Electronic learning LO13463

chris macrae (wcbn007@easynet.co.uk)
Mon, 5 May 1997 13:10:59 +0100 (BST)

Charlie Bennorth LO13419 introduced the issue of company training
programmes. I was wondering whether anyone here feels that a new age of
electronic learning will revolutionise how a lot of training is done.

I am interested both in companies and in business schools in new training
processes which in some way reverse the traditional format of a lecturer
giving out facts. The student interactively becomes the questioning
examiner (if you will)

Specifically, why not:

-build up a web as a menu of reading/browsing tracks (learning appetisers)

-ask the trainee to choose which of these interests him or her, do the
browsing, start up an e-mail group discussion with other learning peers,
then go and be tutored in person by the expert (on the chosen menu items)
where tutoring means students asking the expert informed questions more
than just listening to a set piece soliloquy

-continue the learning in a post-tutored session e-mail group with the
tutor as moderator

There are variations of this sequence (eg networks of companies sharing
the best of non-confidential training module content etc), but I hope I
have illustrated why a newly interactive learning process can be gained

Does anyone have experiences of trying out this sort of thing?

In case my quickly written note hasn't conveyed the revolutionary spirit
of my question, I leave you with a quote from the first head of a
university I ever discussed this theme with:

"The nature of "learning" is changing - from an industrialised, conveyor
belt, lecture-based model to a bespoke, individualised niche sensitive
model."

(In 10 years time I'd bet a lot of money he'll be right; but the
intriguing puzzle is how in real time to experiment with training modules
etc until we all get there?)

Chris Macrae wcbn007@easynet.co.uk
editor of Marketing Expert Learning NETwork www.brad.ac.uk/branding/

-- 

wcbn007@easynet.co.uk (chris macrae)

Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>