getting more from e-learning unitar, 6 th april 2011 bryan hopkins senior learning solutions officer...

Getting more from e-learning

UNITAR, 6th April 2011

Bryan HopkinsSenior Learning Solutions OfficerUNHCR Global Learning Centre

Budapest

Who am I?

• In education and training since 1977

• First ‘e-learning’ course in 1987• Worked with ILO, WHO, DPKO,

OCHA• Three books on training published

Why do we train people?

What are we going to cover?

• What makes good performance

• Models for training delivery• Implications for e-learning

design

What contributes to performance?

information

equipment

desire

Performance

+

+

Giving information:• feedback on how good• desired level of

performance• guidance on how to do it

Understanding of information

Suitability of physical environment

Physical ability to do

Incentives offered

Motivation to achieve

The bigger picture Gilbert’s Behaviour

Engineering Model

Provide information

Check understanding

Provide practice

What training can do

What makes good training?

Training should:• have clear value • be task-, not knowledge-oriented• be flexible to meet needs and

abilities• be under learner’s control

From Malcolm Knowles

From PowerPoint to e-learning

Information delivery (lecture model):

information

equipment

Performance

Provide information

Check understanding

Provide practice

• Relies on assumptions about learner motivation to bridge gap

• One size fits all

• Usually knowledge-oriented

?

?

Tell and test

Response strengthening:

• Behaviourism

• Stimulus-response

• Conditions of learning (Gagné)

1. Gain attention2. Inform learner of objectives3. Stimulate recall of prior

learning4. Present stimulus material5. Provide learner guidance6. Elicit performance7. Provide feedback8. Assess performance9. Enhance retention transfer

Explore and learn

Knowledge construction:

• Constructivism

• Informal learningKnowledge sources

Context+

Learning

Scaffolding

On-the-jobResearch

ExperimentationMeetings

Asking questions

Typical problems with e-learning

• Excessive reading• Inflexible routing• Assumptions about memory • Focus on ‘sexiness’• Lack of focus on application of

knowledge

Whereas, it should …

• Use its strengths constructively

• Offer task-focused problems and interactions

• Adapt to learners• Link to other media

where they are better

SimulationsGames

Story-tellingIntranet/Internet searching

Branching Pedagogical agents

PDF documentsLearning assessments

And so on …

Lessons for design

• Be clear about why learners need it

• Simulate performance• Use other media where

appropriate

Questions?