E-Learning Initiative: The Government Gets It

Some things the government is good at, some things it's not, but with its commitment to e-learning, the playing field gets leveled for all, and the Department of Education shines.

Jim Hyde is an Associate and Senior Consultant, Interactive Learning, with K. A Parker & Associates. He has been developing interactive projects for over fifteen years and is a committed advocate of e-learning in schools, colleges, industries and government.

By James H. Hyde, Associate, Senior Consultant K. A Parker & Associates

kay, I'll grant you, the government is often a draconian bureaucracy spewing goofy, arcane stuff out of its regulatory paper mills. But while it can be a heavy handed and arrogant ruling body, it's not completely incapable of sprinkling inspiration onto its policies every now and then. An excellent case in point is how the U.S. Department of Education has embraced, encouraged and evangelized e-learning as a much needed imperative.

The department is a huge proponent of the use of technology in learning. According to it's e-learning Web site, "With sufficient access and support, teachers will be better able to help their students comprehend difficult-to-understand concepts and engage in learning, provide their students with access to information and resources, and better meet their students' individual needs. If we take advantage of the opportunities presented to us, technology will enhance learning and improve student achievement for all students."

Uncle Sam gets it. E-learning and e-training comprise a shiny new vehicle that will take us farther, faster than any learning methodology ever conceived.

Why? We know that learning is significantly enhanced by interaction between the student and the information, process, method, etc. being taught. For example, what people see, hear and do (through interactivity) translates into 70% retention rates. Just seeing offers a 20% retention rate, and seeing and hearing returns only about 40% retention. Interactivity, then, and e-learning in particular, provide entirely new ways of leveraging and using information, tactics and strategies.

But what the Education department is also pointing out is the importance it places on real-life applicability of what's being taught. I've always liked to challenge educators and trainers to show the real world applications of the subjects they teach. Simply stated, I've taken any number of courses that have given the "broad overview" of how to use software and found myself frustrated because what I learned had no real-world applicability for the projects I was doing. If a student or employee clearly sees a link to the real-life applicability through the training, they'll be far more inclined to recall and use what they've learned. It's an important point, because the adage "use it or lose it" definitely applies.

Learning Algebra, for instance, is a great example of how this works. Think about it, since you left high school, how many times in your everyday life have you come up against the need to solve something like: h(gf)=(hg)f ? If you're a rocket scientist, you might delve into formulas much weightier than that, so what you learned is invaluable. You learned it well and retained it because you could see how it applies to the rocket-building business and you use it frequently. But for those of us sans sliderules, pocket protectors and duct-taped eyeglasses, there is rarely a real-life opportunity to solve an algebraic equation. Don't use it to figure miles per gallon. Don't use it to get the unit price on a bushel of kumquats. Don't use it to cut checks. Don't use it for (fill in the blank).

Don't get me wrong. I'm certainly not advocating striking Algebra from curricula nationwide, but I believe all subjects should be taught through the demonstration of real world applicability and in a way that involves "hands-on" learning.

And that's what the Department of Education is proselytizing. Toward that end, it has established five e-learning goals. These are just as germaine to corporate training as they are to grade-school learning:

Goal 1: All students and teachers will have access to information technology in their classrooms, schools, communities and homes.

Goal 2: All teachers will use technology effectively to help students achieve high academic standards.

Goal 3: All students will have technology and information literacy skills.

Goal 4: Research and evaluation will improve the next generation of technology applications for teaching and learning.

Goal 5: Digital content and networked applications will transform teaching and learning.

So, in this case, the government gets it. E-learning is the future of all educational endeavors; something that, if not widely implemented, will stunt learning and keep us conditioned to "use-it-or-lose-it" at the future's peril.