More companies and institutions are looking for robust solutions to support their training programmes. They want to follow sustainable approaches that enhance learning and teaching over the internet.

1. Facilitated Learning over the Internet
By Shaun Lake
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2. Introduction
The success of an online education offering, like any education offering, is measured by the extent to
which actual learning takes place. Distance education has always been a challenge in that it is
difficult to provide adequate coaching to remote learners, and it is difficult to observe whether or
not learning is happening. It does have its positives however. It is a “learner centred” form of
learning, which means it’s an active learning process. There is greater flexibility in terms of time to
do the course and from where. Online learning can help address the downside of distance education
by enhancing the tutoring component and bringing participants closer together through
collaboration and communications technologies.
When making a decision to offer online education it is important to understand that online learning
is a very broad field with numerous technological approaches. Many of these tend to only emphasise
a learning experience that involves interactivity with online (digital) learning materials (Computer
Based Training (CBT). This usually takes the form of various activities designed to get the learner to
engage with the content and receive automated responses. There is a focus on making the materials
graphically attractive using multimedia to enhance the impact and enjoyment of the course. A live
tutor or instructor is either absent or passive with this approach. Facilitated learning over the
Internet is something different. The focus is not to enhance the content to create interactivity
between the learner and the materials, but rather to create a learning path or structure to facilitate
interaction between the learner and the teacher. Facilitated learning involves a combination of ways
to engage with the course materials and to interact with the tutor and other learners. The way in
which this is pulled together may differ depending on the preferences of the training provider.
Which approach to take should be based on which is going to be most effective for the specific skills
development objectives in mind, and the budgetary constraints. Computer based training has its
place. It can be very effective for systems training. Airline pilots use CBT extensively. The best
example of computer based training is the aircraft simulator. This produces excellent learning, and
because it can simulate occurrences that would not normally happen, it provides the pilot with
valuable experience. There does however appear to be a correlation between the sophistication of
the computer based training product and its ability to teach and to affect learning. Unfortunately
sophistication comes with a heavy price tag.
The facilitated learning approach is very effective for most learning programmes, and in particular, it
is effective in enhancing distance education but can also be just as useful in supporting face to face
programmes. It is a low risk and cost effective approach if done correctly. A US Department of
Education study (2009) investigated the impact of online learning on education and found that
students participating in facilitated learning over the Internet performed better than their face- to-
face compatriots, and a combination of online learning and face-to-face produced the best
education results. 1 in 6 K12 students are currently engaged in online learning and this is expected to
grow as schools move toward the use of technology. Certain States have decided to issue all their
students with iPads with a view to taking as much of the education process online as possible.
There are two main types of facilitated learning over the Internet which can be described as “the
synchronous approach” and “the asynchronous approach”. These can be used together in the same
programme or independently. The main purpose of this article is to focus on facilitated learning over
the Internet using the asynchronous approach but it is nevertheless important to raise some issues
around the synchronous approach.
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3. The Synchronous Approach
This approach is often referred to as a “webinar” or a “virtual classroom” and involves an online
“live” meeting between a teacher and a group of learners at a set time over the Internet. There are
specialised software applications that facilitate this instantaneous form of interaction between the
participants. Materials can be presented by the teacher and various tools are used to manage and
solicit participation. Interaction is usually by voice or live chat (instant messaging), and where
connectivity is good and reliable, video conferencing can be used.
There are a number of limiting factors around this approach which make it not ideal for facilitated
learning over the Internet. It is generally not effective with large groups as interaction becomes
difficult to manage and the value of the synchronicity reduces with a greater number of participants.
Opinions may vary on this but a session with more than five people does become more challenging
to manage. There are also organisational challenges around this approach. People need to be online
at a set time. Getting people who are in different locations and time zones together can be
problematic. Variations in connection speeds, and the quality of equipment will impact on each
participant’s individual experience of the session. Synchronous teaching is particularly sensitive to
technological breakdown. For example, an event is easily disrupted if some of the participants
experience connection problems. Often, because of these challenges, a virtual class becomes a one-
way broadcast rather than an interactive session. Getting a virtual class to interact can be
challenging, as it is easier for remote participants to sit in silence. This is because the sense of
presence and pressure to participate is not as strong as it would be in a face to face class.
The Asynchronous Approach
The asynchronous approach describes interactions which are not “live”. Email is a good example of
an asynchronous form of communication. A person prepares an email and sends it. The recipient
receives, reads, and responds to the email in their own time. An asynchronous approach comprises
of a variety of activities that a learner community must do as part of the course, in their own time.
This could include self assessments, automated assessments, assignments, participation in
discussion forums and messaging. Course materials are made available in documents, videos, pod
casts, websites etc which can be viewed anytime and as many times as necessary.
A decision to follow a predominantly asynchronous approach to facilitate learning over the Internet
introduces massive leverage and can be very effective if done correctly. It can also be very cost
efficient and reliable. A well choreographed approach can even rival face to face teaching as an
effective means of skills development.
Key to a successful asynchronous approach is the structure and how this is implemented. This
requires a predetermined path of sequenced compulsory and voluntary activities. The more
structured the better. Although an asynchronous approach involves “delayed” responses, these can
still be an effective form of communication provided there are rules of engagement and due dates
around activities.
