Using Cognitive Load to Evaluate Participation and Design of an Asynchronous Course

Abstract

This study examined the effects of cognitive load experienced by e-learners as they negotiated the tasks required for successful participation within an asynchronous course room, specifically examining the relationship between measured cognitive load and the learners' confidence in completing their course. The results indicated that learner confidence, or more specifically self-efficacy, is the single most important factor in determining the success of e-learners. It appears that insufficient time was expended orienting learners to the virtual classrooms and to the technology necessary for participation.     

‘No escape from the hard things of the world’: learning the lessons of empire

Educating older adults (in the so‐called third age) is becoming an increasingly important activity for the elderly, above all because it empowers them, while at the same time reducing their social exclusion. The aim of this paper is to closely examine the actual state of affairs and the education possibilities for older adults in Slovenia. The article deals with a secondary analysis of data that was collected in three Slovene researches dealing with the participation of adults in the education process in 1987, 1998 and 2004. The purpose of the analysis is to examine te changes in the participation of the older adults, their motivation for education and barriers that have dissuaded them from education. Special attention is devoted to the development of the offer of educational programmes for older adults in Slovenia. The authors state that the offer of education for older adults has improved between 1987 and 2004, while the participation has declined. The older adults mentioned a number of various barriers that represent the reasons for the decline in their participation, however the major obstacle is the low educational level of older adults.     

Perspectives on defining ‘The Learning Society‘

This article, written primarily from the perspective of employment‐related learning, seeks to challenge several common assumptions about the Learning Society: that learning depends on the provision of education and training, that provision is based on sufficient attention to wants and valid assessment of needs; that provision is appropriately distributed between different types of knowledge; that transfer of knowledge is an event rather than a process; that expertise can be represented in terms of propositional knowledge alone; that current job competence is an adequate basis for assessing individual capability or organizational need. An alternative conceptual framework is proposed which takes account of recent research into the complex, multifaceted nature of expertise; reframes the concept of transfer as a learning process which requires dedicated time and effort; treats individual learning for employment in terms of comprising capability, competence and understanding; clarifies the tension between short‐term efficiency and long‐term adaptability in people and organizations; and provides operational definitions for studying learning groups, learning organizations and a learning society.     

INTERDISCIPLINARY CONTINUING EDUCATION IN A RURAL AND REMOTE AREA: THE APPROACH OF THE NORTHERN EDUCATIONAL CENTRE FOR AGING AND HEALTH

This article describes an interdisciplinary continuing education approach for health professionals in a rural remote area implemented by the Northern Educational Centre for Aging and Health (NECAH) at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. The article discusses issues of rural health care practice and the implications for practitioners’ educational needs. The key components involved in delivering interdisciplinary education and teamwork training are reviewed, followed by a discussion of the relevance of an interdisciplinary participatory approach for rural practitioners given their practice context and work style. Using NECAH's experience in planning and delivering a 5‐day interdisciplinary education program in palliative care as a case example, it is argued that simultanous attention to these issues in the design and delivery of continuing professional education for rural professionals contributes to a relevant educational experience in the short‐term and an increased interdisciplinary collaboration in the long‐term. The article suggests that NECAH's interdisciplinary participatory approach is a significant model for the continuing education of health professionals in rural remote areas.