Today’s learner is swimming in a vast sea of information.  They’re inundated with data coming from various places. According to times.com, people between the ages of 18 and 24 look at their phones with an average of 74 checks per day.  There’s no denying that today’s students are true multitaskers. They have the ability to listen to music, watch their favorite show, stay connected with friends via IM, and study all at the same time.

I recently read an interesting article that classified today’s student as “modern distracted learners.”  I think we can all agree today’s modern learner processes information in a different manner.  In today’s age students become easily distracted, lose focus, and/or completely disconnect from the traditional class setting.

In this age of technology and distractions, how do we keep today’s learners engaged?  The answer is quite simple, by serving up some bite-sized learning, that’s how!  Bite-sized learning focuses on presenting small chunks of information.  These small bite-size blasts of information keep students engaged.  After the student receives these small chunks of content they can then digest the information and practice the material/skill they have just learned.  This approach to learning is a perfect match for today’s information-rich lifestyles.

So, move over lengthy lectures or long, boring reading assignments and say hello to bite-sized nuggets of content.   Try serving up some bite-sized learning in the classroom by dividing up reading assignments to only a few paragraphs at a time. Then, direct your students to try on the material by engaging in an activity like watching a video related to the subject, partaking in a juicy group discussion with their classmates, performing a hands-on classroom activity, or even a quick self-assessment.

By incorporating these bite-sized lessons into your curriculum you will be serving up the right size for today’s learners.