| It goes without saying that whatever technolgies | | | | learner's concerns or problems is part of the face |
| are used, they have to be effective training tools. | | | | to face environment. Elearning often involves |
| Previous Updaters have detailed how to | | | | delays in providing feedback. Good online delivery |
| determine the profile of the learner and what the | | | | will address this issue by developing extensive |
| training is designed to achieve, you're now in a | | | | feedback resources that are immediately available |
| good position to make an effective decision on | | | | to learners. |
| appropriate technologies. | | | | - Much of the value in face to face learning is |
| The most common difficulty is in balancing | | | | derived from the types of activities and |
| operational issues and a need to use existing | | | | interaction that takes place. Simply adapting |
| structures, against the particular needs of the | | | | resources does not necessarily result in learning |
| learners. The sorts of operational pressures often | | | | activities or the level of interactive engagement |
| encountered include: | | | | that brings about deeper learning. |
| - Competing budgetary constraints. Often | | | | Working from existing resources also means that |
| developmental initiatives compete with other | | | | alternative resources and activities are often not |
| 'special' projects in an environment of reduced and | | | | included in the design of the course, so much as |
| uncertain funding. | | | | tacked on the end. For example, existing Internet |
| - Organisation wide change. Significant as the | | | | resources are often listed as background material; |
| spread of elearning is, it still must integrate with | | | | learners are invited to go beyond the structured |
| other organisational change issues such as | | | | course resources if they choose to. Such an |
| restructuring and the internationalisation of | | | | approach misses the opportunity to broaden the |
| education. | | | | depth of learning available through existing online |
| - Institution-wide IT systems. Often, existing IT | | | | resources. Designing the learning process to |
| systems were originally designed to support the | | | | incorporate such resources allows more effective |
| administration of organisations, rather than the | | | | use to be made of them. |
| provision of training. Where delivery software is | | | | The issue then is about selecting the appropriate |
| purchased, the decision is often based on cost | | | | technologies for the learners and training |
| and ease of integration within existing systems. | | | | objectives. The respective advantages of core |
| - The development of courses has traditionally | | | | technologies can be summarised as: |
| been seen as one part of the job of lecturers | | | | 1. Internet resources |
| rainers. 'Getting a course going' was something | | | | - Provides access to training in a range of |
| that educators did as part of their wider delivery | | | | situations that learners might otherwise not be |
| role. It sometimes demanded additional resourcing, | | | | able to study in. |
| which was negotiated as part of annual workload. | | | | - Less suitable for modelling verbal skills or physical |
| As such, it was a cost to be minimised. | | | | behaviours. |
| - Time pressure. Pre-determined course start | | | | - Facilitates communication between students and |
| dates often dictate small development | | | | tutors at a distance. |
| timeframes. | | | | - Limited ability to provide feedback on behaviours |
| 1. Select the delivery tool. | | | | (e.g. practical presentation skills) |
| Relevant factors here are: | | | | - Provides access to current worldwide resources. |
| - The existence of legacy systems such as | | | | - Less interactivity/depth of learning experience |
| generic online delivery tools | | | | than multimedia. |
| - The 'best fit' for existing course resources, with | | | | 2. Multimedia resources |
| a focus on minimising the adaption process. For | | | | - Makes available a wide range of learning |
| example, online availability of PDF documents | | | | resources and realia |
| generated from presentation materials. | | | | - More complicated to access 'live' and update. |
| - Lowest implementation cost. | | | | - Incorporates a range of activities that stimulate |
| - Minimising the need for staff training or upskilling | | | | and motivate learning. |
| in order to implement delivery. | | | | - Generally more involved development process |
| 2. 'Path of least resistance' development. | | | | 3. Print resources |
| Collate existing resources (usually print) and adapt | | | | - Provides a permanent record |
| for online/distance delivery. | | | | - Difficult to update. |
| 3. Supplement the core. | | | | - More transportable and can be used in a wider |
| Provide communication, support or learner | | | | range of situations. |
| feedback to the extent permitted by timeframes | | | | - Costly to distribute |
| and budgetary constraints. | | | | Don't assume that only one resource type should |
| Adopting such a model involves running a number | | | | be used. Well designed customised training |
| of risks. Many of the elements that make up | | | | solutions will often combine a range of resources |
| effective face to face instruction are not readily | | | | that, packaged together, provide a learning |
| adapted from course resources. For example: | | | | experience that draws on the strength of each |
| - Much of the actual content is often in the head | | | | one. For an example of training that combines |
| of the presenter, not on paper. | | | | multimedia, internet and print based resources, |
| - The role of a presenter as motivator can be | | | | see a course in study skills preparing learners for |
| missed in the adaption process. | | | | University ertiary level study. |
| - The ability to provide immediate feedback to | | | | |