Development of mobile applications based on microlearning to enhance student engagement: A Systematic Review

Resumen

In the last decade, higher education has increasingly incorporated educational mobile applications, but the evidence on their use as microlearning support aimed at student participation is still scattered. This systematic review aims to identify recent studies on mobile applications based on microlearning directed at higher education students and to show their effects on participation/engagement and academic performance. The methodology involved a search in the Scopus database using the PICO framework and PRISMA guidelines, yielding 335 initial records, of which 66 studies met the inclusion criteria. After analysis, it was observed that most of the studies report improvements in student participation and learning experience, and approximately one quarter of the studies also report increases in academic performance, especially when the apps combine short microlearning units, interactive activities, and gamification and feedback elements. In conclusion, mobile applications based on microlearning constitute a promising strategy to strengthen student participation and, to a lesser extent, academic performance in higher education, although more rigorous studies with a greater presence of Latin American contexts are still needed.