2.1.3 Who are the learners?
Before starting to develop an e-learning course it is important to have a good understanding of the learners themselves.
Ask the following questions about them:
- how old are they? This will indicate how comfortable they may be with e-learning. While the younger they are the more exposure they will have had to the technology, it does not mean they necessarily will be confident e-learners
- how many learners are there? The more learners, generally the more cost effective is e-learning
- where are the learners located? E-learning is particularly effective as a solution for learners who are spread over many locations
- what type of work do they do? If it is mostly desk-based it may be easy to deliver the course to their desks. Otherwise a learning environment may need to be provided. There are plenty of case studies where e-learning is working in non-office environments. These case studies can be found on http://industry.flexiblelearning.net.au
- what is their level of comfort with information technology? A low level of comfort may indicate a need to provide assistance in this area
- what is their work pattern? If they have rigid working hours this could impede the implementation of e-learning and space in the day will need to be provided to make it success
- will they be self-directed learners? Some levels of self-direction helps with e-learning, otherwise some form of motivation may be required
- what learning solution would they prefer?