The evolution of learning technology

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September 9, 2009

The evolution of learning technology

Tags: Social, Technology

Technology correspondent Jon Wilcox takes a look at the past, present, and future of learning technology.

In the beginning, there was nothing. Actually, that’s not strictly true; at the beginning of learning technology there was the classroom with a trainer standing in front of a chalk board or overhead projector (OHP). Like Churchill’s famous “This is not the beginning of the end...” quote, the dawn of learning technology in the workplace signalled the start of a whole new facet of training.

Death by you know what

Today electronic technologies are key in the learning environment, and continue to evolve seemingly relentlessly. Trends have come and gone, and new applications found along the way...and some have stayed the course. Without a doubt, the most significant player in learning technologies to date is Microsoft’s PowerPoint. Arguably the saint and sinner of the learning technology world, PowerPoint (which is incidentally celebrating its 25th year in 2009) has provided trainers with the skills to enrich and bore in equal measure – and it’s showing no signs of stopping.

Love it or hate it, preventing ‘death by PowerPoint’ is an objective most trainers have to overcome on a regular basis, the Microsoft presentation software has permeated into a multitude of learning facets. The software features regularly as a topic on TrainingZone.co.uk, and judging by their popularity PowerPoint is a subject close to you all.

"Today, it seems like the future of learning technology is in flux; questions remain over whether virtual worlds such as Second Life really can make a serious mark."

So what other technologies have left their mark? A complimentary technology for PowerPoint (and presentations in general) is the electronic pointer, allowing users to move through slideshows, and point out interesting slide features with a laser. A modern day equivalent of the old-school pointing stick, the pointer certainly deserves a mention – however briefly – as a handy learning technology gadget.

Expanding far beyond the capabilities of PowerPoint are interactive whiteboards, which are already changing classroom learning across UK schools. No doubt a technology with similar aspirations on the professional training sector, this bridge between the old-school and modern training methods is sure to continue to break into the mainstream.

Easing into eLearning

And then there are eLearning and learning management systems such as Moodle. Academic institutions first began experimenting and implementing learning technology nearly 20 years ago. One of the first to do so was the University of Bristol, becoming a ‘Computers in Teaching Initiative Centre’ (CTI). A decade on and a case study on the CTI’s performance was released, revealing the levels of resistance eLearning faced in the institution: “Having an effective LT support service within its (University of Bristol) campus didn't automatically transform its teachers into users of technology. Indeed in some disciplines LT was not appropriate and the service was quick to recognise this. Despite the many LT enthusiasts within the University, there still remained a hard core of ‘disbelievers’.” It’s not difficult to suppose similarities between education institutions and private sector business, where in both cases a change in culture can be slow and unwieldy.

"When technology moves as fast as it does, the evolution of its application in training is never far behind, to the extent that trainers can often be found following trends and fads that have short life-spans."

The discussion of eLearning has naturally found its way onto the TrainingZone Any Answers pages, and it’s proved an interesting topic for many of you, our members – and I have no doubt that it’ll remain a popular talking point for years to come. Contributor, Martin Schmalenbach has for instance offered a balanced selection of advantages and disadvantages of eLearning, which I recommend all of you to read and comment upon.

The potential for so-called ‘serious games’ is another area up for debate (including the term serious games), with applications being produced in a wide breadth of contexts, such as emergency triage; even the Armed Forces utilise eLearning in their simulated exercises.

ELearning as a concept is beginning to branch off, with more formal learning management systems – including the open-source Moodle product – on one side, and more experimental applications like virtual worlds and social media on the other. Today, it seems like the future of learning technology is in flux; questions remain over whether virtual worlds such as Second Life really can make a serious mark.

Getting social with training

Two years ago, we reported on how Linden Labs’ Second Life was begin used by some trailblazing trainers; fast forward to the present day, and the debate still rages. In March, TrainingZone spoke with CapGemini’s Marco Tippmer on whether the once darling of the virtual worlds had a future in the world of corporate training: “A corporation putting information into a general app like Second Life doesn’t have control on where that information is being held.” Tippmer’s concerns over Second Life’s security leads him to believe a unified communications strategy of instant messaging, web conferencing, and private bespoke virtual environments could be a more palatable solution. Cisco Systems is one corporate giant that provides such alternatives, in the form of its WebEx product.

"The potential for so-called ‘serious games’ is another area up for debate with applications being produced in a wide breadth of contexts - even the Armed Forces utilise eLearning in their simulated exercises."

If the future usage of virtual worlds remains questionable, then the implementation of social media into the trainer’s toolbox is even less uncertain. The explosion of Twitter and other social media tools in recent years are still finding their feet in the mainstream world of the web, let alone within corporate environments. The use of YouTube is one area where Web 2.0 has taken root as a means to communicate ideas and lessons. The Google subsidiary has become the de facto video website, and its use as global depositary for everything from guitar lessons, cute animals, and more serious videos is likely to continue for the foreseeable future.

When technology moves as fast as it does, the evolution of its application in training is never far behind, to the extent that trainers can often be found following trends and fads that have short life-spans. The robustness of Microsoft’s PowerPoint even a quarter of a century on is a testament to its usability (and strength to bat off even the most fashionable alternatives). Hopefully the evolution of trainers’ skills in developing engaging sessions with the software will increasingly mean an end to death by PowerPoint in the not too distant future...though TrainingZone is always here to help with that.

Jon Wilcox is technology correspondent for the Sift Media portfolio, which includes TrainingZone.co.uk. You can follow Jon and Sift Media’s technology editor, John Stokdyk, on Twitter.