Broadening the appeal
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If you’re a publisher of e-learning materials or an organisation that’s wishing to make use of e-learning to make learning more accessible or reduce costs, then you’re not going to be impressed by the distinctions between the perfect e-learner and your average customer. You want your e-learning to work with as broad an audience as possible.
Professor Gamble believes there’s a lot you can do to help make e-learning a success: “We aim to make sure that every learner has access to TLC, which in our case means a tutor/learning coach. All of our tutors have been through an e-moderating course and this has been extremely helpful. The enthusiasm of the tutor communicates itself very forcefully to the learner.” Donna Wheeler, from e-learning provider learnfish, agrees with the importance of support: “I think that, although e-learning will be easiest for those that are independent learners and like to find out information for themselves, if e-learning is supported well it should suit all or at least most learning styles.”
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“I investigated all the options for studying for MSCE and have tried several including classroom training at an accredited training centre and self-study based on books. The classroom course was not only expensive, it was too intensive and complicated for a beginner like me. I also found it difficult to learn this subject from a book – I needed all my will power just to keep reading some chapters. I have now started to use the NETg MCSE course, and it is a lifesaver! The course makes use of all the elements in learning – reading, writing, hearing, seeing and doing/performing.”
“Even though I am learning in isolation I have found that the NETg's e-Learning is like having a personal tutor. Because it is so interactive, it also holds my attention and I feel motivated to do it. I can work at my own pace, so bits I don't understand I can re-do and others I know better I can move through more quickly.”
“Absolutely anybody could study a NETg course and be successful at it. The only problem I can foresee is that not everybody knows that e-learning is an option. People are slowly becoming aware of it, but I still feel that if someone wanted a qualification their first option would be to go on a classroom based course. That will be largely due to habit and how they have learnt in the past, rather than one course being better than the other.”
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It also helps motivation if you set regular deadlines. Professor Gamble: “Although our course is 27 months long, the course operates to a timetable which requires students to complete work by set dates. Our finding is that the more time you allow, the more time people take.” Katrina Atkins is a Training Co-ordinator for Synergise: “Where e-learning works with me is where the courses run for a set period of time. I am target-oriented and find that I respond to assignments that have to be completed by such-and-such a date.”
It seems that there’s a masochistic side to e-learners. Not only do they like deadlines, they like tests as well. Castle: “I find the pre and post testing element very useful - very rarely do you get tested in a traditional classroom setting, yet it’s quite comforting to know your time has been well spent! I like to be questioned constantly and enjoy all the various forms of quizzes, multiple-choice questions, drag and drop and so on - I need to be constantly ‘doing’.”
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Provide proactive support
Provide engaging, highly-visual materials
Impose deadlines
Include testing and other forms of interaction, with quality feedback
Make learning a social activity
Add live online events to the mix
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Nicky Dunn is not only responsible for e-learning at NTL, she’s a keen e-learner herself: “With online assessments scored I can see how I am progressing and it gives me a sense of accomplishment. I did a JavaScript course and at the end of each learning section there was a challenging piece of code to write. Once this was done and working you submitted it to a course tutor for marking. What was great was that they didn't just mark it and send it back, they always included some sort of feedback that progressed your thinking in some way.”
There’s no doubt that there would be a wider audience for e-learning if there were more opportunities for collaboration. Gleadall: “I really enjoyed the group working which formed a large part of the OU course. This ensured that the online studying was not too isolated and also that it was more fun. In doing any longer course I think I would start losing motivation if there was no element of group working or at the very least contact with other students.” Lidster agrees: “I enjoy dialogue, discussion and debate - and I am not sure if I would have got so much out of the courses I did if they had only used pre-programmed material. The use of e-conferences was very enjoyable - allowing connectivity with a range of people I would not normally meet.”
For some, a live element to this collaboration is helpful. Dave Stokes is a Training Consultant for The Fifth Business: “Most e-learners have commented that the electronic delivery method partnered with a real person to talk to, is what makes the e-learning sessions particularly relevant and enjoyable to them. This is obviously different to self paced e-learning, where I sometimes believe that the motivation has to be something of benefit to the e-learner, such as certification.” Sarah Price, an e-learning development manager at Oracle, echoes this view: “I did find having a ‘live’ instructor made the event more engaging. It helped to be able to hear a live voice, rather than a recording and to be able to ask questions.”
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Nicole is a student on the Virtual MBA programme at the University of Surrey: “Several factors, like job and family, make it difficult to leave my base - sometimes even for just a weekend. This excludes part-time or block-mode postgraduate programs. With the online programme I don't have to lose time travelling, and of course I can organise the studying hours myself. This respects my working and private life and supports autonomy.”
“Some people might think that this independency might also mean “lonesomeness”, but it does not. The course provides course rooms, a library, even a coffee-room, offering a lot of interactivity! And all tutors and professors are very welcoming and helpful.”
“I have found this the most multi-cultural, many-sided, international and exciting environment I have ever been in! If a manager wants to broaden his horizons and give himself and his organisation the best chance of success in today's knowledge-intensive global economy, then the online environment is the place to study!”
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EAN: 2147483647
Pages: 198