L3 1 2

=Courses include opportunities for students to practice with e-learning technologies and pedagogies. =

Evidence
Students’ capability for effective e-learning is a combination of their skills as learners and their abilities to make effective use of the various information sources and technologies provided by institutions generally, and specifically in particular courses and programmes. Like any skill, this must be practiced. Some degree of technical aptitude and experience can now be generally assumed although this does not mean that students are effective online learners (Hrabe et al., 2005).

The IMS report, Student Induction to E-learning (SIEL, draft March 2010), emphasizes that one of the criticisms and weaknesses of e-learning is that its retention rate is demonstrably lower than traditional face to face classes. Online courses have a failed retention rate 10-20% higher than traditional courses. It is argued that total support for new e-learning students is needed to ensure good retention rates. This support necessarily must take many forms in a complete package. ‘A student’s first set of experiences with e-learning can be either a barrier to retention or contribute to the likelihood of persistence’ (p. 7). Consequences of a poor set of first experiences with e-learning include individual and social effects, disruption to a student’s goals, cost to the student, negative testimonials, and loss for future participants in e-learning in general. The SIEL report reviews the literature on best practice for student support and lists many recommendations. Of particular note is the fact that students require planned, systematic, and just-in-time training based on a recognized skill set. Students need to learn how they can learn with new technologies and this training must be continuous (Kvavik & Caruso 2005).

Visser and Visser (2005) highlight the insight that student communication process capability development necessarily precedes technological skill development.

Several studies show that people devote a great amount of time to learning new skills that they must possess to be successful in the online learning environment (Davidson-Shrivers et al. 2000; Richards & Ridley 1997; Warschauer 1998; Wells 2000).

Tallent-Runnels et al. (2006) reviewed the literature on online teaching and found that people with more prior experience and training in computer-related activities felt more satisfied and comfortable with their experience in an online environment.

Resources
Students must have the chance to practice with technologies before they are used in assessments. However, the link between exercises with novel technologies and their ultimate use may not be obvious and students may be discouraged if they don’t see the point of the exercise. It may be that ‘live’, organic, participation scenarios are more useful in some instances.