E-Learning: An Oxymoron?

[Anol Bhattacharya]

From Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox, June 9, 2008:

"I continue to believe in the linear, author-driven narrative for educational purposes. I just don't believe the Web is optimal for delivering this experience. Instead, let's praise old narrative forms like books and sitting around a flickering campfire — or its modern day counterpart, the PowerPoint projector — which have been around for 500 and 32,000 years, respectively.

I continue to write books, and I continue to develop training seminars, because I believe these media are best for deep learning of new concepts.

We should accept that the Web is too fast-paced for big-picture learning. No problem; we have other media, and each has its strengths. At the same time, the Web is perfect for narrow, just-in-time learning of information nuggets — so long as the learner already has the conceptual framework in place to make sense of the facts.

For example, I dated "learning around the campfire" to 32,000 years ago to coincide with the emergence of high culture and the Cro-Magnons. Not that the Neanderthals didn't have campfires — they simply didn't have the cultural depth of modern humans, so I don't think their storytelling was equal to my seminars. So, did I actually remember that Cro-Magnon culture started 32,000 years ago with the Lascaux cave paintings? No, I looked that little fact up online. "

Your thoughts please..

[Andy Jones]

Anol - interesting to say the least and I've got to say - it has a ring of truth around it. I really buy into the quote:

"...so long as the learner already has the conceptual framework in place to make sense of the facts"

This I think is vital not just for online learning but for all learning. I'm not sure though that the web is not the place for a big picture. It's easier to keep the big picture current in seminars because they're delivered in real time with up to the minute information. However, with content being able to be created more and more quickly then that is becoming more common online too.

Also, a big picture doesn't change "that" much over short (ish) periods of time. Which means the web is a good place to deliver big pictures where users can peruse at their leisure.

Final thing - narrative is good. Story telling is good. But it isn't confined to the camp fire. I firmly believe that with a bit of imagination a narrative can be delivered online, and delivered successfully. New methods of communication are being used. Some are more appropriate than others (I don't want my pilot to learn to fly online) for certain things. But all have value if used in concert.

I think then I'm saying that whilst I agree with a lot of what Mr Nielson says, I think it's naive to constrain it to seminars and campfires.

[Ignatia]

hi Anol and Andy,

Agreeing that the quote
"...so long as the learner already has the conceptual framework in place to make sense of the facts"
is essential for strong learning results of any kind, especially when the knowledge available is spread rather thick and thus a bit difficult to sift through as it is the case with the internet.

His analysis depends on his definition of eLearning. For me, if I would add TELearning (Technology Enhanced learning) instead of eLearning, things immediately get more focused on the learning itself. If the focus is on learning, all technology becomes nothing more than an instrument to provide more to many learners, but the impact of the learning is in the content itself.

For in-depth learning, I would think that certain TELearning is better equipped, for instance simulations to prepare people for real life action which cannot be served to them IRL (for instance a pandemic simulation, war or on a more peaceful level microscopic simulations with rare plants or diseases).

Narratives a part of a set of memory enhanced human trades, so stories are always nice. But to me the campfire is the Web. I move to the campfire I like and connect to the people that gather around that particular campfire. To me social media is nothing new; it is just bigger in scope than earlier communication devices.

Both techniques are sound and will work as long as they meet the criteria to motivate learners minds I think. But electronic learning has a wider impact thanks to extra possibilities.

cheers!