Designing eLearning
A learning methodology is a set of procedures composed of methods, principles, and rules for enhancing individual capacity and performance. Yet some designers mainly focus on the technology and content when it comes to building elearning platforms; however, this normally leads to a “page-turning” design — the learner reads what is on the screen and then clicks the next button. While this can bring about knowledge, which is important, the design often fails to follow-up with the next step — performance — having the learners practice the skills in order to master them.
While there are a number of means of achieving a rich and interactive elearning platform, one option is using a design architecture composed of the “Five Types of Content in eLearning” (Clark, Mayer, 2007) and the six categories of Bloom's Revised Taxonomy:
Five Types of Content in eLearning
Content normally comes in one of five forms:
- Fact - unique data (e. g., symbols for Excel formula, or the parts that make up a Learning Objective)
- Concept - a category that includes multiple examples (e. g., Excel formulas, or the various types/theories of Instructional Design)
- Process - a flow of events or activities (e. g., how a spreadsheet works, or the five phases in ADDIE)
- Procedure - step-by-step task (e. g., entering a formula into a spreadsheet, or the steps that should be followed within a phase in ADDIE)
- Strategic Principle - task performed by adapting guidelines (e. g., doing a financial projection in a spreadsheet, or using a framework for designing learning environments)
Bloom's Revised Taxonomy
In turn, each type of content normally has several several degrees of difficulties of learning, depending upon how the learners will be expected to use the content. For example, they might have to 1) know about an outside process and how it relates to a process they are involved with, 2) perform the process, or 3) create new processes. The revised Cognitive Domain of Bloom's Taxonomy provides a good guide for six types of learning:
Design Architecture Matrix
Putting the above two concepts into a matrix gives us an idea of what type of activities the learners need in order for them to learn the required performance skills. The matrix below lists various instructional options or activities for matching a specific content with a performance level the learners must master:
| Fact | Concept | Process | Procedure | Strategic Principle | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Remembering (or being able to locate data by searching) |
Reading or podcast EPSS or mLearning for finding facts Multiple choice, puzzles, or Drag and Drop for learning facts |
|
|
|
|
| Understanding | EPSS or mLearning for finding examples Reading or podcast Social Learning Media - learning from others Matched example/non-example pairs Demonstration Reading with simple graphics Worked Examples Multiple choice, puzzles,or Drag and Drop for learning about the events |
elearning, EPSS, or mLearning for demonstration (rich media) Reading or podcast Social Learning Media - discussing and sharing Demonstration (rich media) Reading with graphics Worked Examples Multiple choice, puzzles,or Drag and Drop for learning about the events |
elearning, EPSS, or mLearning for demonstration (rich media) Reading or podcast Social Learning Media - discussing and sharing Demonstration (rich media) Reading with graphics Worked Examples Multiple choice, puzzles,or Drag and Drop for learning about the events |
Reading or podcast Social Learning Media - discussing and sharing eLearning - Interactive Scenario Case study followed by questions Worked Examples Multiple choice, puzzles,or Drag and Drop for learning about the events |
|
| Applying | Case study followed by questions Drag and Drop or puzzles Social Learning Media - sharing experiences Creating wiki entry or blog post |
EPSS - list activities eLearning - Interactive Scenario Social Learning Media - sharing and receiving guidance Creating wiki entry or blog post Simulation |
EPSS - list steps eLearning - Interactive Scenario Social Learning Media - sharing and receiving guidance Creating wiki entry or blog post Simulation |
EPSS - list activities Social Learning Media - sharing and receiving guidance Creating wiki entry or blog post eLearning - Interactive Branching Scenario Simulation |
|
| Analyzing | eLearning - Interactive Scenario Social Learning Media - reflecting and sharing |
Matched example/non-example pairs Social Learning Media - reflecting and sharing |
Matched example/non-example pairs Social Learning Media - reflecting and sharing |
Case study followed by questions Social Learning Media - reflecting and sharing |
|
| Evaluating | Social Learning Media - sharing experiences and creating blog posts Simulation |
Case study followed by questions Social Learning Media - sharing experiences and creating blog posts eLearning - Interactive Branching Scenario Simulation |
Case study followed by questions Social Learning Media - sharing experiences and creating blog posts eLearning - Interactive Branching Scenario Simulation |
Social Learning Media - sharing experiences Case study followed by questions and blog post or wiki entry Simulation |
|
| Creating | (note - performing any of the activities to the right will normally produce new or revised facts) |
Social Learning Media - project interaction (chat, wiki, blog) |
Blended Learning - elearning and Action Learning Social Learning Media - project interaction (chat, wiki, blog) |
Blended Learning - elearning and Action Learning Social Learning Media - project interaction (chat, wiki, blog) |
Blended Learning - elearning and Action Learning Social Learning Media - project interaction (chat, wiki, blog) |
Note that the activities are not locked in, but are rather suggestions that are aimed at improving the learning platform so that it supports the learners in their quest to master the required objectives.
The activities listed in the matrix can be categorized into four types of Design Architectures (Clark, 2002):
- Receptive: Absorbing the information
- Directive: Performing a required step and then receiving immediate feedback
- Guided Discovery: Opportunities to try, fail, reflective, and then perform to meet the required standard
- Exploratory: Learning how to solve problems on our own
Thus, we normally use the first architecture to learn about something and then move on to one or more of the last three so that we can learn how to perform to the required level. Thus, the final design of an elearning platform should normally contain the first Design Architecture, Receptive, so that the learners can gain the minimum basic knowledge; in addition to containing one or more of the last three Design Architectures, Directive, Guided Discovery and Exploratory, so that the learners can master the required skills.
Designing eLearning: ADDIE plus More
While the ADDIE model is quite useful when it comes to designing effective elearning platforms, the design does require extra attention as compared to classroom platforms. Unlike classrooms where instructors can adapt to the learners' needs; elearning platforms, unless they are synchronous, must be designed to take care of the learners' needs. Note that elearning is often divided into two types, asynchronous and synchronous:
- Asynchronous - The participants (learners and instructors) are not online at the same time. This type of instruction is often referred to as self-paced learning. Its main advantage is that the learners can learn at their own pace.
- Synchronous - The learners interact with each other and their instructors in real time (virtual classroom). This is quite similar to classroom learning, except the participants are separated by space or distance. Its main advantage is that it brings the social aspect to learning.
Since each of the two types of elearning have their advantage, good designers often combine self-paced learning with either synchronous elearning or classroom learning. This hybrid method is normally called blended learning.
Another effective method is to build an asynchronous elearning platform supported by social media tools. Note that a learning platform implies an architecture or framework that totally that is stably structured so that it supports the learners. Thus social learning is juxtaposed to it with media tools, such as chat (e.g., Twitter), blogs, and wikis that allow the learners to communicate with their peers, instructors, experts, etc. While these types of social medial are not quite as synchronous as face-to-face or live on-line chats, they do create a close approximation if they are supported properly.
References
Clark, R. C. (2002). The new ISD: Applying cognitive strategies to instructional design. Performance Improvement, v. 41, n. 7. pp.8-14.
Clark, R. C., Mayer, R. E. (2007). eLearning and the Science of Instruction. San Francisco: Pfeiffer.
Quinones, Miguel A. and Ehrenstein, Addie (1997). Training for a Rapidly Changing Workplace: Applications of Psychological Research. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.