Motivating The Computer Learner
Introduction
The rapid growth of technology has changed the way we learn. It has created a learner centric environment where mature andragogical learners can flourish and catch a plethora of educational material at his finger tips. The computer based material can be designed and presented either synchronous of asynchronous. The computer instructional material can be either distance learning or classroom facilitated. However computer learning is presented, the learner needs motivation, whether it is internal or external to maximize the learning experience.
The use of computer technology has created a situation for many learners to use the technology as a “scapegoat”. Learners have stated at Naval Submarine School that they do not learn well from Interactive Multimedia Instruction (IMI) and learn better from hands-on or Instructor Led Training (ILT) pedagogical learning methods. Many learners have stated that computer aided learning is ‘boring’, that it lacks the intensity and interest of computer games. However, according to recent Kirkpatrick surveys at Naval Submarine School (2006) test grades, attrition rates and knowledge transfer shows learner retention is higher utilizing ‘boring’ IMI compared to that of ‘non-boring’ ILT. The IMI might be classified as ‘boring’ when a learner compares it to exciting computer games or to instructor led training. However, the young age of the learners is a factor when making the transition for pedagogical to andragogical learners. This is what makes the IMI appear expressionless to a young learner yet to enter andragogy. Sailors that have fleet experience and are true andragogical learners do not mediate IMI boring, this is because they can directly narrate the material.
Sailors that do not have fleet experience become overwhelmed with novel concepts and ideas presented in the IMI and cannot portray the material. Therefore, they subjectively ‘tune out’, become de-motivated, and their only response is that the material is ‘boring’. In a recent study by McWilliams (2001) “A conclusion of this study was that a learner’s successful performance may not be associated with the learner’s particular cognitive style or learning style, but more with the learner’s learning environment, motivation level, knowledge of the CBT capabilities, and instructional strategies incorporated during the learning process.”
Properly developed computer assisted learning does provide superior instruction to the learner. Computer aided learning provides standards in curriculum delivery. The delivery to one class meets the delivery to another class. Many times in Instructor Led Training, material is lost between different instructors. One trainer might not present the same material in the same fashion as another trainer. Therefore, training is not standard. Trainers can not standardize what the learner retains; he can only try to standardize what is being presented. Computer based curriculum helps to provide a solid baseline of curriculum.
Moreover, one state that using computer based IMI to border line pedagogical-andragogical learners is a questionable technique. Computer based learning is solely designed for the andragogical learner. Naval Submarine School theorizes that this not the case in the submarine community. An important learning outcome of computer based learning is discipline and self-direction. In the submarine community this is notable. Lives depend on a sailor’s ability to know where to find the correct information about: oceanography, political climates, computer languages, shipping history, electromagnetic signal, hydraulics and nuclear plant operations and many more. The submarine sailor is specialized in his particular field, but has to have knowledge about everything the submarine is capable of doing in order to operate it effectively. It is impossible for sailors to hold all of this information. Therefore, by teaching adult learning theories to young sailors, we are developing self-directed learning to enhance the sailor’s ability.
The terms ‘computer instruction’, ‘interactive courseware’ and ‘interactive multimedia instruction’ can mean many things and are substantial encompassing. All of these terms can be ragged when discussing synchronous or asynchronous learning. These terms can also be used if the curriculum is delivered in the classroom or through distance learning. Moreover, computer instruction does not necessarily need to be tied to a Learning Management System (LMS) or be developed using complex Learning Content Management Systems (LCMS). Computer curriculum can be developed using programs as simple as MS Word and Power Point. However the curriculum is developed and delivered, there are some communities used to enhance student motivation. There are also some novel motivational techniques that are utilized in distance learning and classroom facilitation.
Learning Objective Statements
The first step in any form of curriculum development is clear learning objectives. Course learning objectives (CLOs) are the first product produced in the instructional develop process. After development of the CLOs is the topic learning objectives (TLOs). Sometimes the CLOs are referred to as terminal objectives and the TLOs are enabling objectives. Either way, objective statements are developed the same way and are vitally important to build inclusion with learners.
All of the objective statement need to build for the Job Task Analysis (JTA) data for the specific skills that you want to train employees on. Learners need to understand the ‘what’s in it for me’ aspect. Learning objectives provide this information if properly written and clear. Learning objectives need to have three elements; a condition, an action and an assessment. According to Wlodkowski (1998) objectives need to have the following three elements: who, how and what (p. 116). At the Submarine Learning Center, the guidance is that the ‘who’ of an objective is understood. We know that we want the participant (learner) to accomplish something. What is not understood is under what condition the learner has to accomplish something. For instance: “Using standard issued diesel tools, you will be able assemble a diesel ring pinion with 100 percent accuracy”. The condition provides more information to the learner and makes the objective more useable. The action of the fair needs to be designed using Bloom’s Taxonomy and needs to match the assessment and the skills desired to be mastered by the CLOs.
