Jocelyne Morin-Nurse
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It is estimated that more than 80 million people annually take courses via distance education. Alone, the money involved is said to fall somewhere between an astonishing 25 to 35 billion dollars. Some refer to the phenomenon as canned learning; others see it as new and revolutionary.
“As far as I’m concerned, certain types of eLearning are anything but revolutionary,” says Marcel Lebrun, professor and advisor on new learning technologies at the Université catholique de Louvain, in Belgium. “In the end, it still involves professors embedding knowledge into students’ heads.”
An internationally renowned expert in the field of e-learning and an acknowledged godfather of the Claroline platform, Lebrun delivered a public lecture on January 30, 2006 at the University of Ottawa. It was aptly titled “Understanding the ‘e’ in e-learning.”
Currently in use in 68 countries, 500 institutions and taught in 31 different languages, the Claroline platform is a free, online classroom application that allows teachers and their institutions to create and administer Web-based courses. In April 2005, it was second only to Moodle — another e-learning platform — as the most popular Internet destination.
As much as technology can be a boon to teaching and learning, it can also have a negative impact, says Lebrun.
“Whatever advantages technology can offer can just as easily become disadvantages. We’ve reached a point where practically anyone can find a way to study anywhere at any time of the day. On the other hand, the product on offer is frequently of questionable or dubious quality.”
“If they so choose, students today can ‘study’ while lying in bed at 2 a.m. or soaking in the bathtub at 8 a.m. But can one truly call that studying?”
“In my view learning requires motivation, commitment and support. It’s important to understand that, whatever technology is available, learning remains a difficult process. In that context, the role of the mentor becomes fundamental.
What can technology accomplish?
To take full advantage of available technology, it’s important to fully grasp what it can accomplish. Only then is it possible to make an informed decision regarding the most effective teaching models and the likely compatibility of pedagogical objectives, methodology and technology, says Lebrun.
“First-rate distance education has to be first-rate above all else. Teachers who want to excel, who want to create a favourable forum for vibrant online group dynamics, should understand first what constitutes a decent discussion group. It involves far more than simply tossing a controversial idea on the table.
“Ultimately, e-learning will always require a more rigorous approach to teaching — and far more work! — than typically occurs in the traditional classroom scenario.”
Over a long career, Lebrun has boiled down the accepted gospel on the subject of e-learning and highlighted the five major elements of the learning process:
Each element requires development in its own right.
At the top of the list is the imperative need to inform students not only about course content, but especially about the goals and objectives of the course and, most especially, what in the end they are expected to learn and retain.
A solid reading list and comparative source material are essential to the kind of group dynamics that motivate students and discourages dropping out.
In short, the goal is to encourage student success through first-rate academic productivity — a thorough understanding of the subject that perhaps results in a first-rate dissertation — that reflects the kind of quality teaching and learning Lebrun is so keen on promoting.
Creating a reputable and effective online academic initiative of this kind — true e-learning as Lebrun sees it — is a daunting challenge. It involves far more than producing what can amount to little else than a vanity CD.
Lebrun’s ideal is the European model:
“In Europe, e-learning is no longer viewed so much as a gimmick, but rather as a necessity. Its overall impact has far more to do with its masters, and by that I mean, teachers and educators.”
Professor Lebrun's conference notes (PDF version, in French only)
Institut de Pédagogie universitaire et des Multimédias, Université catholique de Louvain (in French only)
