Improving effectiveness

Control

Control refers to how the learner moves through the course, in terms of:

the sequencing of the content
how the content is presented
whether the tutor, a computer or the learner controls their progress.

In computer-based training, research shows that learners like to be able to control their routing through material, although in practice it may not be good for them! Giving learners control over what and when they study is most effective when:

learners have a high prior knowledge of the subject
learners are aware of how they learn and are learning
it is used later in a learning programme
it is used for providing knolwedge rather than skills
a topic is fairly straightforward
does not have logical interdependencies

High degrees of learner control are often associated with learning materials designed from a constructivist perspective.

Adaptability to individuals

Learning should adapt itself to the needs of each individual. Experienced classroom teachers do this instinctively, but distance learning does not do this so well.

One issue to consider within this is that of learning styles.

Perception

Perception is the ability to pick out important features and information. Training can use various techniques to help with perception, such as colour, graphics, audio, page and screen design, etc.

Attention

Once the learner has perceived the important information, the course must make sure that it keeps their attention.

Time is an important issue. Nobody can concentrate on one thing for very long, and our attention quickly begins to fade. Then, as we realise that we are approaching the end we start to pay more attention. Our learning is therefore most effective at the beginning and at the end of the training session.

This graph shows how someone's concentration varies during a 60 minute training session. Clearly they are much less efficient learners during the middle part of the session.

If, however we break the session up into four separate blocks, this happens.
Attention still falls during the middle of each session, but because it then rises towards the end of each session, the overall level of attention is higher.

It is therefore good practice to design training in small chunks and to present important information at the beginning and at the end of sessions.

Memory

The design of the training must make it easy for the learner to move information from short-term memory into long-term memory. Think about these figures. If we:

read we remember 20%
hear we remember 30%
see we remember 40%
say we remember 50%
do we remember 60%
see, hear, say and do we remember 90%

Courses that allow the learner to read, here and see will therefore be more effective at helping somebody to remember something new. This is made easier by:

efficient organisation of the information (such as by task analysis)
repetition, for example by answering several questions about the same subject
using memory enhancing (mnemonic) techniques, such as acronyms or stories

For example, many people instinctively think of Richard of York Giving Battle In Vain or the nonsense word ROYGBIV when trying to recall the colours of the rainbow.

Comprehension

All new information we come across is interpreted by reference to what we know already. Good learning designs therefore start by presenting information that the learner is familiar with, and then move on to the new and unknown.

Analogies and metaphors relating to familiar subjects help considerably with comprehension.

Active learning

People learn primarily by doing something. The design of a course should therefore make sure that learners regularly and frequently have to make some considered and thoughtful interaction.

Workshop design should make sure that the participants regularly have to do something meaningful.

In distance learning, aim to make this happen at least once a page in paper-based materials and every other screen in those that are computer-based. 'Click on Next to continue' is not a thoughtful interaction!

Motivation

A training course should make people want to carry on and learn more. Various theories have been put forward regarding what sorts of things motivate people in a learning situation. These include:

challenge, not too easy and not too hard
curiosity about something new
control over what they are doing
fantasy, the learner being able to leave their reality temporarily
relevance to their work or lives
confidence that they can learn this material
satisfaction that the training is useful

Closeness to real life

One golden rule in designing learning materials is to make them as close to the real performance as possible, as this helps the learner to transfer what they have learned into the actual workplace.

If, therefore, the performance involves dealing with people, you should consider using media that can simulate this. Workshops and role-plays are ideal solutions, but if these are not possible then think about CBT solutions using video and audio elements.

If the performance does not seem to suggest that video or audio is needed, you may decide not to use it unless there are other good reasons for doing so.

You can also encourage transfer of learning by trying to integrate training with work-based activities. Provide training activities that make the learner go and find something or talk to somebody.

Improving effectiveness