In search of the perfect e-learner

by Clive Shepherd


It’s becoming common knowledge that e-learning is achieving inconsistent results. Some e-learners thrive on the increased flexibility and control that the medium provides; others wallow in isolation, struggling to make a start. In this article, Clive Shepherd examines the notion that some people are more suited to e-learning than others, while not discarding the idea that e-learning could be developed to become a medium for the masses.

Contents

All e-learners are not equal
Profiling the perfect e-learner
Broadening the appeal
E-learning for all
Case study: Geraint Richards
Case study: Nicole Avdelidou-Fischer

All e-learners are not equal

Quentin just loves e-learning. His personal circumstances make it difficult for him to commit to events that stick to a rigid timetable and take him away from home. He’s easily bored and so he relishes the highly visual nature of his e-learning materials and the constant challenges set for him. He’s not unhappy working alone, but is takes advantage of any opportunities to communicate online with his fellow learners. He’s already completed two courses with flying colours and now he’s addicted.

Sally believes e-learning is the work of the devil. She loves to work in a team and finds it very hard to get motivated when she has to rely on her own self-discipline. She’s not fond of computers and gets very frustrated when she doesn’t know what to do and has no-one to ask. Courses for her are a social experience in which formal learning takes second place to long contact-building sessions in the bar. Sally tried e-learning, for about half an hour. Now she’s convinced it’s not for her and is working out how to get her money back.

Clearly, if the stories of Quentin and Sally in any way resemble real-life experience, and my guess is that they do, then all e-learners are not equal. We have winners and losers, just as we probably always have had with the classroom and all other learning media. So, perhaps it would help us to know just what it is about some learners that makes them better suited to e-learning than others. It would also help if we could make e-learning more suitable for the majority of learners, so we could all take advantage of its benefits, but more of that to come. For now, let’s establish a profile of the perfect e-learner.

Profiling the perfect e-learner

As a starting point, if you’re going to enjoy e-learning, it helps if you like learning in general. Michelle Gleadall, who works for learndirect, has participated in the highly-successful Open University e-learning course, You, Your Computer and the Internet: ‘I have always wanted to learn. Although I often find it a bind, in a way I really enjoy it, and get a lot of satisfaction from it. If I didn’t have this, I don’t think I could possibly get through all the courses I’ve done.’ Phil Lidster, a management development specialist from Birmingham City Council, is in agreement: ‘I don't know if there is anything about my personality or experience that makes me particularly suitable for e-learning. But I have (nearly) always enjoyed learning - whatever the medium or style. So I don't prefer e-learning to other approaches - but I do like it.’

Perhaps e-learning suits some learning styles more than others. Professor Paul Gamble is Director of the Virtual MBA programme at the University of Surrey: ‘I don’t know whether there is a type of learner that is best suited to e-learning, but there’s no doubt that learners differ in how they like to learn. All students on the MBA take the Honey and Mumford learning styles test. Once they know their preferred style, they can select one of four variations in the course materials, designed specifically to reflect their preference.’

There is also a body of evidence pointing to the fact that some people prefer the social dynamics of the online world to the classroom. Gleadall: ‘Although confident in my learning and certainly not antisocial, I am probably not as sociable and confident as I would like in a group. This means that, for me, e-learning is rather an easy option, because I don’t have to physically sit in a group and speak in front of a large number of people. Although I don’t dislike this, I feel much more comfortable and at ease communicating over a computer, whether it be emailing, submitting documents, or taking part in an online chat.’ Professor Gamble agrees: ‘Some people will open up more online. They have more time to ponder over their responses and can provide more thoughtful answers.’

The right personality certainly helps. Lidster: ‘As a learner I have always wanted to do things 'on my terms' and have therefore taken responsibility for my own progress. Maybe this is why I get on with e-learning? I have plenty of scope to do my learning when and where I want.’ Gleadall is also aware of the importance of self-motivation: ‘I am quite self-motivated, which I think is vital in e-learning, as there are no set hours or classes, and I need to be able to find the motivation from somewhere to force myself to sit at the computer and read. I am also conscientious - that is, I keep up with the course work as much as I can, as we often need to do online groupwork and I would not like to let my fellow group workers down by not being up to speed.’

Technology is another important part of the equation. Suzette Castle is a Business Development Manager at Unipart: ‘A good e-learner needs to be patient if using a slow PC as download times can be very frustrating! Slow PCs can completely destroy the experience, so a good e-learner needs to make sure they have the appropriate technology.’ Gleadall recognises that IT literacy is also important: ‘I use computers on a daily basis, and am a very confident user, which I think is important for e-learning. This means that I can just concentrate on the learning content, and not worry about learning to use a computer too. I can also decide with a high level of confidence how to record, store and display information effectively for learning purposes.’

Broadening the appeal

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.’

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".’ 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.’   

E-learning for all

So does e-learning have the potential to become a mass medium? The experts seem to think so. According to Gartmore’s Angela Brier, ‘I don't believe there is such as thing as a good e-learner as everyone can learn this way. Some just need more guidance, encouragement and support than others.’ Xebec’s Martine Garland thinks similarly: ‘I believe it is largely down to motivation. Yes there are some learning/cognitive styles that suit e-learning better, but if the 'desire' is strong enough anyone will e-learn.’

Mary Benwell is a Director of learndirect: ‘There is still far too much about users that we have not yet surfaced. This is because much of what we know about learning processes has been deduced without any e-component and also because the really magic e-materials, designed to drive by process rather than content, are not quite there yet. We are not yet at the stage, if we take a transport analogy, where people accept that you might have to leave the ground (classroom/blackboard) to do it better, rather than sticking to the wheels!’

Gleadall believes it’s just a matter of time: ‘As the world becomes more reliant on and comfortable with computers, more people will turn to e-learning, as it fits more easily into a busy life. I think peoples’ feelings and perceptions will need to change - not e-learning itself.’   

Case study: Geraint Richards

‘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.'

Case study: Nicole Avdelidou-Fischer

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!’

E-learning's Greatest Hits
by Clive Shepherd
Available now from Above and Beyond