Wlodkowski (1998) further states; “When specific objectives, skills, or competencies are appropriate and meaningful, especially in technical areas such as medicine and engineering, clearly defined goals can heighten learners’ sense of control and capability” (p. 116). Specific well written learning objectives will always heighten the learners’ sense of control and capability regardless of his field of expertise. This is because our lesson plans and assessments are built directly from our objectives. Learners need to know what they are going to learn, what they are expected to retain, how they are expected to perform at all times, regardless of the shriek of the training material.
Clear objectives are equally primary in instructor led training, distance learning, asynchronous or synchronous computer training. Whatever the delivery method of the training, learners need the ability to review the objective statements and understand what they mean. In computer based training, this may require a hyperlink to the objectives from any instructional screen the learner is on. Too many times are learning objective which are designed for the instructor to know what material is to be presented confused with learning fair statements which are designed for the learner.
One of the problems observed at Naval Submarine School and other organizations computer courses is that objectives are weak and the computer simulation programs is treated as a stand alone product. Computer programs can provide asynchronous distance learning to the learner, but the objectives have to be strong and have to be able to stand on its own. Recently there have studies on the use of computer simulation games (such as Sim City for civil engineering, Civilization for history, 688I for submarine tactics) in the use of education. The majority of these studies have stated that the spend of these games do not further education.
The United States Navy does incorporate the use of the 688I game to teach tactics to the navy’s Junior Officers. The game was designed by a contractor for the navy at a secret classification level and marked unclassified to the general public. The disagreement besides classification is that the navy uses it as share of curriculum with strong objectives and assessments. The following is an example of a poorly written objective retrieved from an online course designed to bid civil engineering; “The student will experience simulated city planning and development through software called SimCity 2000″ (Author unknown). The behavior of the objective is not measurable and there is no condition. Therefore the learner does not know how to measure successful completion.
Chunking
Chunking is the learning segments that are delivered to the learner. In typical instructor led training, the trainer delivers material for approximately 50 minutes than administers a 10-15 minute break to refresh the learners. In computer based training, a learner might be miserable reading or performing on a computer mask for that long. Therefore it is best when facilitating an synchronous computer learning session to have the learners complete a 20 minute segments of computer instruction, than participate in a class discussion about the material just covered for 20 minutes before taking a break. This discussion is not only a break from the computer screen; it is the adult learners learning from each other experiences and interpretations. This facilitated discussion builds on the adult learners “active learner participation” the Brookfield (1986, p. 38) describes.
In developing an asynchronous computer learning module, the instructional design specialist has to ensure that topics or modules are at a maximum of 20 minute duration. Learners participating in distance learning asynchronous programs might have to complete a module during his or her lunch break. Perhaps the learner can complete topic before falling asleep for the night. Therefore, if topics or modules are too long, than the learner will not have time to complete them, may loss interest, or it just might be too difficult to complete. Therefore short ‘chunks’ of information is best suited. The chunks should correlate to a learning objective with therefore can be directly built in to a learning objective statement.
Learner Communication
Learners need to be able to communicate what they are learning with each other. They need a forum to discuss issues, post questions, solve problems and communicate with the trainer. Adult learners have much to add to the learning experience. They have experience that is critical to other learner. They have up to date ‘deck plate’ experience that might be helpful to the trainer also. There are many ways learners can communicate with the trainer and other learners and it depends on how the curriculum is delivered. Synchronous distance learning is different than asynchronous which is different than classroom computer based training. Therefore trainers must be aware of different techniques available to the learners.
Traditional Classroom learners that are utilizing computer based learning have the opportunity to discuss what was recently delivered in the computer software. Chunking in to short segments allows the facilitator to facilitate this. The learners can participate in activities and problems based on the theories presented. This works with synchronous and asynchronous computer based classroom learning.
The United States Navy uses a unique course called Submarine Combined Electronics Field (SECF). The SECF curriculum is asynchronous, combines three different electronic apprentice ratings (sonar, fire control, and electronic technicians) into the same class. The course is approximately 3 months long and the learners complete computer modules at their own pace. After completion of certain modules, the learners go to a laboratory environment where they operate their rating’s equipment in an underway scenario with the other learners. Due to the high student throughput, learners do not have to wait long for other learners in the laboratory.
Many trainers and learners have been resistant to this course since it changed the training paradigm in many facets. Ratings were being trained together. Apprentice learners were being trained andragogically. Computer learning was not a tool for distance learning. However, this plot of training helps to build the critical thinking skills that Brookfield (1987) describes: “They can take multiple perspectives on a problem. They frequently use trail and error methods in their experimentation with alternative approaches” (p. 116). One of the shortcomings of computer based learning is that there is not much room for trail and error. A computer simulation programs for troubleshooting equipment can not be programmed for every possible outcome or troubleshooting path within a reasonable financial budget. Therefore to keep learners motivated and to develop their well-known thinking skills, there must be multiple approaches to solving problems.
