Evidence Based Practices in eLearning and Pitfalls

This week I enjoyed reading the document, Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies. It confirmed that the outcomes in online classes perform just as well as outcomes in the classroom (Means, Toyama, Murphy, Bakia & Jones, 2010).

Hurray for eLearning!! The community college where I work really promotes blended learning over online classes and I’ve always wondered about their reasoning. The current research suggests that blended learning and online classes have similar outcomes (Means et al, 2010). This is important information to convey to my administration when I’m promoting teaching and learning online.

I was surprised to learn that including video and quizzes in lessons don’t seem to improve outcomes. I have always been under the assumption that short quizzes throughout the lessons help reinforce learning. Instead, what really helps students to learn is creating a place and structure for students to monitor and reflect about what they are learning.

In the book e-Learning and the Science of Instruction, Clark and Mayer (2007) warn us about the pitfalls of eLearning, which basically boils down to a lack of proper pedagogy. Too many times classes are taught online the same way they are taught in the classroom. We need to have a paradigm shift in how we create and present learning materials online. It starts with assessing learner characteristics’. As in advertising, we need to know our target market. Once we know who they are and what they need to be able to do, we can then create and design materials to meet their needs. Making sure we are using technology to help students learn and not because it is “cool” and fun should increase leaner outcomes. Clark and Mayer (2007) state, “…from all the media comparison research, we have learned that it’s not the delivery medium, but rather the instructional methods that cause learning” (p. 21). This is why it is important to evaluate teaching methodologies in eLearning and make changes based on researched practices.

I’m excited about the potential for adaptive instruction with technology. It seems to me all students could benefit from the advances in technology. We now have the ability to really tailored lessons to the student’s ability.

A problem with eLearning is the possibility of presenting knowledge out of context, which may lead to “transfer failure” (Clark & Mayer, 2007). The other potential problem could be the mis-use or overuse of media. Presenting too much to fast can overload the students’ brains and learning will not happen. We need to remember, “technology can easily deliver more sensory data than the human nervous system can process” (Clark & Mayer, 2007). It is up to instructors and designers to stay focused on the objectives and present materials that will lead to learning.

Where I teach, one of the problems with e Learning is that the retention rates are dismal. In certain subjects it is as high as 40%. I believe if instructors understood the importance of design and using evidence based teaching methods, this rate would drop significantly. Instructors need to be cognizant of the objectives and understand the students’ prior knowledge before designing the eLearning materials. As stated by Clark and Mayer (2007), ”Research has proven that learners prior knowledge of the course content exerts the most influence on learning. Learners with little prior knowledge will benefit from different instructional methods than learners who are relatively experienced” (p.26). I’m looking forward to learning more about the three learning architectures, which include receptive, directive, & guided discovery and how to apply them to create effective lessons for my students.

Means, B., Toyama, Y., Murphy, R., Bakia, M., & Jones, K. (2010). Evaluation of

evidence-based practices in online learning: A meta-analysis and review of

online learning studies. U.S Department of Education.

Clark, R. C., & Mayer, R. E. (2007). E-Learning and the Science of Instruction: Proven Guidelines for Consumers and Designers of Multimedia Learning (2nd ed.). Pfeiffer.