e-Learning flash in the pan Pt 2

Loosing sight of the goal or objective of the e-learning lesson is one of major the pitfalls. If the e-lesson looses its direction, there is little hope that the e-student will learn the objectives of the e-lesson. Usually this is brought about by inserting material that is not really relevant to the lesson or objective; that is, “...teaching knowledge and skills that do not result in job performance changes will not yield a return on investment.” (Clark and Mayer, 2008, p. 24)

It is easier to loose sight of the goal or become distracted from the out comes when deigning large e-lessons. It is better the divide larger sections into smaller modules that build upon the previous modules. But there is also a risk of loosing focus with this technique, especially when there are a number of modules to complete.

Another hindrance to these processes is losing sight of what jobs skills are being targeted in the e-lesson. Often this occurs because the design is too broad in job skill scope. “There is no one set of skills that support expertise across the diverse contemporary workforce” (Clark and Mayer, 2008, p. 24). Even in introductory e-lessons the focus still need to be maintained. Bringing in irrelevant subject material may lead to confusion in later e-lessons.

The bottom line is to constantly review the learning objectives throughout the design process to ensure that the objectives are clear and complete.

Clark, R. C. & Mayer, R. E. (2009). E-learning and the science of instruction: Proven guidelines for consumers and designer of multimedia learning. San Francisco: Pfeiffer.