Education Guide

In today’s competitive and evolving world, the importance of education has never been more important. People are now more aware of the continuing need to improve one’s self through adult learning. Due to factors such as time constraint, e-learning has quickly emerged as an alternative means of continuing education.

As globalization continues to be the trend these days, more and more people feel the need to learn at least one foreign language. Again, due to the fast-paced lives many lead today, online courses present a viable alternative to the traditional face to face, or classroom, language learning. The major advantage of learning foreign languages through e-learning is the convenience it presents to the learner. Materials can be made available anytime, anywhere. The learner can access modules at his own time and he work on his courses at his own pace.

Computer assisted language learning has been in existence for many years now. In fact, its roots can be traced back to the 1960s. This technique began with a simple drill and practice approach. As more pedagogical elements were introduced, computer assisted language learning evolved into a more interactive experience.

The question many people ask is just how effective is learning a foreign language online? The main difference between classroom learning and e-learning is the presence of a teacher. A good teacher recognizes the learning needs of the student. In addition to that, a good teacher recognizes the learning style of each individual student. He capitalizes on both factors and enhances learning through different techniques. Due to advances is many e-learning platforms, these factors have been taken into consideration. The learner’s needs and learning styles can now be dealt with accordingly.

Today’s e-learning platforms offer a wide range of approaches to suit each learner’s specific needs. Some platforms even make use of facilitators – human or otherwise – to encourage the student and enhance the learning process. When combined with the convenience of studying at one’s own pace, e-learning proves to be an effective way of learning a new language.

Studies show that more people prefer e-learning to the traditional classroom sessions. The flexibility the e-learning offers seems to be one of the major factors that students take into consideration. Some personalities react more positively to the online learning environment. One explanation is that the relative anonymity that this type of learning gives a student more confidence. Studies show that learning languages online seems to present a more relaxed learning atmosphere. It has been proven time and again that such a learning atmosphere does a lot in terms of enhancing the learning process. The student learns more and in a shorter span of time than normal. The student also tends to remember more of what he has learned.

Online foreign language learning also capitalizes on the amount and quality of information and resources that can be found on the Internet. E-learning programs take advantage of this situation, enhancing learning even more. So if you are seeking to learn a foreign language, whether for professional or personal reasons, online learning just might be the right choice for you.

Why Learning Objectives?

Why go to the bother of writing learning objectives for your training program? Our business sees many programs that simply wear participants out by being “nine miles long and one inch thick” with little opportunity to engage learners and practice skills and in the end serving no useful purpose for the organization paying for the program. These programs have a heavy emphasis on what needs to be “taught” with little regard to what participants will need to be able to do when they get back to their job. What is missed in a lot of cases is a focus on writing effective learning objectives that are tied to real organizational needs.

What is a “learning objective”? What is called a “learning objective” is variously named “learning outcome” and “learner objective”. Sometimes the term “student” or “participant” is used in place of “learner”. In any case, a “learning objective” is what the training participant is intended to have actually learned at the conclusion of the training program. “Learning” encapsulates new beliefs, new attitudes and new practical skills and the unlearning of outmoded beliefs, attitudes and skills.

What are the benefits of defining and articulating a well-constructed learning objectives statement? I see the benefits for your program as including the following:

• Learners can focus more easily on what is important to their actual workplace performance.
• Learning objectives form a solid basis for sequencing and chunking program content and activities.
• Participants’ managers can be assured that training addresses actual organizational goals.
• Learning objectives determine the relevance of program design features and content, allowing trainers to weed out easily what are just peripheral sideshows.
• Trainers can better focus on the key deliverables of the training program, without being too sidetracked to the detriment of the program.
• Learning objectives allow learner tests to be checked for relevance and completeness.

The writing of well-specified learning objectives plays a central role in any training program. Formulating and documenting such objectives serves to guide the activities of all of the people involved in its development and delivery; course designers and developers, participants’ managers, trainers and the learners themselves.

The Learning Objectives Process

How do you write effective learning objectives? As with all good outcomes, I see the trick as following the right process. Effective training program needs analysis and high-level design consists of four basic steps. These four steps are:

Determine Content, Delivery Mode and Schedule

Write Learning Objectives

Derive On-the-job Behaviors

Determine Organizational Objectives

The first step involves working with client managers to determine the organization’s purpose for the training. This purpose should be stated in organizational terms and not in training terms. In Step 2, the organizational unit’s objectives are expanded in order to clarify what it is employees will need to be able to do following the training for the organizational unit to be able to achieve its stated objectives. The behavior statements documented in Step 2 are then converted into the language of training in Step 3. Step 3 culminates in a document specifying behavior based learning outcomes for the program. In the following Step 4, the designer determines the basic course design and delivery parameters.

