Microlearning Outperforms Traditional Instruction in Nursing Students’ Autism Knowledge Study

Undergraduate nursing students who completed a microlearning intervention demonstrated significantly greater gains in autism spectrum disorder knowledge and beliefs than peers who received traditional instruction, according to a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest study conducted at Irbid National University in Jordan.

The research investigated educational approaches addressing autism spectrum disorder, a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by persistent difficulties in social communication and interaction alongside restricted or repetitive behaviors and interests. Within healthcare preparation, adequate knowledge and positive beliefs concerning autism spectrum disorder are considered essential for nurses to provide individualized and evidence-based clinical care. To support this learning, microlearning delivers educational content in short, focused instructional units designed to facilitate knowledge acquisition and retention.

To evaluate the comparative effectiveness of the two instructional modalities, the researchers used a quasi-experimental, non-equivalent control group pretest–posttest design. The investigation enrolled 140 undergraduate nursing students using a convenience sampling approach. Participants were assigned to either the microlearning group (n = 70) or the traditional instruction group (n = 70) based on their existing class sections and their academic and clinical schedules.

Data collection across both student groups relied on three online evaluation instruments administered before and after the programs. Tool I gathered participant characteristics and documented prior educational exposure related to autism spectrum disorder. Tool II measured participant knowledge regarding the condition, while Tool III assessed beliefs regarding autism spectrum disorder. The study evaluated outcomes prior to instruction and administered a post-test one month after completion of the educational interventions.

A mixed-design repeated-measures analysis of variance revealed statistically significant overall improvements in both knowledge and beliefs over time across both instructional cohorts (p < 0.001). However, the analysis identified significant time-by-group interaction effects for both knowledge (F(1, 138) = 24.23, p < 0.001, partial η² = 0.149) and beliefs (F(1, 138) = 14.73, p < 0.001, partial η² = 0.096). These statistical interactions indicated that participants in the microlearning group experienced greater improvements from baseline to the one-month post-test than students in the traditional instruction group.

The authors concluded that microlearning was associated with greater improvements in nursing students’ knowledge and beliefs regarding autism spectrum disorder compared with traditional instruction, suggesting the format may serve as a useful educational approach for preparing nursing students to provide evidence-based care for children with autism spectrum disorder.

Subject of Research: Instructional methods for nursing students' autism spectrum disorder knowledge and beliefs

Article Title: Microlearning versus traditional instruction for improving nursing students’ knowledge and beliefs about autism spectrum disorder: a quasi-experimental study

Article References: Mohammed, F. I., Abualhoul, M., & Abohadida, R. M. (2026). Microlearning versus traditional instruction for improving nursing students’ knowledge and beliefs about autism spectrum disorder: a quasi-experimental study. BMC Nursing, 25(1), Article 1050. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-026-05443-9

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12912-026-05443-9

Keywords: autism spectrum disorder, microlearning, nursing education, traditional instruction, nursing students, quasi-experimental study, educational intervention, health knowledge, versus, traditional, instruction, improving