Form follows experience

The ODL experience

The ODL experience typically breaks down into three parts, each with its own focus.

• Before the course: advisory, enrolment
• During the course: interaction with peers/instructors, support, evaluation
• After the course: useful integration with pre-existing knowledge

The challenge is to find the right form for each of these moments. With ODL, the form of the course is an essential factor in keeping your students motivated.

What to look for in a good learning experience

Generally, a good learning experience will be based on the following elements:

• Sensory richness: learning is an active process and the form of the material must invite the learner to participate in that process. Unexpected elements and the possibility to explore the presented information can generate this effect.
• Adaptation to personal preferences and needs: ODL offers the possibility of creating a learning environment that feels comfortable to the student. Social, physical and cognitive barriers can be more easily breached.
• Relevance: learning is most powerful when it is perceived as relevant. Form and format can influence the perception of this relevance.
• Multiple layers of information: hyperlinks, embedded dictionaries and other elements improve sensory richness and perceived relevance
• Non-linear personal exploration
• Rewards and surprises

The management perspective: 5+1 C’s

Decisions about the form and format of the final product are the outcome of a fairly complex managerial process involving the “five c’s”: creation/creativity, communication, co-ordination, collaboration and control. Obviously there is a sixth “c”, cost. ODL doesn’t require large budgets but it is also wrong that ODL is the easiest way to cut down on operational costs.

The ODL kitchen

We also need to take a look at the ingredients and recipes that can be used in an ODL-course, the learning objects and their constituents. The possible relationships among the ingredients (their ontology) are virtually endless. This implies that ODL providers need to focus on aspects such as compatability of learning objects, interfaces, etc.

Ingredients are also re-usable, which makes it easier to produce specialised versions of a course built around a core content. Learning Management Systems (LMS) like Blackboard and WebCT, which operate as an integrated learning environment, incorporate this reusability. Consequently, using an LMS is often an excellent tool for the introduction of ODL.

The final choice

• Think about why you need ODL
• Think about the learning experience of your prospective ODL students
• Decide on content and form and invest the necessary to build and combine the appropriate learning objects
• Run it on a small scale, evaluate and learn from it before you offer the course on a large scale