The purpose of an e-Learning architecture is to provide structure for the learner, to cut the time and cost of development, and to support selection of software. In the previous articles in this series, I have shown you how the various issues around instructional design affect rapid e-Learning development. I have also provided guidelines for a basic e-Learning architecture and templates for the various elements of an e-Learning lesson, course, and other elements of high-quality rapid design.
- Rapid e-Learning Design and Development: Part 1
- Introduction to e-Learning Architecture: Part 2
- Alternative Architectures: Part 3
In this article, I present four approaches that complement the basic architecture. These four additional models allow you, the designer, to construct an e-Learning architecture that matches your learners’ needs and business requirements. With them, you can also better match your rapid development and quality needs.
The four approaches are interactive designs, virtual classrooms, online reference help and guides, and performance support systems and knowledge management. As a group, these strategies are far superior to the non-working defaults often chosen: talking heads, page turners, lectures, and PowerPoint conversions.
In addition, I will discuss the challenges arising from the use of LMSs in a rapid development environment, and what you can do about the challenges. Your choice of LMS (or no choice) may interact with your choice of architecture.
An interactive format uses simulation, discovery, cases, or a scenario-based approach
Sometimes learners need to experience and discover answers for themselves. In these situations, learners will benefit from an interactive method. Usually, these methods are best for complex learning requirements where the need for interactivity with the content is high. The interactive method is valuable for e-Learners. However, usually the production is expensive and slow. It does not have to be. Many interactive designs are bloated with content, so instead of producing all the content as interactive forms that require scripts and complex software coding, you should focus the interactivity on what matters most.
Interactivity helps learners “experience,” reflect on, or review the subject matter or content. It engages learners, allowing them to explore and discover the answers or ideas for themselves, rather than merely telling or lecturing them.
Online interactivity enhances learning in a less risky environment. It allows trainees to have several tries without the usual time pressures of on-the-job training. Online interactive experiences reduce the time and costs of learning, usually costing less than face-to-face instruction does.
Criteria for selecting interactivity for rapid e-Learning
Not all subjects qualify for interactive treatment (see Figure 1). There are several criteria for identifying content best addressed in an interactive format. Such content may require emotional experience and personal reflection or human interaction, or it may require participants to practice, drill, or act on something to ensure they understand and acquire a skill. This would include skill and knowledge that is:
- Difficult to learn — You want to ensure that learners have more time learning difficult aspects of your content. Some skill or knowledge deficiencies may cause frequent errors on the job or lead to confusion.
- Essential to learn — This content is necessary to learn in order to perform a task. This content is conceptual, and sometimes requires interacting with examples or illustrations.
- High value — This is content that is typically conceptual and sometimes hard to grasp without interaction.
- “Hands-on” — This content must be experienced, such as learning how to calibrate equipment, or giving and receiving feedback. Why is it important to rapid development that you be selective about the content to be taught through interactivity?
Not all content should be in interactive form. Don’t use an interactive format for content that you can address in plain text, images and references. If you can determine that only 20% of your content really needs to be interactive, you will drastically reduce the time required for development. Appropriate use of interactivity also helps learners focus on what is truly important and what matters — which is one of their needs. Here are some examples:
- In a negotiation program, listening is a difficult skill to acquire. Develop an interactivity focusing on listening skills.
- In teaching the use of a complex business form, create interactivity about the most complex and misunderstood part of the form, rather than about all the parts of the form.
- In software training, pick the areas that learners must not forget. Develop interactive exercises around that content. Do not provide interactivity for showing simple tasks, such as logging in or where to get support, because this content is better explained in a graphic or text.
- Avoid using interactivity that is not really needed just to allow learners to click something, or just to provide activity. Presenting interactivity in slideshow formats or linear flow presentations (simply clicking the “Next” button after reading the slide) is a waste of time and money. You can present the slideshow in text or in HTML without adding interactive Flash.
Interactive e-Learning designs
Be a collector! Develop and accumulate a variety of interactive e-Learning designs. After testing designs for effectiveness, as well as for cost of production and speed of delivery, organize them so your team members can readily access them as templates or models. To make your interactive design effective, use the discovery process: immerse, touch, feel, handle, manipulate. There are different types of interactivity, but all are primarily self-paced, where e-Learners interact with the content online. For example:
- Knowledge Mapping — Helps learners to understand the content because information is organized effectively and flows properly. The result allows learners to retain overall perspective while learning the content.
- Rote Interaction or Learning — Consists of exercises that help learners remember and recall specific information.
- Technical Simulation — Enables the learner to virtually touch, feel, and experience the material that needs to be learned. It also helps explain complex information.
- Conceptual and Judgment — Used for helping learners understand and apply concepts that call for judgment and decision making.
- Emotional and Behavioral Simulation — Learners confront or experience the issues from which they need to learn. Simulation and scenario-based exercises are good examples.
Virtual classrooms
Virtual classrooms (VCs), e.g. WebEx, LiveMeeting, HP Virtual, Elluminate, etc., are an extension of the classroom or face-to-face setting in which featured speakers or lecturers present their ideas. Another key function is the ability to share applications and for the trainer or technical support person to see how the trainee is performing functions on his or her PC. VCs are also good tools for collaboration support and meetings. Most VCs can record the sessions so that participants can replay them. VCs also provide registration and tracking services.
Where do virtual classrooms fit into an e-Learning architecture?
Virtual classrooms are good tools for rapid deployment and presentation. All you need is supporting content for presentation (often a PowerPoint file), an account with a provider, and a scheduled session time and, Voila! You have a training session. This is the VCs greatest asset — simple availability. However, just using VCs to support your e-Learning program does not meet most of the e-Learners’ needs. Usually, the presentation is a lecture. Even worse, it’s a lecture where the lecturer does not know if the audience is paying attention!
VCs work superbly, according to Bersin & Associates, if the lecturer is a celebrity or a folk hero that your audience loves or follows. The value for the learner, in this case, is to be inspired by a charismatic presenter. This is well and good, and probably the best use of VCs.
Criteria for deploying virtual classrooms
Virtual classrooms as stand-alone e-Learning programs usually will not accomplish all of the results you want with your learners. However, the virtual classroom’s biggest values are in one-to-group meetings, small group meetings, collaboration, and application sharing. Maximize VCs for the right reasons; avoid making them your only e-Learning program. Since VCs are synchronous sessions (participants have to be on the same schedule), use them to provide quick response to learner needs or to provide high-value interaction or presentations. (See Figure 2) Both cases assume that only the expert can provide the information. Present the event as a session with the experts, or a leader. Avoid using VCs for basic presentations, such as lectures. You can easily email or provide a link to the basic information.
Figure 2 Virtual classrooms are useful for expert or celebrity presentations, or for application sharing.
Provide advance basic knowledge either by using the reference online learning approach discussed below, or by using a basic structure e-Learning design. This allows learners to review basic information prior to the scheduled VC session.
When providing the handouts and references, make them searchable text. This allows learners the ability to review the link and search for the right information faster.
To help participants apply ideas from the VC presentations, provide links to a basic e-Learning architecture. Allow them more time to interact with the content.
