Leonardo ENERGY’s Impact

This excellent book [1] on e-learning summarises the state of knowledge in the field from a scientific perspective. A few highlights (including a few surprises):

1. The market for professional training is approaching 60 B$ annually in the US. About a third a delivered by technology. Over the past 5 years, e-learning has grown 200% at the expense of classroom learning.
2. The first media comparison study dates from 1947. A classroom was divided in 3 groups, with one group given a lecture, the second watching a movie and the third reading through a text. Subsequent tests showed no significant difference. Hundreds of media comparisons have been conducted meanwhile, confirming that the medium has no influence. Quality of instruction (and interest of the student) is a much more important factor. (our own Cracow experiment confirms this finding)
3. The contiguity principle: Integrating text & graphics is much more effective than separating text in captions.
4. The multimedia principle: using words combined with graphics is much more effective than using words alone.Interestingly, it appears that a sequence of static graphics is more effective than animations. Unless there is a compelling reason, best practice is the use of static sequences rather than animations.
5. The modality principle: words as audio narration to graphics are more effective than on-screen text. We only have a visual and and auditory channel to process information. Using both channels in parallel increases processing capacity.
6. The redundancy principle: explaining visuals with words using both audio and text hurts learning. (we’ve all been exasperated at times by presenters reading their slides). Use one or the other.
7. The coherence principle: adding interesting but loosely related materials hurts the learning process.
8. The personalisation principle: a conversational style and virtual coaches improves learning.
9. The segmenting principle: manage complexity by breaking a lesson into parts.

Some implications

• As the medium does not matter, we might as well focus on the most cost-effective medium (a self-serving conclusion, but one backed up by science)
• We need to become much better in designing graphics to illustrate campaigns
• Minute lectures are generally preferrable over short animations
• On webcasts versus white papers (the modality principle), some empirical evidence suggests that users prefer the freedom of downloadable white papers over the straitjacket of narrated online presentations.

I guess this is a suitable topic for a future team meeting.

[1] Ruth Colvin Clark & Richard E Mayer, e-learning and the science of instruction – proven guidelines for consumers and designers of multimedia learning, Pfeiffer, 2nd edition, 2008