introducing e-learning with participatory design techniques

HKU, July 10th, 2004

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Introducing E-learning with Participatory Design Techniques

Anders MørchCITE, The University of Hong Kong

andInterMedia, University of Oslo, Norway

Email: [email protected]


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Outline• Three types of E-learning• Participatory design (PD)• The LAP project• PD techniques used in LAP • Findings• Summary• References


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Three types of E-learning• E-learning in education

– Learning activities; student assessment– Readymade systems (often for collaborative learning)– Focus seems to be on tools and infrastructure

• E-learning in workplaces – Supporting specific (well defined) business domains– Readymade system (often with authoring tools)– Focus seems to be on learning objects and integration

• E-learning introduced with PD techniques– Works well for poorly understood or new domains– Focus is users: getting them involved in designing their

own systems


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E-learning in education

• Web-based environments for learning, teaching, and assessment

– ILN, WebCT, etc.• Multiple tools

– Discussion forum for collaborative learning– White boards for real time interaction– Tools to compute grades and “rank” students

• Reusable learning objects– Multimedia objects representing specific curricula

to be taught


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E-learning in workplaces• E-learning:

– integral part the company’s information systems infrastructure

– Authoring tools for production of multimedia content to teach critical knowledge to employees in cost effective ways

• Learning on demand– Work is primary activity– Learning is secondary activity (to make work easier)

• The systems must be easy to use and allow maintenance by “super users”, advanced users with domain expertise but without formal computer training

• Several examples exists, but often for “drill & practice”


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E-learning introduced with PD techniques

• The goal of this presentation is to introduce this approach

• PD = Participatory Design• What is PD?• How can it be useful for E-learning?


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What is Participatory Design?

• Techniques for involving workers in the design of systems that will affect their work

• Has its roots in trade union activities in the 1970s and some pioneering projects in the 1980s, originated in Scandinavia

• Sometimes referred to as “Scandinavian approach” or “democratic design”

• A goal has been to make user participation design-oriented and leverage actual users’ domain expertise and skills


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Mock-ups developed in Utopia project in the 1980s

User interface in cardboard and paper

Laser printer made from cardboard box


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How can PD be useful for e-learning?

• “One size can’t fit all”• Complex problem domains (both for schools

and workplaces) may require tailor-made E-learning

• Workplaces and schools that can utilize domain expertise (super users) to maintain e-learning systems may gain competitive advantage over other approaches over time


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LAP project

• Learning and Knowledge Building at Work (LKBW)

• 3 year project among researchers and service industry companies in Norway

• Goal: Introduce e-learning in two large corporations (Statoil and Visma)

• Empirical studies of the adoption process


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PD Techniques: Case Statoil

• Goal: develop an e-learning system for petrol station attendants

• Techniques employed:– Design workshop (problem identification)– Drama techniques (learning scenarios)– Mock-ups (low-fidelity prototypes)– Intermediate abstractions (system design)– System (computer) prototypes


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Design workshop: problem identification


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Drama techniques: scenario

• Identify a work situation that can be imp-roved

• Act it out in multiple ways


14 Mock-up information display with Post It notes on foam board


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Intermediate abstractions


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System prototype: Chosen alternative

• Prototype crated by Statoil based on one of the inter-mediate abstrac-tions


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Evolutionary prototyping

across different

technologies


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Findings

• Mixed results:– Appropriateness of technology;– Co-existence of old and new

technologies;– Information-seeking strategies;– Lateral cooperation.


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Why bother?

• Some people ask: Why not start from best practice and best systems (e.g. using software engineering techniques)?

– Such an approach (most common) will identify computer system faster but will requires mandated use and will not always fit all

– It can be expensive to maintain (short term benefit)– When users can participate actively in the design and

introduction process they will feel pride and ownership, which may make the system become self-sustainable (long term benefit)


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Summary

• Participatory design as an alternative strategy for introducing e-learning technology in non-traditional settings

• We have studied it in the context of workplace learning (LAP project)

• It takes more time to complete but will get the users more motivated to use a new system, since they have “ownership” in it


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References

• Mørch, A.I, Engen, B.K. and Åsand, H.-R. (2004). Workplace as Learning Laboratory: The Winding Road to E-learning in a Norwegian Service Company. Proceedings PDC-2004, Toronto, Canada, July 28-31.

• Contact me for copy of paper!!

introducing e-learning with participatory design techniques

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