Free Article: E-learning technology: hit or myth
Making the most of modern technology means being selective in the tools you use and how you use them
by Capt Mert Daggecen AFNI
Learning has always made use of the latest technology. In the maritime sector, screen-based training has rapidly evolved from the straightforward use of videotape materials into the provision of fully digitally supported e-learning content.
While digital learning materials can be used in the classroom, for the purposes of this article, ‘e-learning’ refers to digitally based training that is delivered asynchronously, often through an online Learning Management System – sometimes also referred to as ‘distance learning’. At present, about 85% of training in the maritime industry is delivered in this way.
The obvious advantages of e-learning are well known. It allows the user to study anywhere, anytime; results are easy to track; it is – potentially – less expensive; highly scalable; can be tailored to personal needs, and allows global collaboration.
While e-learning technology offers all these advantages, there are still some important questions to be addressed. Is e-learning able to replace classroom training, as its promoters suggest? Does e-learning technology solve our core practical problems? Does it increase the effectiveness and efficiency of training? Is it as cheap, fast, and beneficial as it is perceived? Or is there more focus on technology for its own sake and satisfying regulations than on the actual learning experience?
What has e-learning technology offered so far?
Digital learning technology has drastically improved the efficiency with which training can be delivered across all social domains; something which is of critical importance. These gains are made through scalability, reduction of travel costs, and increased flexibility in scheduling.
While cost efficiency is perhaps the most obvious advantage to e-learning as a training method, there are important strategic advantages which are less discussed, but which make e-learning unique:
- Consistency of message: Delivering the same message where consistency is critical. This can be hard to maintain by a live instructor. Company policies and strict safety procedures can fall into this category.
- Ease of update: e-learning materials are much easier to update, requiring less effort and time in comparison to paper substitutions orto ensuring all live instructors ‘unlearn’ and ‘relearn’ the materials.
- Reusability: e-learning content can be shared across different training sessions. Sections can be removed, simplified, and can be used for different learning groups.
- Interactivity: Current e-learning technology offers a great deal of interactivity via questions, puzzles, role play and simulations.
Identifying weaknesses
For all its strengths, the overall effectiveness of e-learning as it is used today has proved limited. First of all, ease of delivery is no guarantee of quality of content. Much e-learning content has been of relatively poor instructional quality, with a focus on the technology that delivers the training, such as fancy graphics, or technical interventions that do not add value, rather than on the material itself. Trainees cannot collaborate with the trainer instantly, and learning outcomes depend on the trainee’s motivation. Poor learning design will have a greater impact here than in the classroom or with an online instructor, where students can query the trainer in real time.
Another significant issue for the onboard use of e-learning is internet infrastructure. As of today, there is limited bandwidth and intermittent internet connection on board. This leads to significant limitations to content transfer, in particular when streaming sophisticated graphics, animation, video, and sound.
Blend it!
E-learning is most effective as a stand-alone training method when the target audience already has a certain amount of expertise in the area. If the aim is to give minor updates or to refresh knowledge, e-learning is well suited to the task. Likewise, if the context in which the training will be used is repetitive and has no variables, e-learning is well suited to the task – for example, verifying ISM forms or using a specific formula to calculate squat.
Complex tasks are unlikely to be suited entirely to e-learning, even if they are essentially repetitive. For example, the procedure to overhaul an auxiliary engine involves almost no variation, but it is complex. E-learning would allow you to grasp the basic principles and stages involved but it would definitely not be enough to enable you to perform the task safely.
E-learning is at its strongest when it is combined with other training methods to enhance comprehension and retention. This applies even for complex learning contexts. For example, well-designed e-learning can serve as a pre-entry course requirement for novice learners, to familiarise them with the topic, jargon, and basic principles. It can be effective refresher training for professionals who need to remember and update their knowledge in a given area. It can also act as reinforcement in parallel to instructor-led training.
That said, e-learning may not be the first option when:
- The target group is novice to the topic;
- Knowledge is procedural/learners need to perform physical tasks (eg overhauling the auxiliary engine);
- A hidden curriculum, such as teamwork interactions of the learners, is a critical learning activity. A good example of that is Bridge and Engine team management training which aims not only to teach the operational technology, but also how to work with others and hone social work environment skills;
- If the self-motivation of the learners is low, it is unlikely e-learning will be successful. Instructor intervention is necessary to increase stimuli either by making delivery interesting and fun, or emphasising the criticality of the content.
The best combination of learning methods will be chosen based on strategy, cost-effectiveness, accessibility, and impact.
Specifications for high quality e-learning
Trainees will be discouraged and leave if e-learning does not meet certain quality standards. The most important of these are:
Getting the content right: (First and foremost!) Training material should be correct, up-to-date, and relevant to the audience. This requires meticulous needs analyses, front-end assessment, and qualified subject matter experts who know the job and the psychology of the learners. Much e-learning content fails at this stage. Collecting and crafting the right content requires most of the resources, especially budget and time.
