The Historical Evolution of Microlearning in Health Professions Education: Bibliometric Analysis

Microlearning has emerged as a flexible, technology-enabled instructional approach in health professions education, yet its longitudinal evolution, collaboration patterns, and thematic development remain underexplored.

This study aimed to map publication trends, research impact, collaboration networks, and thematic evolution of microlearning research within health professions education.

A bibliometric analysis of the Web of Science Core Collection (1977-2025) was conducted. Records were retrieved, screened, cleaned, and analyzed using established bibliometric techniques to examine publication trends, coauthorship networks, and keyword co-occurrence patterns.

A total of 560 publications were included in the analysis. Publications demonstrated substantial growth beginning in 2015, with the greatest expansion after 2020. Research output was concentrated in English-speaking regions, particularly the United States. Coauthorship networks showed moderate collaboration within several established academic hubs. Keyword analyses revealed 5 thematic domains reflecting the field's progression from instructional efficiency toward mobile, social, simulation-enhanced, and crisis-responsive microlearning. These themes suggest increasing attention to experiential, accessible, and adaptive learning approaches within health professions education.

Microlearning has evolved into a multidimensional scholarly area shaped by digital transformation, shifting pedagogical expectations, and increased demand for flexible learning formats. Ongoing development should prioritize global representation, theoretical grounding, and rigorous evaluation of emerging technologies. The findings may inform educators, curriculum designers, and institutional leaders seeking to implement evidence-based, digitally enabled microlearning strategies that support learners across diverse educational and clinical environments.