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Bridging the Gap: Research Insights on Learning from a Consumer Perspective

In this research presentation by Donald Clark, CEO of Epic Group Plc, we explore the complexities surrounding educational practices from a consumer standpoint. The discussion highlights what we seek in learning research, the methodologies utilized, and real-world examples that illustrate the ongoing challenges within the field. With a focus on empirical evidence, the importance of distinguishing between effective and non-empirical research is emphasized. Key issues include the persistent gap between theory and practice, the need for updated insights, and the role of technology in shaping learning experiences.

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Bridging the Gap: Research Insights on Learning from a Consumer Perspective

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  1. www.epic.co.uk

  2. Research: a consumer’s perspective Donald Clark - CEO Epic Group Plc

  3. Research • What do we look for? • What do we use? • Real examples • Where do we get it? • What do we want?

  4. Problems with learning profession • Gulf between theory and practice • All art no science • Legacy practice • Few would be able to cite any research • Professionals don’t read the research

  5. Problems with the domain • Fuzzy set of concepts • Mixture of psychology, sociology and technology • Technology is always ahead of the sociology • But the sociology always wins out • Technological base changes rapidly

  6. Problems with the research • Faddish and non-empirical • Not demand driven • Skew towards education • Often dated • Confusing and contradictory • Sometimes excellent

  7. What do we look for? • Address practical problems • Distinguish fact from faddish fiction • Recognise that there’s empirical and non -empirical research (Prefer empirical) • Recognise quantitative and qualitative techniques - welcome both • Take and immediately apply

  8. What do we use? • Market research • Learning research • Human factors research • Technical research • Standards research • Implementation research

  9. What do we use? Market research • Professional research companies (IDC, Gartner etc) • European (Various DGs, CEDEFOP) • OECD • Analysts (largely US, some in London) • nobody knows the size and shape of the UK market • major investment decisions (UKeU, UFI, NHSU, OU in US) • life and death issues

  10. What do we use? Learning research • general psychology (memory, cognitive overload, retention, habituation etc) • psychology of learning (NHSU - Peter Honey - no real consensus theory) • a mass of confusing and contradictory theory • no language and discourse - pedagogy • base psychology often ignored - memory, practice and retention • behaviourism, cognitive psychology, constructivism

  11. What do we use? Human factors research • screen design • navigation • usability • accessibility • media mix (Clark & Mayer) • media psychology (Nass & Reeves) • Nielson on usability

  12. What do we use? Technical research • P2P • open source (sourceforge.net, slashdot.org) • blogs, RSS (wired.com, smartmobs.com etc) • LMS/LCMS/VLE/MLE - Brandon-Hall problem • collaborative software • authoring tools • innovation largely in private sector • Shawn Fanning, Bill Gates, Larry Ellison, Michael Dell, Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak • moves quickly - web is the obvious source • no more technology please

  13. What do we use? Standards research • interoperability • reusability (lego brick problem) • AICC, IMS, ADL, ISO • no tipping point on operability • branding confusion • over-engineered • Occam’s razor • enough is enough

  14. What do we use? Implementation research • evaluation case studies • conferences • really valuable • success and failure criteria • real projects in the real world • not enough engagement with companies who do this for real • huge projects not being evaluated • empirical research opportunities being lost

  15. Where do we get it? • Web • Useful sites • Blogs • RSS • Books • Mostly US • Conferences • Mostly US • Techlearn/Online Learning/ASTD/Online Educa • Networking • Trade associations • Government

  16. Research centres • Learning Lab (University of Wolverhampton) • annual conference just cancelled • companies listed in liquidation • Ultralab (Anglia Polytechnic University) • good reputation • schools focus • UKeUniversity elearning research centre • no idea what’s happening • does it exist? • NESTA futurelab • not sure

  17. Professional associations • BLA • training • E-learning forum • good meetings • ALT • education • CIPD • training • Fragmented and all too small • Some dissemination but not adequate

  18. EXAMPLE: Learning Styles • Widely quoted in education and training • Learning and Skills Development Agency Frank Coffield • ‘bedlam of contradictory claims’ • ‘proliferation of concepts, instruments and strategies’ • 71 competing theories • most dismissed outright - 13 chosen

