicating a guiding direction of the optimal path to achieve the proposed objectives. The benefits resulting from introducing adaptive microlearning in higher education are discussed. We propose a system for personalized learning using microlearning, which provides support and guidance to students based on individual needs, in order to increase their interest in learning, but also to compensate for various deficiencies in their educational background. We also present a case study from the higher education sector, taking into account the discipline of Computer Graphics, provided in the curriculum of the Computers study program at our University. Feedback from students and data collected during the semester as a result of the students' behavioral analysis and their real learning motivations will be used to improve the proposed system. Further pedagogical research should also be conducted to demonstrate the improvement of students' learning experiences.

Keywords:

Higher education, microlearning, adaptive microlearning.