How can adults with low ICT skills approach e-learning

How can adults with low ICT skills approach e-learning?

In workplace training as well as in other fields of adult education, there are some learners that are not as exposed to learning technologies as some of their fellow learners (Ally,2002). Understandably, these learners could feel at a disadvantage. Therefore, educators can play an important part in the supporting low ICT skill learners in their quest for skill improvement.

Additionally, Davis et al (2010) make mention of a few ways that teachers and educators can assist the learner become more skilled at e-learning. Davis et al also mention that fear is a determining factor of some learners and fear is a mitigating factor in barriers to e-learning.

Perhaps there are two ways that adults with low ICT skills can approach their learning, one factor is being supported by the educator and the other is up skilling themselves. Both these factors are to be discussed further.

How can educators assist?

Brinthaupt et al (2011) comment that the proper use of online tools and techniques can support the learner. The authors further mention their recommendations for online learning. Please see image below. Interestingly the authors also comment that there is an art of teaching using online facilities that can greatly assist the learner as well.

Table 1. General Categories of What the Best Teachers Do (after Bain, 2004) with Examples and Behaviors Specific to Online Teaching 

Furthermore, e-learning technologies will best help the learners to gain new knowledge, skills, and/or attitudes towards digital technologies. Kanuka (2008).

The role of the facilitator in conveying a technological environment is pivotal to the success rate of the workshop and Davis et al (2010) says that facilitators need to provide the learners with support that allows the learner to become familiar with computers and other digital technologies. Ally contributes to the notion of facilitator or teacher support because the learner uses some form of technology (usually a computer) to access the learning materials, that the learner uses technology to interact with the tutor or instructor and other learners, and that some form of support is provided to learners ( Ally, 2002).

Some suggestions include these tutors are consequently providing these adults with intensive support directed at familiarising them with computers before they undertake LLN learning via e-learning. Fletcher et al (2011).

How can learners up skill?

Fletcher et al (2011) suggest that learners should be open to the techniques needed for successful online learning, the authors comment on the following stages that learners can employ in their online learning courses.

Learner stage: Talk about e-learning. What is it? What are your attitudes to it?

Adopter stage: Exposure to new technologies, with time to “play”. Embedding skills into a learning activity, rather than teaching ICT skills separately;

Leader stage: Having on board someone with a passion for e-learning or ability in some aspect of it, and who can successfully convey that passion and experience to staff, so that they gain requisite skills. Fletcher et al (2011).

Learners need to engage with other learners as this enhances their understandings of online technologies, according to Damoense ( 2003) engagement theory whereby learners construct, collaborate, interact, problem solve and have authentic points of view are tools they can use to up skill their information of online learning tools.

Another suggestion could be more pragmatic, and I have experienced this in workplace training, whereby the managers of the employees are sent on technical training courses such as an excel workshop or a Microsoft word workshop, I have even facilitated a course on how to teach employees effective use of PowerPoint for formal and business presentations, I have seen that the exposure to workshops that teach low level ICT users the tools needed has been highly effective.

References:

Damoense, M.( 2003). Online learning: Implications for effective learning for higher education in South Africa. Australian Journal of Educational Technology, 19(1)25-45

Ally, M. (2002, August). Designing and managing successful online distance education courses. Workshop presented at the 2002 World Computer Congress, Montreal, Canada.

Kanuka, H. (2008). Understanding e-learning technologies-in-practice through philosophies-in-practice. The theory and practice of online learning, 91–118.

Fletcher, J., Nicholas, K., & Davis, N. (2011). Supporting adults to address their literacy needs using e-learning. Journal of Open, Flexible and Distance Learning, 15(1), 17–29.

D

Workplace Literacies

The types of learning that takes place in workplace training is generally pragmatic or cognitive (Ally, 2004) as the learners require to take something tactile back to the workplace that they can institute immediately. For example, a business report template.

The learners are constantly looking for new concepts, ideas and tools that are implement worthy. For example, learners that attend a workshop on report writing are looking for a template that they can use post workshop that make it easier and more accurate for them to convey the necessary messages contained in a business report. These concepts can be incorporated through the use of multimodal practices of online technology in the learning environment.

