Professional September 2018

Feature insight - e-learning and e-assessment

others, traditional methods of learning are inaccessible. Evening education classes, day-time schooling and traditional face-to- face methods are not always conducive to working adults and those with families and dependants, making traditional methods inaccessible to some. There are some clear benefits of e-learning. Studies have found that e-learning encourages high retention of students and an improvement in student outcomes. Grades are often higher for online courses or those who take advantage of a hybrid approach of both online and traditional methods; often referred to as a blended approach. Forty per cent of Americans surveyed thought that online colleges and universities offered high quality education; this rose by thirty per cent from those surveyed in 2011. As technologies develop, e-learning improves; providing fast, flexible, affordable education and the opportunity to engage the student. Not only is it appealing to millennials but to other generations alike and provides better access to education for minority groups. For those with self-motivation and discipline, e-learning offers an approach whereby individuals can manage their own time, learn at their own pace and to their own schedule, in a comfortable and safe environment. E-learning is known for its flexibility and its agility. When information needs updating or changing it can be done from the source and re-published often much quicker than the time it takes teachers, trainers and lecturers to update their own knowledge and transfer it to students. Onliners can still engage in classroom activities. Although sometimes referred to as ‘distance’ learning, many onliners reside in the local vicinity to the provider so dropping in for a face-to-face meeting and blending the learning programme can be easily adapted. Alternatively, discussions can be adopted online using a discussion board or a forum so onliners are still engaging in traditional classroom activities. Answers to questions posed to the onliners in forums and discussion boards are transparent, making it easier to see responses from all students, who might otherwise have been able to ‘keep quiet’ in class. It is also encouraging to provide communities of practice by creating Facebook and other social media

groups so students can interact with each other less formally but still educationally and supportive. Programmes can be tailored so that students have a learning experience whilst logged in together in a ‘cohort’ model (such as tutorials or webinars) or asynchronously, where students learn at their own pace. Asynchronous learning is fast becoming the ‘superior pedagogical experience’, especially as onliners are often globally-flung and are logging in from different time zones. ...successful initiative was found when millennials were Employers who are financing education or training may also find e-learning appealing. Learning can easily be measured against key performance indicators, making it easier for businesses to support employees’ continued education. With e-learning, there are very little additional costs such as venue and residential costs and it has also been shown to reduce overall training costs. Of course, if it were all roses e-learning would have taken over the world twenty years ago. There are drawbacks to e-learning. Onliners will still need to get online, suitable technological devices are still recommended and sometimes a wifi signal may be required. Like many disciplines, study takes motivation and studying alone can be a lonely business. The digital learning paradox suggests that some learners perform slightly worse online. Students can also find themselves studying at unsociable hours, especially if they are trying to organise study around work and family commitments. Equipment can also be a hurdle with some businesses arguing that it is expensive to create and develop e-learning well, provide good quality, and integrate the technologies. Studies undertaken on universities and colleges in America using e-learning found that few institutions kept a budgetary line for online learning, making it more difficult ‘buddied’ with an experienced worker...

to identify costs. In these circumstances, researchers turned to expenses to weigh up the costs. If e-learning is positioned on a learning management system (LMS) this too can greatly add to the expense. There are over 500 different LMSs so finding the correct one for a particular purpose is no mean feat. Arguably, some would say that often quality of e-learning in organisations is compromised to spend less and gain more profit. Those who have found success with e-learning tend to have effective techniques to keep their e-learning on- track. The following are suggested by Mark Lieberman to help e-learning development and longevity: ● develop an e-learning strategy specific to your targeted population ● invest for quality ● provide remote access support for your learners ● foster an innovative culture when designing and developing materials and activities ● create an infrastructure to sustain long- term momentum ● use outside vendors and subject matter experts to add value ● apply research findings to work-place solutions and connect findings to action. In the last twenty years e-learning has offered an alternative, technological platform for learning; appealing to some and arousing fear for others. Minds are often slow to change and often changes are in population pockets, but research shows a changing demographic towards e-learning. Youngsters who might otherwise have had a rough time in college chose e-learning to avoid the educational environment experience; it is tough in school. Adults have found it a flexible alternative to traditional methods and millennials have found it satisfying their emotional and well-being needs. Positive changes in perception tend to be seen following online exposure. Therefore, the positive perception of e-learning is likely to increase as more and more learners pursue learning through electronic devices and online. A successful initiative was found when millennials were ‘buddied’ with an experienced worker, blending the best of both worlds to mutually educate the individuals. When questions were posed, or problems identified, both approaches (experience and online learning) provided a quick and

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| Professional in Payroll, Pensions and Reward |

Issue 43 | September 2018

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