Anna Kirakosian
THE DEVELOPMENT AND CATEGORIES OF E-LEARNING
One of the biggest challenges in discussing e-learning arises from
different understandings of the field. Most often, we attach our experiences
and career to our conversations, presenting an image of e-learning that
reflects what we have encountered. For an instructional designer, e-learning
often means courses or learning materials directed at meeting an objective
within the larger scope of program development. A corporate trainer may view
e-learning as a combination of courses and knowledge management. No one
perspective is symbolic of the whole industry.
A danger exists in discussing various segments of e-learning: paying too
much attention to distinctions across categories. The real focus and unifying
theme is (or at least should be) learning – whether it is in a classroom,
online, blended, or embedded. Each category presented here is most effective
when properly matched with the appropriate learning environment and desired
outcome.
None of the categories listed function in isolation. Lines blur between
categories, and a successful e-learning implementation will incorporate many
different ones. In a previous
paper, I detailed the holistic and
interconnected nature of e-learning design. This paper attempts to present the
categories, not procedures, of the e-learning field.
The categories of e-learning:
1. Courses
2. Informal learning
3. Blended learning
4. Communities
5. Knowledge management
6. Networked learning
7. Work-based learning (EPSS)
Beyond the
categories of e-learning, it is important to note a few additional factors that
impact the field:
Ubiquitous
computing
Tools and Delivery
for elearning
Courses. Most discussion of e-learning centres
on courses. Organizations
typically take existing educational materials, add various media, sequence the
material and consider it “transferred” to the online environment. The
popularity of learning management systems (LMS) like WebCT
and Blackboard, (and the perception that they are needed as a starting point) testify to the prominence of courses as a view of
e-learning. Some designers are beginning to employ simulations, story telling,
and the unique traits of online media in an effort to transform the material
for representation in a digital environment. The predominance of “courses as
e-learning” view stems from their similarities to the classroom environment.
Both learners and instructors are able to relate to the general structure and
flow on a course.
Informal Learning. Informal learning
is perhaps the most dynamic and versatile aspect of learning. Unfortunately, it
is also the least recognized. Informal learning is a by-product of “information
foraging” – “the human behaviour when searching for
information was similar to that of the hunter-gatherers and animals in search
for food”( Dürsteler,
undated). Our need for information (and how we intend to use it) drives our
search. Search engines (like Google) coupled with information storage tools
(like Furl) and personal knowledge management tools like wikis and blogs
present a powerful toolset in the knowledge workers portfolio. Jay Cross
(2003): states that: “At work we learn more in the break room than in the
classroom. We discover how to do our jobs through informal learning --
observing others, asking the person in the next cubicle, calling the help desk,
trial-and-error, and simply working with people in the know. Formal learning – classes
and workshops and online events – is the source of only 10% to 20% of what we
learn at work.”
Communities. Learning is social
(Driscoll, 2000, p.239). Most problems within our business environments today
are complex and dynamic. Yesterday’s solutions don’t always work today. Problem
solving requires different perspectives to create an accurate understanding of
potential solutions and environment of implementation. Online communities allow
people to stay current in their field through dialogue with other members of
the same organization, or the larger global field. Communities strongly
contribute to the flow of tacit knowledge.
Knowledge Management. Knowledge
management (KM) is the significant challenge for businesses in a knowledge
economy. KM involves the process of identifying, indexing, and making available
(in various formats) knowledge generated within the daily activities of an
organization. Some companies have found value in managing content, mining
emails, and creating communities of practice. Tafe
Frontiers presents eight categories of knowledge management: learning and
development, information management, client feedback, knowledge capture,
knowledge generation, virtual teams, communities of practice, and content
management systems (http://www.tafefrontiers.com.au/i_r/progress.html). The
duplication of KM and elearning concepts highlights
the strong connections (and blurring) between these fields.
Learning Networks. Communities
typically form around a particular goal, concept or theme. A learning network
is the loose, personal coupling of communities, resources, and people. It is
the cornerstone of personal knowledge management. Vaill
(1996) states that: “The permanent white water in today’s systems is creating a
situation in which institutional learning patterns are simply inadequate to the
challenge. Subject matter is changing too rapidly” (p. 41).
The utilization of personal learning networks allows knowledge workers to
remain current in their field.