The learner at the heart
The old style of computer-based training was content-centric, taking into consideration only the information-based definition of content (below), and giving less attention to all the resources that could be used in order to transform the learning process into a meaningful, enjoyable and interesting experience.
| What is content? | Definition |
|---|---|
| Information-based | Content is all the information, such as facts, concepts, and procedures to be learned. |
| Objectives-based | Content is a collection of learning objectives specifying behavioral outcomes. |
| Media-based | Content is all text, graphics, videos and other media components of an instruction application. |
| Experience-based | Content is the sum of all instructional components in a learning application |
| Source: Michael Allen’s Guide to E-learning |
With all the changes from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 and all the buzz about collaboration, participation and social networking, the Educational sphere could not remain deaf. When even new businesses and marketing channels were able to create educational materials more engaging and effective than traditional educational models, educators needed to pay attention.
However, the whole theory of engaging learners, putting them at the center of the learning process is not recent, many educationalists have been discussing student-centered pedagogical models over the past 50 years. At times it seems as if marketers and designers have been paying more attention to educational theories than educators.
E-learning had to adapt. Learner-centric programs create opportunities to intrigue learners stimulating them to unfold the content, promoting a dynamic interaction between task, instructor and learner, praising collaboration instead of competition, transforming learning in an iterative process.