Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Enjoyable eLearning



Is "enjoyable eLearning" an oxymoron? I don't think so, or I wouldn't do what I do. It saved me, and brought me back to the education table long after I'd hardened my heart and thrown up my hands in despair. Now, I do what I can to send out the word to other knowledge-hungry souls that there IS an alternative to butt-in-seat/bored to tears. The question on all the minds of my CoP, though, is what does really good eLearning look like? How do we know?
Take a look.
This short, Pecha Kucha format piece by Clive Shephard (one of my favorite thinkers on the topic) pulls together some good research and great ideas to answer the question. Need a hook to lure you in to Clive's presentation? Here's a summary of why he thinks eLearning is seldom enjoyable, and how we could it make it more so.
why eLearning is seldom enjoyable:
policy constraints, design faults, problems in the blend (not enough social), isn't for everyone, sometimes learning hurts
Now, how we can make (e)learning more enjoyable:
challenge conventions, tell interesting stories, provide engaging challenges, don't overdo the self-study, express yourself!
But don't stop there. Watch Clive's Pecha Kucha and decide for yourself.