Interest grows in Learning Light's e-learning content evaluation
tool
In response to mounting interest in the development of an e-learning
content evaluation tool (ELCET) by Learning Light in association
with The Virtual College, Learning Light has made further
information on the tool available via its
website and also via the
E-Learning Centre website.
David Patterson, a director of Learning Light, which provides advice
and help to organisations using e-learning and learning technologies
to improve their business performance, commented: "ELCET provides an
objective assessment of - or a quality mark for - any piece of
e-learning. It's something that the corporate learning technologies
sector has needed for many years - not least because, in our
experience, many organisations have difficulty in specifying and
procuring effective generic e-learning materials.
"Since ELCET makes assessing potential learning materials for our
E-learning Centre website much easier, it should also help anyone
who has to evaluate e-learning materials for use in their
organisation," he continued. "So, I'm not surprised that ELCET's
appearance has produced a lot of interest among the corporate
e-learning commissioning and buying community.
"Of course, now that all the e-learning materials in the E-Learning
Centre's ‘courses' section meet the ELCET quality criteria, anyone
who's looking for e-learning materials for themselves or their
organisation can be confident of the quality of those available via
the E-learning Centre website," he added.
The tool contains 18 metrics - or criteria - that can be applied to
any piece of e-learning. Depending on the complexity of any piece of
e-learning, it can be subjected to seven, 12 or 18 of these metrics
- and this produces an objective evaluation of ‘low', ‘middle' and
‘top' end e-learning materials.
According to David Patterson, clients often ask the team at Learning
Light, ‘How do I know if an e-learning course is any good?'
Learning Light has undertaken several commissions from clients to
evaluate e-learning courses. This led to the development of a
methodology and, now, the ELCET tool.
The initial inspiration for ELCET was based around a design
methodology by the e-learning guru, Michael Allen, especially his
Objectives X Treatment matrix. This matrix looks at the learning
objectives and the e-learning treatments, or interactions, that
could be applied to create engaging and effective e-learning.
The ELCET tool doesn't focus on the technical side of the content,
such as the SCORM compliance of a course. Instead, it focuses on the
learner experience.
"ELCET isn't an automated or expert system," David Patterson stated.
"It's a highly objective and configurable tool - and much more than
a spreadsheet driven process - but, ultimately, it requires humans
to evaluate the e-learning content.
"The tool is configurable to allow the evaluation of all genres of
e-learning materials, videos, games, animations and so on. Moreover,
it recognises accessibility issues but it's smart and flexible
enough to allow the materials to be rated against realistic
standards to reflect real world budgets."
Only ELCET accredited e-learning materials are allowed in the ‘courses'
section of The E-Learning Centre
website, which is an information resource about e-learning and
learning technologies.
"Our aim is to ensure that the materials marketed by Learning Light
and at The E-Learning Centre are of an appropriate standard and will
deliver effective and engaging e-learning," Patterson pledged.
"Evaluating e-learning materials using ELCET involves collecting
relevant measurements at 129 data points.
"ELCET presents graphical evaluations of the ‘genre mix' that
comprises a course and it produces a set of objective measurements
against the criteria set, at the beginning of the evaluation, for
the appropriate type of course.
"There are a number of e-learning content exchanges but, to our
knowledge, none take the trouble to curate and evaluate the content
sold at the level of detail that ELCET does.
"Learning Light can take commissions to evaluate existing courses on
behalf of clients - and advise in course design and specification
using the ELCET tool," he continued. "Learning Light is also happy
to manage e-learning content procurements on behalf of clients.
Sheffield-based Learning Light, founded, in 2005, provides advice
and help to organisations using e-learning and learning technologies
to improve their business performance. It's one of the few
organisations in Europe that publishes regular research on the
e-learning market - notably publishing in-depth reports on the UK
and European e-learning markets, encompassing market size, growth
projections and technology trends.
Learning Light's research has been used widely by Governments to
inform economic policy; by universities and education
establishments; by journalists; by investors evaluating new
opportunities and by other research organisations.
Learning Light provides support for clients at all stages of an
e-learning project and also offers ready-developed e-learning
courses in a variety of topics, as well as a range of courses for
the engineering, manufacturing, waste management and recycling
sectors. It is a WAMITAB Approved Centre to deliver qualifications.
Further information from:
David Patterson/ Gill Broadhead, Learning Light, +44 (0)114 223 2442
Bob Little, Bob Little Press & PR, +44 (0)1727 860405