When a trainer is delivering curriculum through distance learning he must be aware of the capabilities and limitations of the learners. A trainer should not instruct learners to have a video conference in the middle of the course without it being in the syllabus since many learners might not have this technology. However, learners need to communicate through distance learning. Bulletin boards, email, chat room are excellent tools in the trainer’s tool box for communication. One explain with these forms of communication is that the learner has a obvious manufacture of autonomy while communicating in them. A learner might have an email address that does not deem his name. His chat room name or profile might not reflect who he or she is. Even if the learner does communicate how he or she is, the learner might say things distance learning wise without the same fear of repercussion or peer pressure that a class room learner might have. According to Wlodkowski’s strategy 12 (1998); “Introduce the concepts of comfort zones and learning edges to encourage learners accommodate more intense emotions during episodes of new learning” (p.128). Learners do become very emotional when learning new material. They might be very vocal about their experiences and it might contrast with the curriculum being presented. Moreover, chat rooms and bulletin boards can become very heated and personal if not monitored closely. To contain a positive learning experience ground rules need to be established and learners need to establish a mutual respect for each. This is best accomplished at the beginning of the course with ground rules provided by the trainer.
Remarkable the same way a question pool or a question posting board works in traditional classroom training, a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section is beneficial to all learners. Many learners will have the same questions about material being presented in the computer based curriculum. Sometimes it can be costly and untimely to update the computer software with answers to these questions. Therefore the trainer should develop a FAQ section that learners are required to read before doing the computer module. Learners should read it before hand to enforce the law of primacy. Then when a learner is presented some material in the computer based curriculum that is questionable, the answer from the FAQ is new in his mind.
The key with all adult learning is communication, recalling, researching, reflecting and exploration. Brookfield states (1987) “Adults work best when they are in collaborative groups” and “Adults learn best when they engage in action, reflection, further action, and further reflection” (p. 113). Technology does not drive the curriculum or the learners drive for education, it only provides recent ways to engage the learners. The engagements could be from some of the technologies already presented such as chat rooms, bulletin boards or email. However, as long as learners are talking and exchanging ideas, learning is occurring. According to Ellis (2003) while he and his fellow soldiers were captives during the Vietnam War at Hanoi Hilton, they were able to teach each other history, foreign languages, physics and a multitude of other academic areas. There were no computers; these prisoners of war were in the worst possible scenario imaginable. They were abused, beaten and tortured. Yet they still communicated (sometimes using mirrors or Morse code) with each other and made the best of what they had. It was their determination and longing for something better that kept them engaged. If they lost engagement, they lost hope.
Summary
Advances in technology have created an environment in education that many people could only dream about a few years ago. Technological advances have turned the educational world from an instructor centric pedagogical environment to an andragogical learner centric environment. There is a plethora of materials out there for people to learn from, there are courses that use computer gaming, interactive courseware, distance learning, classroom synchronous and asynchronous training available. The learner has to only choose his delivery method of choice. So much is available that it takes a customary adult learner to realize his needs and how he or she can accomplish them with the curriculum and delivery method of his choice. The learner has to seek the positive outcome of successfully completing the learning; this is done through strong learning fair statements. The trainer should also provide guidance to the learners on what is available to meet with other learners, answer FAQs, and provide further reading lists. However, the overall motivation relies with the learner. The most exciting computer curriculum will not make the learner advance through the material. Moreover the computer curriculum does not have to be exciting for a learner to reflect and expound on the material. Sometimes if the computer curriculum is ‘boring’ the learner might be motivated to research the topics further. Once again clearly written learning honest statements will guide the learner in this research.
References
Brookfield, Steven. (1987). Developing Critical Thinkers. Jossey-Bass Publishing; San Francisco, CA.
Brookfield, Stephen. (1986). Understanding and Facilitating Adult Learning. Jossey-Bass Publishing; San Francisco, CA.
Dolasinski, Mary Jo. (2004). Training the Trainer. Prentice Hall; Upper Saddle River, NJ
Ellis, Lee. (2003). Leading Talents, Leading Teams. Jossey-Bass Publishers; San Francisco, CA.
Marsick, V. & Watkins, K. (2001). Informal and Incidental Learning, New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, no. 89, Spring 2001. Jossey-Bass Publishers; San Francisco, CA.
Merriam S. & Caffarella R. (1998). Learning in Adulthood: A Comprehensive Guide Jossey-Bass Publishers; San Francisco, CA.
Mezirow, Jack. (1991). Transformative Dimensions of Adult Learning. Jossey-Bass Publishing; San Francisco, CA.
McWilliams, Vicki. (2001). Exploring the Relationship Between Computer-Based Training, Learning Styles, and Cognitive Styles. The University of New Mexico. Retrieved from 06 August, 2007 from; http://proguest.umi.com/pqdweb? did=728465331&sid=12&fmt=2&clentld=79356&RQT=309&VName=PQD
Wlodkowski, Raymond. (1998) Enhancing Adult Motivation to Learn. Jossey-Bass Publishers; San Francisco, CA.
Author Unknown. (2004). Technology Education-Urban Planning. Retrieved August 7, 2007 from http://www.geocities.com/tech_ed_2000/units/wadd/SimCity2000Unit.htm
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