Alignment: The course should be strongly aligned with business goals. For example, maritime training is mostly driven by the need to reduce incidents. Course content and visual and audio materials should reflect actual scenarios in real environments.
Strong interaction: A hallmark of high-quality e-learning. Random quizzes, media support, glossaries, and FAQs are common tools to enhance interaction. However, it is a common mistake to focus on interactivity-enhancing technology and overuse it. Used in this way, interaction tools ultimately turn out to be a distraction rather than a means of engagement. When deciding whether to introduce an activity, the key question is always ‘Will it help the learning process?’
Valued experience: Learners should find training valuable and geared to their needs. Learners like to get what they need in the shortest time with minimal mental load. Adults want to solve problems and get on with the job. E-learning, like other learning methods, should be useful and help learners solve their problems which increases perceived value.
User experience: The LMS platform should be easily accessible, easy to navigate and should provide a relevant performance monitoring dashboard for trainees and training managers. User experience is key for engagement. If learners struggle to navigate a course, facing freezing screens or irrelevant content, they will not want to revisit the material. Cognitive ergonomics matter.
Meaningful assessment: Course objectives need to be verified, so that the learner knows what they are aiming for and how they have done on the course. Assessment type and content should focus on what is important. This step requires the careful and distilled input of the subject matter expert.
Follow-up support: When knowledge has been acquired, the learner needs support to apply it in the worksite from a supervisor or other peers who have already experience in the learning context. These can be called post-training coaches to help learners integrate knowledge into the job.
LMS: infrastructure vs content?
We touched briefly above on the importance of the user experience. Much of this will be dependent on the Learning Management System (LMS) – the software application or web-based technology used to plan, implement, and assess a specific learning process. The LMS is a central learning hub where users should be able to access all the training tools they need in one place. The performance of LMS makes a vast difference to the e-learning experience. An otherwise substandard LMS may waste all the potential of e-learning content.
A user-friendly interface enables the users to easily understand its features and make the best use of them. Learners should not be expected to waste time learning how to navigate the LMS software. This becomes more critical for users who are not technical savvy.
An LMS should have the flexibility to serve the needs of all its different users. LMS should include options to configure accessibility, display settings, and evidence methods to suit a wide range of courses, learning styles, and accessibility needs. Considering most vessels work with intermittent and low-bandwidth internet infrastructure, LMS software should work effectively in offline mode. Data exchange between ship and shore servers must work seamlessly with limited and on-demand internet access.
Software compatibility is another feature of a good LMS. The LMS should integrate with other crewing and admin systems to synchronise data with ease. This would not only make the training manager’s life easy, but would also help to minimise human error input. Performance monitoring features should work seamlessly to prove a record of training compliance, certification, and verification. Beyond that, relevant and customisable report screens, alerts (eg for short completion times, lagging progress, pre-joining training), and measurement of proficiency functions should function perfectly.
LMS software updates are more regular than ever. LMS providers should have proactive policies to remove bugs, maintain compatibility with other software, and improve user experience. Prompt technical support from the LMS provider is also a must.
Other matters to bear in mind are cost-effectiveness (which services are included and which are extra?), ease of uploading company-made or third party materials, and whether mobile applications are available.
Providing a Learning Management System and providing good content are two very different things, and successful e-learning needs both. Some companies are fantastic at LMS technology and others are good at content creation. But many vendors do both in-house. As a result, they compromise either on the technical developers who design, update, and maintain the technology or on the subject matter experts and learning designers who create, craft, and curate the content. These are different areas of expertise. Ideally, LMS providers should design their business model in such a way that content creators can get paid for the content they provide without having to also provide the user interface services. Until this business model becomes the standard, users should choose their platform with care.
Takeaways
E-learning can be a great tool to support the learning experience, but, like any other tool, there are places where it is useful, and places where it is less so. It is obvious that e-learning has numerous advantages, but we should be careful about technology hype. All too often we see fancy e-learning packs which offer only low-quality content. This is a question of economics. High-quality content comes from experienced subject matter experts, which needs a considerable budget. Operators should be aware of this risk, and investigate any potential e-learning courses to ensure the training lives up to its billing. Poor learning experiences are poor learning experiences, whether they are text-based, visual, or multimedia. What matters is ultimately what the user gets out of them.
Technology has drastically altered learning and development history. Ignoring technology is not an option. The question is how to harness it. The efficiency of e-learning has already been proven, but there is a way to go before we can guarantee its effectiveness. Just as with the printing press, the value lies in the content, not in the method that enables its dissemination. Or, to put it another way, the medium is not the message.