Jung, I. & Leem, J.

Context:
This selection illustrates design principles and strategies used for developing Web-based training courses in a large-scale corporate context.

Source:
Jung, I. & Leem, J. 1999. "Design strategies for developing Web-based training courses in a Korean context." In Ronnie Carr, Olugbemiro J Jegede, Wong Tat-meng, & Yuen Kin-sun, eds., The Asian Distance Learner. Hong Kong: Open University of Hong Kong Press

Copyright:
Reprinted with permission

Design principles and strategies

1  A Web-based training course on problem-solving skills

The design principles and strategies which are important in developing a Web-based course for teaching problem-solving skills are as follows.

The creation of a problem-based learning (PBL) environment

PBL is based on the constructivist perspective on knowledge and learning. According to constructivism, knowledge is the construction of meaning through experience, and learning is also an active and constructive process in which the learner participates in authentic cognitive tasks to build more meaningful knowledge. Based on the constructivist viewpoint, PBL emphasizes active learning, learning through authentic tasks, and social interaction among learners. Duffy (1996) pointed out several characteristics of PBL:

•      It is problem-driven. PBL starts and proceeds from problems which are ill-structured, complex, process-oriented, and have no fixed solution or procedure. Most of the learning issues which arise reflect ¡¥real-world¡¦ problems or authentic tasks.

•      It is learner-centred. In PBL, the learner may be responsible for identifying the problem ¡X for his/her learning process and product. Also, learners must be able to defend both the product and the practical reasoning associated with developing it.

•      It involves a collaborative learning environment. Learners can develop cooperative and collaborative skills through social interaction in a PBL environment. Collaborative learning facilitates online discussion between learners, mutual communication and human relationships. 

The creation of a resource-based learning (RBL) environment

RBL can be explained as a learning mode in which the student learns from interacting with a wide range of learning resources rather than from class exposition (Brevik 1992). It involves examining a topic and locating the information necessary to answer questions or to solve problems related to it. At present, learning resources could include print and non-print media, ranging from books and articles to sound and video recording, to electronic databases and other computer-based resources. Using the Internet (World Wide Web) as an information resource in RBL presents many possibilities for enhancing instruction and learning because it provides a variety of information and interaction tools which learners can use to learn.

RBL strategies promote independent learning skills which contribute to lifelong learning and help contribute to the goal of individualized learning by accommodating individual differences in learning style, ability, needs, interests and prior knowledge (Rakes 1996).

On the basis of these design principles, the following design strategies were applied to the development of the problem-solving course:

•      providing opportunities to apply skills to solve authentic problems;

•      learning with ill-structured, process-oriented problems;

•      using rich and varied types of information resource;

•      providing a cooperative and collaborative learning environment;

•      providing personalized and just-in-time feedback by an online tutor.

At the beginning of the course, specific steps and skills for solving a given problem were provided, with examples. The trainees were first asked to solve a rather complicated, authentic problem individually by applying the problem-solving steps and skills. Then, they were asked to form small groups and share their solutions with them. Each group had to develop one best solution to the given problem. In the process of individual and small-group activities, various resources needed to solve the problem were provided. The group activities were monitored by online tutors and immediate feedback was given. For learner assessment, data on reading materials, activity participation and a final problem solution were used. 

2  A Web-based training course on facilitating skills

The design principles and strategies which are important in developing a Web-based course for teaching facilitating skills are as follows.

The creation of a self-directed learning environment

Self-directed learning, with underlying assumptions of andragogy, has been advocated as an effective approach for adult learners. According to Knowles (1984), self-directed learning is a process in which individuals take the initiative, with or without the help of others, in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating learning goals, identifying human and material resources for learning, choosing and implementing appropriate learning strategies, and evaluating learning outcomes. 

