E-learners

Key features of e-learning

The defining features of an e-learning (or distance learning) approach lie in the differences between a trainee in an e-learning situation and one receiving face-to-face training.

They can essentially be summed up in two words: autonomy and freedom. With face-to-face training, everything is fixed: the training location and schedule, the course content, module lengths, the presence of other learners, etc. With e-learning, everything is more flexible, from the date and location to the actual course materials. Only the training and its subject matter are mandatory.

In exchange for this freedom and autonomy, learners are expected to be responsible and self-motivated. They need to show a real appetite for learning. In an e-learning situation, teaching ceases to be an exclusively top-down, one-way process. Knowledge is not simply passed on by the trainer. Rather, the e-learner trains themselves, with the trainer acting only as a facilitator.

The role of the e-learner includes pondering the purpose (or “why”) of the training (i.e. their motivation) as well as the “how” (their commitment to the course). With e-learning, the trainer’s role is no longer limited to disseminating knowledge, but also includes other aspects, such as managing a community, encouraging e-learners and creating a welcoming space for debate and social interaction. The trainer also needs more advanced organizational skills, as e-learning requires more planning: all course sessions need to be carefully prepared and the trainer must be proficient with the various technological tools used.

What are the pros and cons of e-learning, from the learner’s perspective?

The pros and cons of e-learning for the learner are outlined below::

• The main advantages include flexibility, autonomy, adaptability and choice, lower cost and real-time progress tracking, accountability, self-assessment, etc.
• The drawbacks relate mostly to the risk of learners losing their motivation, problems using the necessary tools, the lack of a physical human presence and sometimes a certain austerity…

The learner motivation issue is directly correlated with the degree of commitment to the e-learning course: nearly 80% of MOOC registrants never complete the course! It is therefore essential to find out what drives an e-learner to sign up to a course (motivations) and identify their reasons for continuing or completing it (commitment).

The 2019 white paper on digital learning published by the Institut des Métiers du Blended Learning (ISTF) gives some figures, collected from 400 training professionals. The share of exclusively face-to-face training declined by another 4 points to account for only 29% of courses run in 2018. For e-learners, the leading factors driving commitment were the presence of a tutor (19%); involvement by management (17%); certification of the course (16%) and its professional relevance (14%). The role of tutoring should therefore not be underestimated, potentially doubling the participation rate for an e-learning module from 23% to 51%.

Defining characteristics of an e-learning trainer

For an e-learning trainer, the weaknesses of e-learning are very real: no direct contact with learners and the need to simultaneously perform multiple roles, including trainer, coach and technician. The next part of this article looks at the challenges facing e-trainers.

What challenges do e-trainers face?

Face-to-face training is an eminently human activity, all about sharing and friendly interactions, as learners are able to easily speak to each other and with their trainer. Reinventing this conviviality requires e-trainers to be creative and show initiative. This extends to leading a community of e-learners.

Technical challenges

E-learning is unfeasible without technical support. While not IT specialists, trainers must know how to use a variety of tools to manage an online community, share content on a platform, create video training sessions, etc. Additionally, even after the training is over, they must also be able to provide basic technical support to learners. When creating content, for example, they need to understand the principles behind authoring tools or the SCORM standard for a training module.

Teaching challenges for e-trainers

Creating multimedia content comes at a cost. E-trainers must be able to apply their teaching expertise to good effect by carefully selecting content to include in an e-learning course. They must also know how to adapt the chosen material for a digital medium.

Alongside their teaching role, trainers may be asked to provide remote tutoring. The teaching methods employed for an e-learning course differ from those used during face-to-face training. To tackle these new challenges, trainers have no choice but to train themselves and agree to challenge some basic teaching principles.

Lastly, e-trainers must support their trainees and inspire in them the desire to learn and continue the course despite being geographically remote.