Volume
1 | Number 1 | Spring 2004 |
Volume
1 | Number 1 | Spring 2004 |
Clark, Ruth Colvin & Mayer, Richard E. ISBN: 0-7879-6051-9 >> Reviewed by Mike Tillmans, Ph.D<<This book is important. It is important to instructional designers, technical writers and performance
consultants, because this book is based on how people learn. The authors
provide a book full of guidelines and examples on how e-learning can support
the total learning process. It is important to the empiricist in us, because the book summarizes 20 years of learning research in straightforward language, including the last 15 years of research on cognitive learning. I also enjoy reading books by authors who share their favorite online techniques that appear to work in certain situations. But Clark and Mayer provide us with research, not opinion, to give us confidence in the use of learning strategies that best exploit the online media. Perhaps the most important use of the book for me is to help distinguish
between personal preference in design and proven techniques. It is also important, because the authors integrate the findings in the use of online media, audio, graphics and text so we can see how they work best together. Whether an independent developer or working with a team of specialists, this book can help you decide on a unified design for your multimedia features. e-Learning and the Science of Instruction is not a 'how to' guide
in the procedural sense. The book is deceptively simple, explaining and
illustrating six principles to guide the design and use of e-learning.
The six principles cover the use of words and graphics, audio narration
and onscreen text, writing style, and online aids. Each principle is supported
by research, contextual examples, and scenarios, which are written in
easy-to-understand language. Important issues in e-learning are covered
in separate chapters, including the best ways to use examples, which kinds
of practice work best, collaborative learning, learner versus program
control, and building problem solving skills. I was most interested in learner versus program control, which is nicely
described in Chapter 12: Do Surfing and Learning Mix? The Effectiveness
of Learner Control in e-Learning. It has helped me better understand
when to allow students to browse my content, and when to use navigational
devices to guide the sequence of learning events. If you'd like a seven page thumbnail description of the book's principles,
you can consult the eLearning Developers' Journal, an online publication
of the eLearning Guild (www.eLearningGuild.com),
for the September 10, 2002 issue that contains Six Principles of Effective
e-Learning: What Works and Why by Ruth Clark. But I recommend you buy the book and mark it up extensively. Mike Tillmans has extensive project management, training development and process analysis experience in business and education. His areas of interest include curriculum planning, job/task analysis, group facilitation, process mapping, and training materials development and evaluation. |
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