Call me a
spoil sport, call me a traditionalist desperately holding out against new
trends, but terms such as “Speed is King” and “Rapid Creation” in the context
of e-learning sends a chill down my spine. To me, speed often means “plain
vanilla” and “no jazz” and “no fun”, because there is just not enough time or
resources to add such elements.
I do
understand the compelling business requirements that drive Rapid e-Learning. I
appreciate the needs of businesses to deliver rapidly-changing information such
as the latest product knowledge, competitive intelligence, and corporate
initiatives that help employees to respond quickly. We are all living in
“future shock” zone and acceleration has become a way of life.
But whither
fun learning? What about learning that is engaging, interactive and exciting?
What about the amazing things that can be done on the (not so anymore) new
medium that adds to the learning experience?
My angst is
that of a learner, not of a developer.
When I was
10 years old, my all-consuming passion was to learn Indian classical dance. Fearing
that I will waste away with the longing, my parents arranged for an instructor
in great haste. She came with excellent credentials—she was a product of one of
the premier performing arts institute and had a lot of successful students.
The
enterprise lasted for a tenuous 18-month period despite my high levels of
motivation because the instructor just failed to engage me in the process. In
fact, she managed to de-motivate me with her unimaginative,
“don’t-ask-questions-because-it’s-the-way-things-are-done” approach. I think
both of us heaved a sigh of relief when I dropped out in the end.
This has
been more-or-less the story of my life. Suffice to say that I was never popular
with my teachers.
This is
perhaps why I am always pushing the envelope when it comes to participative
learning experiences.
(Priya Thiagarajan is a Senior Instructional Design Consultant at TIS)
