Preferences of Adult E-Learners towards Online Resources

Abstract

E-Learning offers education at a fraction of a cost in comparison to the cost of enrolling full time for a course. It also provides flexibility to students in terms of choosing their study time and place. Research indicates different factors like computer literacy, learning styles affect student preferences for e-learning. This paper goes a step further to find which learning resources do adult e-learners prefer to learn from, to complete a course successfully. This will aid in adopting an instructional style, which is consistent with their learning style. In addition, the paper aims to find the essential attributes of online learning course that will ensure its success among adult learners. An online questionnaire was sent to e-learners and potential e-learners to find their preferences towards online resources. The data was analysed using frequency distribution and graphical visualization. Some of the findings were that, online and distance education courses are preferred by full time employees who wish to improve their work performance, most e-learners learn by experimenting and feeling, videos are the most preferred resources and they should be long in length, and final assessment should be in the form of MCQ's (Multiple Choice Questions). The study indicates that preferences of the e-learners are consistent with the constructivist approach of teaching. Well-presented and longer videos, adoption of the R2D2 model, rich instructional material, structured content, strong guidance, asynchronous activities, well defined MCQ's, robust student support to prevent dropouts and well tested and bug free technology are the factors that will ensure the success of any online course aimed at the adult e-Learners.