Using TikTok in Education: A Form of Micro-learning or Nano-learning?

Social media platforms have influenced pedagogical practices, and given rise to new theoretical approaches that prioritize connected learning with the aim of improving the learning outcomes. Social media applications have raised the popularity of short videos which were originally created in accordance with micro-learning principles. The proliferation of social media and e-learning has led to the emergence of two overarching concepts: micro-learning and nano-learning. Nano-learning refers to the condensing of microcontent into small units that are controlled and delivered by learners to achieve a single learning objective. In this respect, the social media application TikTok can be a potential educational tool in future since it enables the delivery of small learning units in a short timespan (less than 60 seconds). Designing and delivering creative learning content using TikTok can benefit pedagogical methodologies based on nano-learning principles, thereby facilitating the creation of high-quality e-learning content.