6. Pedagogic reflections

(Erik Hoffer 1973, Reflections on the Human Condition
ISBN 1-933435-14-3)

To "produce" learners, learning societies and organizations is the over all objective, since without learners there is no use for any teaching material. But dynamic teaching material can stimulate people to be good learners just when they need to know.

One of the aims with the ”Project Elstudenter” is to try out ways of using digitalized teaching and training material and the optimal use of pictures and speach in an instruction situation, just when skill and knowledge is needed for practical work, - just like any tool.

Printed manuals can be illustrated with color photos and drawings step by step and explanations accompaning every picture. It is not a bad alternative, if everything is explained in a good pedagogic way. Monthly computer magazines are often designed to help the readers to learn new applications and to manage their computer problems in an easy and pedagogic way. It is often written how long time it will take to learn something new and exactly what you will learn, when you follow the given instructions. Often you also get links directly to Internet in the text.

The learning is problem based. An example could be how you store all your e-mails in outlook on a DVD or how you make a copy of a music CD that is not directly possible to copy.

Completely digital material, showed on a screen, can offer photos, film clips, animations and speach, which can explain not only situations but also movements, without interuptions, where the instructed has to fill in with own fantasy. Speach and knee controls can also leave the instructed persons hands free, the eyes more concentrated on the work area and the instruction sequenses exactly syncronized with the individual work.

Model learning can take place, that will say the instructed person can follow something that happens on the screen and do exactly the same. The understanding will be a mixture of what is explained and which associations and conclusions the instructed make, based on earlier personal experience and the experience of doing in the moment. It is the basics in constructivism, which more and more replaces the ideas in cognitivism and the pedagogic ideas before that in behaviorism.

Digital material has also the advantage of beeing easily communicated even via Internet. This of course demands a good access of Internet and a general good knowledge about working with computers and the Internet. This is for the moment not the case, but development in this are goes fast and is priorated by the government.

Still, it is not absolutely clear how Internet should be used in the most efficient way and in every especial situation, in this case for practical on the job training.

Course Portals (LMS-systems) have been introduced, mainly for formal learning. Since 80-90% of all learning for direct competens development is practical training, the traditional LMS can only give a limited support in the employeds competence development, since the learning is isolated as an activity separated from the work.

Nowadays Learning Portals have grown more popular for on the job training. The Learning Portal supports learning ”just in time” integrated with the work and exactly when the skill is needed, (learning on demand). It is easier to learn from small modules in an actual situation and in communication and cooperation with collegues (e-lerning 2.0). The Learning Portal focus on targets and give direct help and instructions to manage the work. Compare with Help and Assistants in computer software!

You can search for information at the intra network.
It supports the job and special moments of the job.
It shorten the time to knowledge and competens using learning modueles.
It can be used to build basic know how, support in special work situations and to spread experience. The information can be completed and developed online by the users.
The evaluation of he content can be done by the users.
These are funcions already used in tools like Microsoft Sharepoint.
More information: Building a Learning Portal at e-learning weekly and Using Sharepoint at Tony Karrers blog.

The trend nowadays is from the central catalouge and reports, categorizing a LMS, to PLE:s, Personal Learning Environments.

Instruction films on YouTube or short instruction for example in Captivate can be very useful alternatives. Links to special parts in the manual are also important, as well as discussion forum, wikis and to let the employed upload films and short instuction sequenses themselves. The formal learning is not abandonned but should be connected to learning modules for actual targets.

“Many of the latest LMS and e-learning efforts have driven learners into learning silos, isolating them from their peers. We need to build the collaborative aspect of learning back into these experiences if we’re going to achieve the collective outcomes we want.” (Bob Mosher, IBM)