The E-learning Curve at Edublogs

In yesterday’s post I looked at a systems approach to instructional design and development, and suggested that this approach was an emergent property of the process whereby instructor-led courseware developers in the 1990’s attempted to apply previously-effective training development techniques to the new domain of e-learning.

As an example, I asserted that the ADDIE design solution could be characterized as a set of heuristics (or conceptual framework) to enable learning professionals to output content commensurate with the systems approach.

Now read on…

In this context, we can say that ADDIE will only deliver results consistent with the expertise of the content designer, as it relies on their (the designers’) skills and experience in transferring information and knowledge to “deliver” learning to the recipient. In E-Learning Strategies: how to get implementation and delivery right first time, Don Morrison remarks that

…like many ISD models it fails to give clear guidance about what makes good learning content. You can follow ADDIE to the letter and still deliver mediocre content.

(2004, p.255)

It can be said that ADDIE (and similar systems’ approaches to learning content development) are closer in philosophy and practice to a project management methodology than a pedagogy. In this respect they can be a useful approach when developing “one-shot” training content in environments where repetitive worker activities are the norm.

Take this scenario as an example:

Production workers have just started using the new WidgetMaker 300-0 tool: it can create 3o widgets per hour.
As it’s operating principles are very similar to the the older WM 299-8 (20 widgets per hour) model, the organization decides that workers only need a 2-day familiarization course before beginning production with the new tool.
A new production target (30 WPH) is set for workers to reflect the increased efficiency of the tool.
After three months, production is still 5WPH short of target. It turns out that workers are using the old production process on the new machine, and with the expectation of attaining 30WPH are actually working harder than ever, but are still 50% short of the difference between the new and old hourly production rate. Much disgruntlement all round.
It seems that there’s an extra gadget on the handle of the WM300-0 that nobody noticed because of the cursory nature of the 2-day familiarization course.

Time for some training…

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