In the midst of all the excitement regarding new learning technologies such as 3-D virtual worlds and mobile learning, many companies continue to struggle with fundamental obstacles. These obstacles prevent them from implementing effective asynchronous e-Learning strategies. In fact, some of these barriers, which I discuss in this article, will invariably lead to poor strategies for learning in virtual worlds or on mobile devices. New tools and technologies will not mitigate a poor e-Learning strategy.
These organizations need to first overcome the typical barriers that we have seen in asynchronous e-Learning development before leaping to a new learning technology platform. Organizations that are already creating highly “effective, efficient, and engaging (e3)” e-Learning, applying the research and best practices in the field, are ready to move forward, as M. David Merrill pointed out in a 2009 article in Educational Technology. (See References at the end of this article.) However, organizations that are struggling to overcome the obstacles that continually lead designers to develop information-centric page-turners, or to convert classroom slide presentations to e-Learning, can use the information that follows to great advantage.
We have been sufficiently instructed for decades
So why do organizations continue to produce “shovelware” (Fraser 1999), by taking information and shoveling it onto the Web in the form of a page-turner which is “warmed over, insipid, [and] pedagogically pointless (Fraser 1999)?” It is certainly not for a lack of available research and industry best practices. Experts have reminded us for decades that information-centric page-turners provide a very low learning and business impact. Some of the more famous quotes regarding poor e-Learning design include the following:
- “Information is not Instruction.” (Merrill 1997)
- “Boring instruction is not effective instruction.” (Allen 2003)
- “People learn by doing.” (Aldrich 2005)
In 2001, Marc Rosenberg provided the industry with a foundational book for implementing e-Learning strategies and a list of recommendations for improving e-Learning design that are still relevant today. Rosenberg recommended that e-Learning should take into account:
- learner motivation
- activities that allow learning by doing through authentic challenges
- opportunities to learn through mistakes
- appropriate coaching and feedback
Dr. Michael Allen provides some of the same recommendations in his book dedicated to implementing effective e-Learning design strategies.
In addition, innovations in e-Learning tools now allow developers to rapidly create learning interactions that support a variety of instructional strategies. The programming language included in Adobe Flash, Action Script, is now an object-oriented language allowing for development of reusable learning objects, game based learning activities, and complex simulations.
So, with all of the innovations in e-Learning development tools, and decades of literature on how to design effective e-Learning, why would a training organization choose to implement a page-turner e-Learning strategy? In my opinion, the principle of “triadic reciprocal determinism” provides insight about organizational decisions regarding the development of e-Learning strategies. In addition, three other factors also contribute to poor learning strategy decisions. After exploring these factors in detail, I will provide some practical recommendations for overcoming the obstacles that prevent organizations from developing effective e-Learning strategies.
What cognitive science tells us about our decisions
Have you noticed that many suburban homes in the U.S. are beginning to look very much alike? Every one of them seems to have the same trim design on their walls. The kitchen and bathroom fixtures look the same. The landscaping has the same style of shrubs. The reason seems to be logical. The homeowners all shopped at the local hardware superstore.
The ease of driving a few miles to the local hardware store and purchasing what is on sale has influenced interior design decisions. Likewise, the marketing of “Do It Yourself” (DIY) tools, together with a slumping economy, created more weekend construction workers. These external environmental factors have influenced purchasing behaviors, as well as the desire to learn how to use the products and tools now available. In fact, some of the hardware superstores now offer live in-person and online training to further influence the purchasing behaviors of their clients.
In addition to these external factors, homeowner skills, knowledge, and personality traits will also determine the choice of the strategy of do-it-yourself home repair versus hiring a contractor. Cognitive science can explain these behaviors.
Triadic reciprocal determinism
Albert Bandura (1986) provided a model for human behavior that can help explain why many homeowners make decisions such as to purchase power tools and choose to become a do-it-yourself carpenter. Our internal person, which includes our personality type, as well as our cognitive and emotional competencies, influences our actions. Furthermore, our external environment also influences our actions. Our external environment includes physical spaces, objects such as tools, policies, or laws, and the actions of the people within our environment. Figure 1 illustrates Bandura’s model of “triadic reciprocal determinism.”
Figure 1: Bandura’s Triadic Reciprocal Determinism Model
Each corner of the triangle has an influence on the others. Our actions and decisions influence both our personal attributes and our environment. If you choose to take courses on carpentry, you will obtain the skills of carpentry. If you choose to purchase do-it-yourself tools and products, then manufacturers will continue to develop and sell these products.
Our personal attributes influence our actions and our environment. If you have skills in carpentry, you are more likely to take on home remodeling projects that require skills in carpentry. If you prefer to look at soothing light colors, you will paint the interior of your home with soothing light colors.
And finally, our environment influences our actions and our personal attributes. Proximity to a large hardware store, your financial status, and what tools you own, will influence your decision to remodel the home yourself.
Now apply this model to e-Learning development. If you lack the skills necessary to design e-Learning interactions, but are very familiar with developing instructor-led presentations, your actions will lead to an e Learning course that looks a lot like an instructor-led presentation. If you lack skills in programming, you will choose to purchase tools that do not require programming. If your organization has a low budget, you will choose to look for DIY tools rather than to hire external experts or hire full-time staff. If tools exist that enable the rapid conversion of slide decks to e Learning you might decide that there is no need to learn about instructional technology or programming and will choose not to learn these skills.
Figure 2: Applying triadic reciprocal determinism
This model also suggests an explanation as to why e-Learning tool vendors have developed tools that do not require programming nor instructional design. In turn, the existence and success of these tools may be a factor that can influence poor e-Learning strategies.