  19. EXAMPLE: Learning Styles • internal consistency, evidence of application, reliability, predictive validity • ‘they were found seriously wanting’ • ‘serious deficiencies’ • ‘over-simplify, label and stereotype’ • worse than bad - downright dangerous

  20. EXAMPLE: Pedagogy • term itself is problematic • teachers lack an agreed vocabulary and discourse • Professor James Tooley • Educational Research: A Critique (1998) • ‘pretty grim business’ • 41 articles from 4 leading journals

  21. EXAMPLE: Media mix • Ruth Clark and Richard Mayer: E-learning and the science of instruction • strong empirical research • media mix in e-learning • text, graphics, audio, animation, video • use of text/audio, text/graphics together • extraneous & distracting graphics in learning • animation and audio narration • video can be harmful to learning

  22. EXAMPLE: Media psychology • Nass and Reeves: The Media Equation • media equals real life hypothesis • 35 empirical studies, clear hypotheses • social rules • image fidelity on video/audio • politeness • feedback • coaches • voices and gender

  23. EXAMPLE: Programme in Course Redesign • Center For Academic Transformation • $8.8 m - Pew Charitable Trusts • 30 x $200,000 experiments • Is it cost effective? • Are we seeing better learning? • Can drop-out rates be reduced?

  24. EXAMPLE: Programme in Course Redesign Is it cost effective? • all 30 reduced costs by 40% • success = fundamental shift in practice • brimming with proven ideas • online course management systems • automated assessment • online tutorials • shared resources • staffing substitutions • reduced space requirements

  25. EXAMPLE: Programme in Course Redesign Are we seeing better learning? • transformational tactics • concentrate on large courses • don’t fiddle, redesign whole course • don’t stay with unaltered model of classroom instruction • continuous assessment and feedback • increased interaction among students • continuous support online tutorials • undergraduate learning assistants

  26. EXAMPLE: Programme in Course Redesign Can drop-out rates be reduced? • US term DFW (drop-failure-withdrawal) • significant decreases across a range of subjects • 45% to 11% • 42% to 25% • 39% to 25% • 28% to 19%

  27. EXAMPLE: Military research (US) • military spending is $956 billion - almost half of this is the US • since 1950s DoD has spent $150m on research per year • ADL and SCORM • superb work on simulations, games, teamwork • Tobias and Fletcher Training and Retraining • American Psychological Association

  28. EXAMPLE: Games and learning • Digital Game-based Learning Marc Prensky • What Video Games have to teach us about learning and literacy James Gee • Military miles ahead on this one • University of Abertay

  29. L/DWP IOP Menu

  30. L/DWP IOP Questions

  31. Games and learning

  32. L/Zaks wordgames

  33. L/PwC Pistart Story

  34. What do we do about research? Email newsletter - monthly • Think-tanks (14 to date) • Case studies (lots) • Show reports (16 over 3 years) • Book reviews (30) • Interviews (just started) • Surveys, research, myths etc.

  35. General Markets for e-learning Return on investment in e-learning Organisational benefits of e-learning Innovation Napsterisation of learning (P2P) Interactive TV and e-learning Simulations and e-learning Games and e-learning Customer e-learning M-learning Psychology The psychology of e-learning Media and media mix in e-learning Motivation and e-learning Education Higher education and e-learning Personalisation and e-learning Blended learning Blended learning Blended learning in practice Definition Pedagogy and e-learning Learning design for e-learning Collaboration and e-learning Induction and e-learning Development Open source and e-learning Usability and e-learning Standards and e-learning Accessibility and e-learning Reusable learning objects Testing and e-learning Localisation and e-learning Delivery Content and context in e-learning Change management in e-learning Learning management systems Knowledge management and e-learning E-tutoring Evaluation and e-learning What do we do about research?

  36. Conclusion • more demand driven research • less technical research • less standards research • more real world, empirical evaluation • work with experienced companies • more media mix, human factors • more dissemination

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