Glossary

A closing activity at the end of a micro-module that requires the learner to do something with the content: answer a question, classify a scenario, or attempt a task. Distinguishes effective microlearning from passive content consumption.

AI-sequenced content delivery that adjusts which modules a learner sees next based on individual performance data (quiz scores, completion patterns, time-on-task). Automates the branching logic of spaced practice at scale.

The use of AI tools — chatbots, prompt-based assistants — to deliver performance support in the moment of need, replacing or augmenting static job aids with dynamic, context-sensitive guidance.

A design decision that appears reasonable but consistently produces poor outcomes. Used on this site to flag common microlearning mistakes: death by video playlist, massed practice disguised as spacing, and treating all moments as Moment 1.

Analyst and researcher at Bersin by Deloitte. Documented the "overwhelmed employee" phenomenon and the shift toward continuous, micro-format learning in corporate L&D.

A practice schedule in which all study of one topic is completed before moving to the next (A-A-A, then B-B-B). Feels more productive than interleaving but produces worse long-term retention and transfer.

A privacy model in which users supply their own API credentials for AI-powered features. Keys are stored locally in the browser and never transmitted to the site's servers.

Cognitive psychologist who co-authored two landmark papers on the spacing effect: a 2006 meta-analysis of 254 studies confirming that expanding intervals outperform fixed ones, and a 2008 study defining the temporal ridgeline — the optimal inter-study interval as a proportion of the retention interval.

Organizing information into meaningful groups that can be processed as single units in working memory. In microlearning design, chunking splits content at natural conceptual joints rather than at arbitrary time or slide limits.

The total mental effort required to process information during learning. Microlearning reduces extraneous cognitive load by limiting scope to one objective, allowing working memory to focus on the learning task rather than managing complexity.

A classification of what a learner is expected to do with content. The four types are: Concept (understand an idea), Procedure (follow steps), Decision (apply judgment), and Reference (look up a fact). Each type has distinct optimal formats and durations.

A branching diagram or interactive tool that guides users through a series of conditional questions to reach a diagnosis, recommendation, or decision. A Moment 3–4 (Apply/Solve) performance support tool.

Co-author (with Karl Kapp) of Microlearning: Short and Sweet (2019, ATD Press). Their research established the 3–7 minute sweet spot for micro-content duration and the structural conditions that distinguish microlearning from simply shorter training.

A job aid that highlights only what has changed in a process, policy, or system — not the full procedure. The primary design pattern for Moment 5 (Change). Reduces retraining burden by targeting what practitioners need to do differently.

Author of Modern Learning Ecosystem (ATD Press), which frames workplace learning as a continuous ecosystem of resources, tools, and experiences rather than a series of discrete training events.

Spreading practice sessions over time rather than concentrating them in one block. Produces significantly better long-term retention than massed practice. The scheduling complement to the spacing effect.

A delivery structure borrowed from email marketing: a timed sequence of micro-modules and retrieval events released at optimized intervals over days or weeks. Automates spaced delivery for learner populations without requiring individual scheduling.

German psychologist who first quantified memory decay in the 1880s, producing the forgetting curve — the empirical finding that memory declines rapidly without reinforcement. His work established the problem that the spacing effect exists to solve.

A retrieval schedule in which the gap between study sessions grows progressively longer after each successful recall — e.g., 1 day → 3 days → 7 days → 21 days. Consistently outperforms fixed intervals for long-term retention (Cepeda et al., 2006).

A retrieval schedule in which content is reviewed at equal time intervals (e.g., every 7 days). Easier to schedule but less effective than expanding intervals for long-term retention.

The empirical relationship (Ebbinghaus, 1885) between time and memory decay: roughly 50% of new information is forgotten within an hour and ~70% within 24 hours without reinforcement. The spacing effect counteracts forgetting curve decay by strategically re-engaging memory before it fades completely.

Co-creator (with Bob Mosher) of the 5 Moments of Need framework. Co-author of Innovative Performance Support (2011, McGraw-Hill). Advocate for designing learning and support across all five performance moments, not just the first two.

The gap between study or practice sessions. According to Cepeda et al. (2008), the optimal ISI is approximately 10–20% of the retention interval — shorter percentages for longer retention goals. The basis for the spacing calculator on this site.

A practice schedule that mixes different topics or problem types within a single session (A-B-A-B rather than A-A-A then B-B-B). Forces learners to identify which concept applies, producing better discrimination and transfer than blocked practice.

Any external support tool (checklist, quick-reference card, decision tree, reference table) that enables or improves task performance without requiring information to be memorized first. Classified by Rossett & Schafer into three types: Planners, Sidekicks, and Reference aids.

Professor at Bloomsburg University and co-author (with Robyn Defelice) of Microlearning: Short and Sweet (2019, ATD Press). Researcher on game-based learning, microlearning duration, and the structural conditions for effective micro-content.

Cognitive psychologist at Purdue University. Co-authored (with Henry Roediger) the 2008 study demonstrating that retrieval practice produces significantly stronger retention than re-reading — the core research behind the testing effect.

A situation in which a person is building new knowledge or skills, not yet applying them. Corresponds to Moments 1 (New) and 2 (More) in the 5 Moments of Need framework. Traditional courses and training programs are primarily designed for learning moments.