Brockett and Hiemstra (1991) emphasize that self-direction in learning refers to two distinct but related dimensions. The first dimension is a process in which a learner assumes primary responsibility for planning, implementing and evaluating the learning process. The second dimension, which they refer to as learner self-direction, centres on a learner¡¦s desire or preference for assuming responsibility for learning. Thus, self-direction in learning refers to both the external characteristics of an instructional process and the internal characteristics of the learner, where the individual assumes primary responsibility for a learning experience. In a Web-based virtual training environment, a learner performs various learning activities independently and individually in accordance with his/her own ideas, thinking processes and decision-making.

An emphasis on reflective thinking

Schšn (1983) argues that reflective practitioners often think about what they are doing, sometimes even while doing it. Stimulated by surprise, they turn thought back on action and on the knowing which is implicit in action. They may ask themselves, ¡¥What features do I notice when I recognize this thing? What are the criteria by which I perform this skill? How am I framing the problem that I am trying to solve?¡¦ Through these reflections, they can raise to the surface and criticize the tacit understandings that have grown up around the repetitive experiences of a specialized practice, and can make new sense of the situations of uncertainty or uniqueness which they may allow themselves to experience. From this point of view, acquiring reflective thinking skills is important for trainees in corporation settings.

On the basis of these design principles, the following design strategies were applied to the development of the course aimed at teaching facilitating skills:

•      creating an environment which supports self-directed learning;

•      presenting content in small chunks and applying a step-by-step approach; 

•      providing guidelines to help learners manage their everyday learning schedule;

•      adopting various strategies for stimulating reflective thinking during the learning process;

•      providing opportunities for self-examination through various types of question/answer and checklist.

In this course, the trainees were encouraged to study a certain amount of content and to involve themselves in an activity every day to direct their own learning process successfully. The course consisted of 20 sessions (one session each day, five times a week, for four weeks) which included content and activities for one hour¡¦s study each time. One of the activities given in each session aimed to stimulate reflective thinking, as did self-examination test items in a variety of modes. The learners were assessed on the basis of online assignments and login data on reading materials, and online tutors provided immediate feedback and other help.

Evaluation

The course on problem solving was implemented with 53 employees of a company for six weeks. Thirty-eight participants (72%) completed the course, the average grade being 62 points out of 100. Over 70% of the learners expressed satisfaction with the effectiveness and design strategies of the course, and its perceived training effects were relatively high, especially for obtaining information literacy skills. However, about 50% of the learners said that access to the computer network and online tutor support in small-group activities were not satisfactory. The majority of the learners noted that they did not feel comfortable studying at the workplace because of lack of psychological support from other members of the company. Also, they indicated that active participation in small-group activities was difficult because they did not have sufficient time to become deeply involved in discussion. For some learners, then, PBL and RBL environments for Web-based training seemed to present difficulties for engaging in various activities because of lack of time and an unfriendly workplace environment. However, they indicated that with more learning time and tutorial support, PBL and RBL strategies would be optimal for online training for adults.  

The course on facilitating skills involved 76 team leaders of a company for six weeks. Seventy-one people (93.4%) completed the course, and the average grade was 85 points. Around 80% of the participants indicated a high level of satisfaction with the course. The majority liked it because the content provided was closely related to their jobs and thus easily applicable to the situations in their companies. In addition, design strategies to support self-directed learning and reflective thinking appeared to be effective in promoting independent learning and regulation of learning.

Comparing the completion rates for the courses, the one which adopted strategies to support self-directed learning showed a higher participant success rate and performance than the one which provided PBL and RBL environments. Demanding a considerable amount of time for online discussion and searching for relevant information resources seemed to be somewhat inappropriate for a corporate setting in Korea, even though the participants indicated that online interaction among them was effective in helping them to learn.

Interesting results were reported in a study which investigated the effects of different types of feedback in the Web-based training course on problem solving (Leem 1999).

•      There was a significant difference in the quality of the problem-solving outcome between the group which received task-oriented feedback from the online tutor and the one which received simple motivational feedback from him/her ¡X the former¡¦s score being higher.

•      The group which received task-oriented feedback read peers¡¦ messages and responded to those messages more often than the motivational feedback group.