Take a look at this short video, it explains what learners want in training 
https://youtu.be/nz6SwliUWoE

Davis and Fletcher refer to the construct of blending learning as a multimodal construct in the learning environment, this also works well in a workshop using blended technologies to facilitate learning development. Especially when there are other learners attending the workshop from other regions, for example. If the tactile workshop is taking place in Auckland, learners can virtually attend the workshop by video conference whereby a camera is set up in the workshop so they can see the workshop and then the attendees in Auckland can see the learners from Wellington as they use a camera as well. The camera also has panning capabilities. So a PowerPoint presentation can be open and the trainer can be training from it as a visual aid at the same time as the non-regional participants are shown on the screen as well.

Davis et al (2010) made mention that a lot of adults do not have access to computers at work, and some have had little exposure to computers in general. This makes it difficult to introduce lateral concepts of online learning in a blended environment. I have found that participants in the workshops have vast differences in their knowledge of online technology.

This situation is especially true for older adults and adults who have been out of the workforce for some time. (Cole, 2000) said the learning materials must be designed properly to engage the learner and promote learning. Davis et al (2010) even notes that adults sometimes fear they will damage the computer or make it crash. However like Davis et al (2010) noted that like the learners that I have encountered in the workshops, although fearful, these learners generally appreciate the need to develop digital skills. They also need to learn these skills because organisations are implementing online learning as the main delivery method to train employees (Ally,2004)  thus e-learning technologies will best help the learners to gain new knowledge, skills, and/or attitudes towards digital technologies. (Kanuka, 2008).

The role of the facilitator in conveying a technological environment is pivotal to the success rate of the workshop and Davis et al (2010) says that facilitators need to provide the learners with support that allows the learner to become familiar with computers and other digital technologies. Ally (2004) contributes to the notion of facilitator or teacher support because the learner uses some form of technology (usually a computer) to access the learning materials, that the learner uses technology to interact with the tutor or instructor and other learners, and that some form of support is provided to learners. (Ally,2004).

Facilitators are consequently providing these adults with intensive support directed at familiarising them with computers before they undertake LLN learning via e-learning. Davis et al (2010)

research suggests that adults with LLN needs are most comfortable with e-learning when it is blended with other learning approaches, including face-to-face learning. Thus resources available for this must be introduced. Interestingly, a skype call set up for the purposes of online tutoring is available for some online courses.

Workplace  e-learning programmes often blend in use of digital technologies so that learning can take place both with and without the presence of the facilitator. Companies are also beginning to support the use of blended application of digital technologies because it can also be designed to fit in with learners’ workplace and home-based experiences and activities. Davis et al (2010).

Research from (UNESCO, 2006) shows that e-learning programmes can go beyond the barriers of geographic location and time, they can be customised to meet work and community based learning needs towards learners that are unable to readily access traditional face to-face learning provision (UNESCO, 2006).

The flexibility of online learning requires careful identification of which LLN skills the learner needs to cultivate as well as an appreciation of that person’s lifestyle, and assessment of his or her current digital technology skills need to be considered.

In the workshop the use of digital technology is used quite extensively and the concept of supportive tandem learning is a good opportunity for learners to learn from others in the form of group activities, discussion groups and team based activities. Learner’s teach and learn a language with a colleague, discussion lists, and informal web based community sites.

There are not many research articles that are geared specifically towards workplace training education more specifically in the online learning environment. I would like to see more research as adult learners in the workplace are also an important genre of learner in the adult learning environment.

Ally, M. (2004). Foundations of educational theory for online learning

      Chapter one in T. Anderson. Athabasca University

Fletcher, J., Nicholas, K., & Davis, N. (2010). Supporting adults to address their literacy             needs using e-learning. Journal of Open, Flexible and Distance Learning, 15(1), 17–29.

Kanuka, H. (2008). Understanding e-learning technologies-in-practice through philosophies-      in-practice. University of Alberta.

UNESCO. (2006). Using ICT to develop literacy. Retrieved from                                 http://www.unescobkk.org/fileadmin/user_upload/ict/e  books/Literacy/Using_ICT_to_Develop_Literacy.pdf

Cole, R. A. (2000). Issues in Web-based pedagogy: A critical primer. Westport, CT:                    Greenwood Press.