eLearning Chart 17: Priority ways to learn

eUSER population survey 2005

 

Closer analysis reveals that the population can be divided in types of learners according to their preferred ways to learn. It becomes clear that teaching oneself without the help of a guide or instructor, as well as self-study courses, are regarded by many (nearly 60%) as the worst ways to learn, for example because they have experienced them as ineffective or not motivating. What is more, persons which require participation in lifelong learning the most, i.e. those with below average educational attainment and a weak position on the labour market, seem to prefer types of learning which involve strong interaction with instructors and a strong element of "learning by doing". The findings support the view that if eLearning services are to reach wider parts of the population and provide an effective and efficient alternative to traditional modes of training provision, they need to fully integrate personal interaction with a guide or instructor, and also enable exchanges with other learners. Moreover, supplementing Internet-provided training with traditional classroom-type sessions ("blended eLearning") can be an effective way of avoiding the possible negative effects of training "at arm's length".