Education and Information Technologies · 5 authors, 5 centres
This summary was generated by AI from a single paper. It has not been reviewed by a clinician and is not clinical advice. Verify against the source before acting on it.
This study evaluated the use of TikTok as a microlearning tool in three nursing degree modules at two Spanish universities. Among 213 students, the platform received high ratings for perceived usefulness, ease of use, and behavioral intention to use, with no significant gender differences. The findings support TikTok as a viable complementary tool to enhance engagement, curiosity, and content acquisition in health sciences higher education.
**Background:** The integration of social media into higher education has gained momentum, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. While platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram have been studied, TikTok—a rapidly growing video-sharing platform—has received less attention as a pedagogical tool, especially for microlearning. Microlearning (knowledge acquisition in small units) has shown positive effects on knowledge retention, confidence, and engagement in health professions education. This study aimed to evaluate the pedagogical possibilities and limitations of using TikTok to create microlearning environments in nursing degree modules.
**Methods:** The study was designed as a longitudinal quasi-experimental study conducted between February 7 and May 13, 2022. A private TikTok account was created for each participating module (PSAN, AN, ND) at the University of Extremadura and University of Castilla-La Mancha. Teachers uploaded at least 4 videos per week, categorized as #content (curriculum-related) or #complementary (cross-curricular). Students were required to register with a private TikTok account; participation accounted for 10% of the final module mark. At the end of the study (May 16–22, 2022), students completed a self-administered voluntary questionnaire via Microsoft Forms. The questionnaire included socio-demographic questions, a 5-point Likert scale section on perceived participation and curiosity, and a 15-item Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) questionnaire using a 7-point Likert scale measuring perceived usefulness (PU, items 1–5), perceived ease of use (PEOU, items 6–10), and behavioral intention (BI, items 11–15). A pilot test was conducted with 10 volunteer students. Statistical analysis used Kolmogorov–Smirnov for normality, Mann–Whitney U for sex comparisons, Kruskal–Wallis for module comparisons, and Pearson’s χ² for qualitative variables, with p<0.05 considered significant.
**Key Results:** A total of 213 students participated (166 female, 78%; 47 male, 22%); mean age was 20.8 years (SEM 0.4). First-year students comprised 58% (n=123), second-year 38% (n=81), and third/fourth-year 4% (n=9). Students rated the environment positively: perceived influence on participation averaged 3.84±0.07 (out of 5), and increased curiosity averaged 4.02±0.07. Content videos (#content) were rated 4.37±0.05, and complementary videos (#complementary) 4.18±0.06. TAM scores were positive: PU averaged 5.38±0.08, PEOU 6.07±0.08, and BI 5.09±0.10 (out of 7). No significant gender differences were found in PU, PEOU, or BI. However, significant differences were observed between modules: PSAN and ND students reported higher increases in participation and curiosity than AN students. PSAN obtained the highest PU and BI scores, while PEOU did not differ significantly between modules. All module-level averages remained above neutral (4 on the 7-point scale).
**Clinical Implications:** This study provides evidence that TikTok can serve as an effective complementary microlearning tool in health sciences education, promoting student engagement, curiosity, and content acquisition. The high PEOU scores reflect the platform's intuitive design, while positive PU and BI scores suggest alignment with student learning objectives. Notably, students valued complementary content as highly as exam-relevant content, challenging assumptions that only assessment-aligned material is valued. The teacher-centered content creation model ensured reliability, though spontaneous student content creation hinted at future peer-to-peer learning opportunities. Limitations include a relatively small sample size (N=213), lack of a control group, and potential teacher/group-specific confounders. Future studies should include larger samples, control groups, and objective measures of academic performance to further validate these findings.