Concentrating all study or practice into a single session with little or no time between reviews. Produces rapid short-term performance gains but significantly worse long-term retention than distributed practice. Also called "cramming."

A design approach that structures learning content into short, standalone units (typically 3–7 minutes) each focused on a single learning objective. Distinct from "shorter training" — true microlearning requires standalone completeness, action-closes, and moment-matched formatting.

Cognitive psychologist who published "The Magical Number Seven, Plus or Minus Two" (1956), establishing that working memory holds approximately 7±2 items. This finding underlies the principle of chunking content into meaningful units rather than maximizing the quantity of information per unit.

A framework by Gottfredson & Mosher identifying five situations when people need learning or performance support: (1) New — learning something for the first time; (2) More — deepening existing knowledge; (3) Apply — performing the task and needing workflow support; (4) Solve — something has gone wrong and needs diagnosis; (5) Change — adapting to new processes, tools, or conditions.

Co-creator (with Conrad Gottfredson) of the 5 Moments of Need framework. Author, consultant, and advocate for workflow learning and performance support. Co-author of Innovative Performance Support (2011, McGraw-Hill).

A situation in which a person is doing work and needs support in the flow — not learning a new concept. Corresponds to Moments 3–5 (Apply, Solve, Change). Best served by job aids, decision trees, and performance support tools rather than training.

Tools, systems, or content that help people perform tasks in the moment of need without requiring prior memorization. Includes job aids, decision trees, AI assistants, quick-reference cards, and any resource accessible and usable at the point of performance.

A job aid used before a task to help the user prepare: checklists, planning templates, and preparation worksheets. Designed with space for notes and pre-task steps. Part of the Rossett & Schafer job aid taxonomy.

A compact, scannable job aid — typically one page or screen — that provides key steps, terms, or reference data for a frequently-performed task. A Sidekick-type job aid optimized for speed of access at the point of performance.

Author of Revolutionize Learning & Development (Pfeiffer) and advocate for evidence-based design in corporate learning. Writes on learning science, game design, and the persistent gap between L&D practice and published research.

A job aid used during or after a task for factual lookup: tables, specifications, glossaries, code charts. Designed for scannability and fast retrieval of specific information. Part of the Rossett & Schafer job aid taxonomy.

The period of time over which a learner is expected to retain information — the gap between initial learning and required use. Used in the Cepeda et al. (2008) temporal ridgeline to calculate the optimal first inter-study interval: ISI ≈ 10–20% of the RI.

The act of actively recalling information from memory rather than passively re-reading it. Produces significantly stronger long-term retention than re-study (Karpicke & Roediger, 2008). The mechanism behind spacing event retrieval quizzes and the testing effect.

Cognitive psychologist at Washington University in St. Louis. Co-authored (with Jeffrey Karpicke) the 2008 study demonstrating the testing effect — that retrieval practice outperforms re-reading for long-term retention.

Professor Emerita at San Diego State University. Co-authored (with Lisa Schafer) Job Aids and Performance Support (2007, Pfeiffer), which established the Planner/Sidekick/Reference taxonomy for job aids and the 6-factor decision framework for training vs. support.

Co-author (with Allison Rossett) of Job Aids and Performance Support (2007, Pfeiffer). The Rossett & Schafer taxonomy and decision framework are the primary references for the Performance Support section of this site.

A job aid used during a task to guide performance: step-by-step procedures, quick-reference cards, and decision trees. Designed for sequential clarity and fast scanning at the point of performance. Part of the Rossett & Schafer job aid taxonomy.

The foundational rule of microlearning design: each unit teaches exactly one thing, expressed with a single action verb in one sentence. If you need "and" or a second verb, the unit should be split. The most commonly violated principle in microlearning practice.

The empirical finding that distributing practice sessions over time produces significantly better long-term retention than concentrating the same amount of practice in a single session. One of the most replicated findings in learning science. Described in modern terms by Cepeda et al. (2006) and operationalized for workplace learning by Thalheimer (2006, 2017).

The property of a micro-module that can be completed and applied without reference to other modules in the same series. A learner should be able to start at any module and walk away with something immediately usable.

The finding by Cepeda et al. (2008) that the optimal inter-study interval (ISI) follows a curved relationship with the retention interval (RI) — peaking at approximately 20–25% of the RI for short retention windows and declining to 5–10% for longer ones. The basis for the spacing schedule calculator on this site.

The finding that being tested on material produces stronger long-term retention than spending the same time re-reading it (Karpicke & Roediger, 2008). Also called the retrieval practice effect. The mechanism that makes retrieval quizzes more effective than review modules.

Learning scientist and researcher at Work-Learning Research. Synthesized the spacing and retrieval literature into practical workplace guidance (2006, 2017). Recommended expanding retrieval intervals of 1, 3, 7, 14, 30, and 60 days after initial learning for 3-month retention goals.

The cognitive system that temporarily holds and manipulates information during active thinking and learning. Limited to approximately 7±2 items (Miller, 1956). The capacity constraint that drives chunking, single-objective framing, and the 3–7 minute duration recommendation in microlearning design.