"Meeting the e-Learning Implementation Challenge"

Creating Successful e-Learning Practice:

Today’s educational marketplace is becoming flooded with educational e-learning programs and products. They each focus on student improvement in learning basic skills such as reading and math, or any subject matter imaginable. Classroom performance will now be measured with each individual learner, not as class averages.

Subsequently, teachers having a classroom full of learning deficiencies will not be blamed for the class’s slow progress. My research demonstrated that with a class full of low auditory and visual memory learners, some of the students made gains latently, one to two years later. There were two types of control groups in the study.

Every classroom has several levels of learners for basic skills in reading and math. They will work at their own pace, possibly with peer partners with a new e-Learning program. Each student’s cognitive skills and learning styles will be recognized. The classroom will be managed with wide differentiation, but some effective training programs will be directed to the class as a whole.

Although continuously evolving as to “who and what” they measure, Performance Management Systems will be in place. Learning performance data will collect how much time each student spends on task and attending to the work flow process, and whether items are completed and answered correctly. This will be sent to the student’s own work assignment dashboard.

This is where benchmarks come into play. Each work unit assignment must be passed before going on to the next level. However, often these are multiple choice questions, which do not always measure a student’s actual performance accurately. This becomes a concern.

The proof-in-the-pudding is through written assignment evaluations. Although they take longer to grade, missteps are easily spotted by a trained eye. These written assignments should be sent home daily for parents to follow.

Easy-to-use data systems will be available to schools for effective instructional decisions. The data will be aggregated into a data base pool as to how the student is performing with each step of the learning process. Scores that are not met, the work will be reviewed and repeated. The benchmarked lessons will comprise program effectiveness summaries.

Parents will become more involved and supervise online learning sessions at home. Students will have their school computerized dashboard transferred to homework assignments. Supplemental online tutorial work – will be explored to high levels. Comprehension will be emphasized, and there will be alternative forms of recitation. Work process flow states will be introduced, and speed of work deemphasized.

Professional educator development will be instrumental in learning these new procedures and processes. The school culture will become one led to continuous personalized student improvement. In some cases, teachers may sign compliance agreements to ensure the accuracy of the instruction, so that student in-class learning time is highly functional. There will be more of “passing through the grades” with students winding up in secondary school unable to compute, read, write, and communicate effectively.

Schools will chose particular e-Learning programs based upon data effectiveness track records. Data will be aggregated according to student learning performance levels and demographic groups. Only the best e-Learning programs will survive, rising to the top and be in demand.

Determining the most effective e-learning programs through performance evaluations will be challenging.

School district administrators should consider a variety of ways for e-Learning data collection implementation; classes with a particular e-Learning training program, a class or two without any e-Learning, and classes with an alternative e-learning training program. This creates control comparison groups not only for the class achievement as a whole, but with individual learners.

A consideration would be to continue to collect the data from individual students for two years, then, switch around the e-Learning programs, and compare results for the following two years. It may be found that there are some results for many programs. School district administrators, educators, parents, and investors will be interested in the outcomes.

Unfortunately, this data measurement scenario will take a few years for complete evaluation outcomes.

Gradually, but purposefully, new research-based methodologies and systems will be put in place through e-Learning transfer. Educators will find their work increasingly exciting as they watch their students grow and excel to new heights. Students, seeing themselves, and their peer classmates excelling, will develop enthusiasm for learning, thus reducing behavior problems.

Consequently, the e-Learning implementation challenge becomes well-worth-the effort for educational practice improvement.

Erland, J. K (Fall 2000). Brain-Based Accelerated Learning Longitudinal Study Reveals Subsequent High Academic Achievement Gain for Low Achieving, Low Cognitive Skill Fourth Grade Students. The Journal of Accelerated Learning and Teaching 25 3 & 4.