So what is all the fuss about? Surely learning is learning? Well not exactly. It is well known that people learn in different ways, and that some methods of learning are more effective than others. In most case, deep learning is really the one you want to encourage.
So what is ‘deep learning’ and how does it differ from ‘surface learning’? These were two types of study originally identified by Marton F and Saljo (1976) and they describe two different learning styles.
Surface learning is basically a memorising of facts, figures and processes etc. with a focus on task completion for assessment purposes. Deep learning involves understanding the processes and applying and linking them to previous knowledge and apparently unrelated experiences. Deep learning is often a more exciting approach to learning because it involves developing a different understanding of reality and often occurs because the learner already has some kind of engagement with the ideas/topic. This is the type of learning that prepares the learner to use that knowledge in ‘real world’ situations and is the most beneficial to life long learning. It is important to consider that it is a learning approach, and not an individual type that we are discussing here. Therefore as educators we should be concerned with encouraging our learners to be ‘deep learners’ rather than surface learners simply guided towards passing assessments. Deep learning equals better learning.
It seems to me that one way of doing this is to engage the learner is using new technologies.

So how can e-learning encourage deep learning?
1. Access to information – the internet. The internet is a huge mine of information and can be used to access a wealth of interesting reading.
2. Encourage collaboration between individuals (using wikis, discussion forums, weblogs, etc). This encourages discussions between people who may never actually meet and stimulates the development of new ideas and concepts. This technology also offers a ‘level playing field’ when considering the relative ‘weight’ of the contributor.
3. Removing barriers to education including time constraints, geographical, social and economical issues. Users can access education from anywhere and it is often possible to start course as any time giving maximum flexibility to the e-learning consumer.
4. Linking ideas. Technologies like e-portfolios and hypertext allow users to create actual links between knowledge items which often would not seem related. This enables the user to link between their ideas and the ideas of others. This is a main function of deep learning because it develops a mapping element between experiences and knowledge.
5. Making learning fun – fun learning is better learning. Just look at the way children learn through play and adults are just the same. It is possible to make the most mundane tasks interesting if they are presented in a fun way (as I know as a keen World of Warcraft player). This is an idea which is gaining ground with the development of learning games and simulations for adults. It also offers the opportunity to ‘learn by doing’ because a simulated environment can be created where a real-world situation would be too costly or too dangerous to recreate in a learning environment. For example, the French government has released a game called “cyber-budget”, which allows citizens to pretend they are in charge of the nations finances. This is designed to give them some understanding of the decisions that need to be made by the government in order to ensure that the economy works. This would not be possible in the real world and can facilitate a better understanding of their own taxation system.
Obviously these benefits are only really experienced through good e-learning courses. Problems that can be experienced by learners:
1. Boring content. Just because the course is provided online does not mean that the content is well designed. A course based on a collection of word documents will not promote deep learning any more than giving the learner a huge pile of paper to wade through.
2. Technology. If there is not adequate access (i.e. access to decent hardware or broadband) the user will become frustrated and demoralised.
3. Isolation. I believe that it is important to foster some sort of social element between learners to replace that face to face contact that they would achieve in a classroom environment. This encourages discussion between learners and allows the exchange of ideas, and avoids the sense of isolation that can occur when studying alone. I am currently taking an on-line course at Edinburgh University and I have found that the sense of community we have built up has added to my learning experience, opening me up to different points of view, and sometimes just saying ‘I know, I didn’t understand that either!’
4. Learning outcomes. Good learning should really be supported with a clear understanding of the intended outcomes of the course. I always ensure that learners are clear on what these are prior to the course so they understand what they can expect. This is just as important with e-learning, especially as the resources available to the e-learner are so vast. Some sort of guidance is also required to prevent information overload occurring while surfing!
So in conclusion, I think that a well constructed online course where students are adequately supported enables us as educators to encourage a deeper level of understanding in a topic. This arms the learner with the tools to apply skills learnt to different situations and enhances their learning experience.

Read about the Cyber budget here

MARTON F and SÄLJÖ (1976) “On Qualitative Differences in Learning — 1: Outcome and Process” Brit. J. Educ. Psych. 46, 4-11

Warning: parse_str() expects parameter 1 to be string, array given in /home/purplesp/public_html/blog/wp-includes/template-functions-post.php on line 114