Review by: Hasanbegovic, Jasmina (2005-02-24)

The authors begin their article with comments on the general potential of eLearning for training and point out its specific benefits for learner control. Instructional design elements like content, sequence, pacing, and locus of instructional control allow the learner to choose the material that is most important to them and to move at their pace through a flexible sequence of topics.

As adult workplace eLearners have different needs and motivations than other types of learners, this article presents research-based principles that are based on findings most relevant for workplace eLearning from educational, industrial, and military settings and that apply to adult learner control in e-learning contexts. The authors present succinct guidelines and provide a research-based rationale for each guideline. They aim to offer practitioners an organized set of principles for preparing trainees for learner-led instruction, the design of learner-controlled training, and the creation of workplace conditions that facilitate successful learner-led training.

In the first section the authors offer research-based guidelines for preparing trainees for learner-led instruction. Subsequently, empirical findings emphasise that it is important to give trainees instructions that allow them to understand the control they have and how that control can contribute to improved learning outcomes. Providing trainees with enough time to learn how to use learner control is the second crucial guideline for the preparation of trainees. To avoid frustration, the program instructions may need to explain that learner-controlled training is not easy, but worth the extra effort.

In the second section, nine guidelines describe how to design learner-controlled training so that trainees are able to effectively use leaner control strategies and structure their learning tasks. Metacognitive and self-regulatory skills are essentials for effective learning and can be enhanced by giving trainees tools to help them diagnose their skill development. Knowing the learning prerequisites of trainees like ability level, prior experience, and motivation enables the design of demand-oriented programs with the adequate proportion of learner-control. Additionally, the amount of control offered should be limited to that which is required for effective instruction and should be matched to training objectives. The authors also call for skipping certain instructions to encourage trainees to view more examples and optional content and yet another few of principles on format, usability and software ergonomic issues. The third section presents four guidelines for facilitating learner control in workplace settings by creating appropriate workplace conditions like supervisor support, incentives, and an organizational climate encouraging employee participation, empowerment, and autonomy.

Finally, the authors propose further research on learner-controlled training which has to be moved out of the laboratory settings of colleges and into the workplace, military, home, and other settings where adults learn. They recommend further attention to organisational characteristics as influencing factors of learner-controlled training and discuss the cost-benefit analysis of learner-controlled training on initially training time and design costs.

E-Learning realised as learner-controlled training can play an important part in workplace learning. It is therefore very important to collect and structure valid research findings on the design of learner-controlled training. This paper gives practitioners an excellent overview of relevant guidelines on technology-enhanced, learner-controlled training and encourages researchers to investigate trainee readiness and the design of training and workplace conditions for learner-controlled training. As the paper focuses mostly on human-computer interaction, the role of the supervisor and/or trainer as coach and moderator should also be examined. This would include trainer readiness, the design and use of learner controlled training and trainers' support within training.