Reflections on Nano Learning and Teaching: Can it Be a Substitute for Higher Education?

This paper aims to discuss and reflect on the effects of Nano learning (a term first coined by Clive Shepherd, a Learning and Development Consultant in 2005) at the tertiary level. In today's fast-changing trends in education, students barely have the time to focus on lengthy lessons and lectures. They lose concentration and get bored quickly.  The solution for the students is that they seek to learn through micro-lessons, and some teachers take recourse to teach students through micro sessions instead of covering a vast area of knowledge or information. Despite differing opinions, most of the educators believe that the purpose of getting a Higher Education  is to advance student learning. It is strongly believed that university education is a platform for lifelong learning where learners are expected to learn, retain, and apply what they have learned during a four- to five-year study span. Hence this reflection investigates the effects of nano learning/teaching. The progressive educators have discussed the pros and cons of this emerging trend through questioning and critical observations. Therefore, it questions to what extent this trend will successfully replace the standard of a formal university education.