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4. There are five mainstays to asynchronous learning over the Internet. These are: preset
assignments/worksheets, discussions and polls, group messaging, private messaging and social
networking.
a) Preset assignments/worksheets
This forms the core and backbone of an online course. A teacher will construct a series of
worksheets developed according to distance learning instructional design principles.
The example below shows a series of four worksheets that need to be completed by the learner for
the course “Introduction to Social Media”.
Worksheets can include a combination of self study, auto assessment and tutored activities. Reading
resources including files, links to websites, video and pod casts etc can be made available to the
learners. Corrections, improvements, or additions can be applied at any time to the course, even
while learners are active.
Worksheets are submitted according to due dates and parts of a worksheet can be marked by the
teacher. Because a teacher will mark the worksheets, it opens up a whole range of options in terms
of types of questions that can be asked. This allows for the research based model which is a far more
thorough teaching approach. The flexibility in the way worksheets and questions can be structured
allows the course developer to apply their learning models.
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5. The example below shows an open question that needs to be answered, and will be marked by a
tutor. Under the resources is a video lecture on the topic.
Learners can send private messages to the tutor if assistance or clarification is needed. Tutors mark
the worksheets, provide comments, and award marks. Students who fail to submit on time are sent
reminders and alerts by the system, and if they fail to respond to the alerts, they receive an FTS
(Failed to Submit) for that worksheet. Teachers can provide informative comments and request the
learners resubmit the worksheets should further improvements and teaching be required.
The example below shows an activity feed for a teacher where they are alerted to a marking that is
due. Note also that there is a notification of a poll. The activity feed assists in keeping participants
informed of activities.
Because the worksheets are in a sequence according to due dates, the learner management system
can provide regular progress and performance reports. All work carried out by the learner and the
teacher is done online meaning that the system stores a record of this information automatically. A
series of completed worksheets becomes a detailed Portfolio of Evidence of the course for reference
and reporting purposes.
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6. Below is an example of a report that shows progress and performance of a group.
Worksheets can also be designed as group assignments. Learners are assigned to small groups and
are expected to work together on a project. This has organisational challenges but can be done.
b) Discussions and Polls
Discussions and polls can be used to debate important points around the topic/s. They supplement
the learning from the preset assignments/worksheets, and provide an asynchronous virtual
classroom or workshop. The discussions take place over days or even weeks, and all comments are
available for all to see. The teacher is able to close the discussion once the topic has been exhausted,
but the transcript remains as a reference for the class. Polls work in the same way as discussions
except that there is an added element of a vote allowing the participants to see the opinion of the
group. Although the discussion does not provide all the benefits of the interaction enjoyed by
learners in a face to face session, it does provide for a useful dialogue between participants. The
contributions of the participants tend to be more thoughtful and complete.
Below is an example of a discussion.
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7. Below is an example of a poll.
c) Group Messaging
Group messaging provides the teacher with a tool to communicate with the group as and when
required. This could be to encourage participation in the discussions and polls or to highlight the
importance of certain aspects in the worksheets, or to notify learners of changes, additions or
improvements.
Below is an example of a group notification encouraging learner to participate in the polls. In this
case group messaging is being used as a prodder to get learners to interact.
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8. d) Private Messaging
Private messaging provides a means for a learner to contact the teacher or contact other
participants on a one-to-one basis. They may need clarification on content or questions, or other
course related questions. If a teacher sees that a particular learner is not participating in the
discussions, or has done poorly, or well in the worksheets, the private message can be use to
communicate about these matters.
Below is an example of a private message between learner and tutor.
e) Social Networking
There are a number of tools that fall under the social networking umbrella that can be incorporated
into a course. Twitter is a very effective tool for a teacher who wishes to link the course with daily
life. All participants are registered as followers of the teacher. Clever use of regular tweets could link
daily experiences or current news with the course. This serves to liven up the course and keep the
learning ongoing.
Ideas around social networking and learning are still in their infancy. By seeing learners as co-
creators of learning material, and the learning process as a community activity, a course takes on an
informal feel that tends to be driven by a genuine thirst for knowledge and sharing. Social
networking features could include “what’s on your mind” (course wall), “who is online” (live chat),
group pages etc which all serve to create the feeling of community and provide a platform for peers
to teach one another (considered to be a very effective way of learning). Other features include the
idea of co creation of documents (wikis), and the ability to follow a particular document. For
example, a student is notified each time that document is enhanced. This stimulates debate and
purpose around topics and leaves a trail of interactions which can be picked up by future students.
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9. Below is an example of Twitter feed coming into the course around social media.
Conclusion
People teaching people, combined with a research based approach, is in most cases, the best way to
educate as opposed to computer based training (with the exception of computer simulations for
certain types of skills training). Facilitated learning over the Internet using the asynchronous
approach is a very powerful and robust way to teach and learn. The people focus allows for an
emphasis on structuring courses around human interaction. This takes the pressure off having to
build elaborate multimedia productions that try to squeeze complex subject matter into rigid
computer driven responses. Open questions facilitate the powerful research based model and
learners receive feedback from a teacher who can calibrate their understanding of a subject, and
provide the necessary coaching and attention as required. Even the best in artificial intelligence
cannot detect nuances around an individual’s understanding.
The leverage of the asynchronous approach is enormous. A teacher could provide effective and
efficient tuition for hundreds of learners located anywhere in the world over a period of time. The
self paced nature of asynchronous learning accommodates most learning styles and needs provided
it is well structured and well managed.
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