Affective learning outcomes in online workplace training:

1
Affective learning outcomes in online
workplace training

• A test of course design and facilitation
  strategies

Dr. Martha Cleveland-Innes Dr. Mohamed Ally
Sincere thanks to the Mission Critical Research
fund committee at Athabasca University for
ongoing support of this project.
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Presentation overview

• Introduction and context
• Affective outcomes in online environments
• Online instructional design for affective
  outcomes
• Preliminary results
• The need for socialization and community to
  foster human skill development
• Discussion

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Emphasis on cognitive outcomes ..

• To succeed in the Knowledge Age .. not only will
  we be expected to handle more knowledge faster
  and to greater effect, but the very nature of the
  knowledge experience will change.
• Transforming e-Knowledge A Revolution in the
  Sharing of Knowledge. Norris, Mason, and Lefrere
  (2003)

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What may be left behind ..

• . there is little evidence of the wherewithal
  and effectiveness of online education in the
  generation of affective outcomes
• Clark, D. (2005). Softskills and E-learning..

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What are affective learning outcomes?

• individual disposition, willingness,
  preferences, enjoyments ... (Gronlund, 2000, p.
  57)
• the external expression of internalized emotion
  through attitudes and values (Krathwohl, Bloom
  Masia, 1964 Gagne, Briggs Wagner, 1992).

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Fostering affective outcomes online

• Written communication in an online context
  provides for a systematic approach to
  constructing meaning, particularly in difficult
  and ill-defined content areas (Garrison, 2002,
  p. 10).

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The experiment

• Constructed a short course as the instructional
  treatment
• Used random assignment to place participants in
  one of two online learning platforms
• Online platforms varied according to type of
  interaction

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WebCT Meeting Customer Needs in Online Service
Environments

• Content support
• Text, audio, video material
• Asynchronous threaded discussion
• Synchronous chat
• Group work
• Learner presentations
• 24-7

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ElluminateLive - Meeting Customer Needs in Online
Service Environments

• Synchronous online presentation
• Audio interaction/synchronous text chat
• Group work/application sharing
• Collaborative
• One hour per week

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Facilitating affective outcomes

• Emotional and psychological safety
• Self-awareness
• Self-reflection
• Demonstration of new/appropriate models
• Application opportunity
• Interaction opportunity

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Differences in delivery

• ElluminateLive attendance highly variable and
  access to content challenging
• Enthusiasm for the tool very high
• WebCT increased engagement and opportunity for
  self study
• Range of scores was
• much higher for WebCT
• higher variability in experience

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Preliminary results self assessment

• Average difference in pre post self-assessment
  of soft skills
• WebCT N56 ElluminateLive N45
• 4.25 3.9

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Preliminary results exam scores

• Final exam class averages
• WebCT N56 ElluminateLive N45
• 87.8 81.3

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This course met my expectations ..

• WebCT ElluminateLive
• 15 36

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Am satisfied with what I learned .l.

• WebCT ElluminateLive
• 25 54

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Would recommend course ..

• WebCT ElluminateLive
• 50 73

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Content of the course relevant ..

• WebCT ElluminateLive
• 40 72

18
Content was interesting ..,

• WebCT ElluminateLive
• 26 73

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Assessing affect

• Relationship exists between cognition and affect
• Final exam tested content knowledge, responses
  and application
• Affect as an internal event self-assessment as
  accessing personal evaluation of those events

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Online instruction for affect

• High touch environment
• Reference group
• Self-awareness exercises
• Reflection on practice
• Practice requirements
• Application exercises
• High interaction

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Affective learning outcomes in online
workplace training
Sincere thanks to the Mission Critical Research
fund committee at Athabasca University for
ongoing support of this project.

• A test of course design and facilitation
  strategies

Dr. Martha Cleveland-Innes Dr. Mohamed
Ally martic_at_athabascau.ca
mohameda_at_athabascau.ca