Step 1: Identify Organizational Unit Objectives

In this first step, determine clearly who are your clients (CEO, department manager, project manager, etc). Review the appropriate organizational documents (strategic, project and operational plans, etc) and conduct joint meetings with your clients. Ensure that the objectives agreed with your clients are SMART objectives; that is, that they are

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Time framed

Step 2: Determine On-the-Job BehaviorsIn this next step, determine what behaviors participants must demonstrate back in the workplace following the training for the organization’s objectives to be achieved. To do this effectively, ensure that your behavior statements:

• are directly linked to the organization’s objective,
• contain active verbs, and
• refer to actions that are publicly observable.

To stay in touch with reality, gather a cross section of stakeholders to thrash out what behaviors are really required. At the least, invite client managers, subject matter experts and prospective training participants. At this stage, you will need to work hard to make sure that stakeholders stick with what participants are required to do back on the job, and not what they will need to know.

Step 3: Write Learning Objectives

Only now that you and the organization are clear on business objectives and workplace behaviors are you ready to actually write the learning objectives. Translate the behavior statements formulated in the previous step into learning objective statements of the form:

At the conclusion of XYZ program, participants should be able to:

anticipate …

consider …

create …

Make sure that the learning objectives are learner centered and not centered on what the trainer or program will do or provide or cover.

Now add the standard to which training participants are expected to perform back on the job. A racing car driver, for example, is expected to drive at a higher skill level than an ordinary road user. Also now add the working environment that the participants are expected to perform within and their available resources back on the job. Will they work autonomously or within a team? Will they have access to user manuals, or will they be expected to remember the process steps?

These now constitute the terminal learning objectives – the highest-level outcomes specified for the entire training program. Many of your programs will span several modules or sessions. For each of these discrete components, now formulate enabling learning objectives. To do this, think about what it is the training participant will need to learn to be able to satisfy each terminal objective.

For each enabling learning objective, make sure you consider each of Bloom’s three learning domains:

Once again, make sure that you use active verbs to describe the outcomes. By writing learning objectives that are both meaningful and practical, you will enhance your credibility with your clients and improve your effectiveness as a training designer.

Are you learning Chinese?

Chances are, you’ve already searched the internet for information that’ll help you learn Chinese. And what do you find? Lots of sites offering free information on learning Chinese.

I did an online search recently and realized that with all the information out there, it can be pretty confusing for a person who’s just beginning to learn Chinese to figure out what’s useful and what’s not.

Where should you start? Which are the sites that offer you, the beginning Chinese learner, practical advice and Chinese phrases you can use immediately?

I decided to put together a select list of useful, free online resources to jump start your learning of Chinese and help you get better results in less time.

Learn Chinese Resource #1:

**”How to Learn Chinese with More Fun and in Less Time in Five Easy Steps”

This step-by-step guide does two things: it gives you proven tips on how to approach the study of Chinese for better and faster results plus the 80% of listening, speaking, writing and reading basics you need to know when you’re at the beginning stage of learning Chinese.

Learn Chinese Resource #2:

**Chinese Pod

Free, daily Chinese conversational audio mp3 lessons (called podcasts) based on real situations (ordering food, renting an apartment, talking about yourself etc.) you can download, listen and review on the go to start speaking Mandarin right away. Start with their New User Guide.

Learn Chinese Resource#3

**Five Beginner Steps to Learning Chinese Faster

Real experiences of an American learning Chinese in China. This funny and useful “5 Beginner Steps to Learning Chinese Faster” free email course doesn’t teach you Chinese but describes a beginner’s strategy for how to get out into a real Chinese-speaking environment and learn it for yourself.

Learn Chinese Resource #4:

**BBC Real Chinese

For those who plan to travel to China, learn useful Chinese phrases (note: no Chinese characters, only in pinyin, the Romanized script) for introducing yourself, getting around, shopping, booking a hotel in China etc. in this interesting ten-part, online beginner’s Mandarin course in slideshow format with text, images and audio followed by a one-minute video shot in China and cultural notes.

Learn Chinese Resource #5:

**Chinese Forums

Find like-minded, motivated Chinese learners to discuss topics related to learning Chinese and Chinese culture. Chinese-forums.com is an online community of people with an interest in learning Chinese language and culture. When you’re just starting to learn Chinese, keeping yourself motivated is vital for getting results. This is where you’ll find other motivated Chinese learners of all skill levels to exchange tips and information whether it’s about overcoming difficulties in learning Chinese Mandarin or sharing your favorite Chinese movie or travel destination in China.

Learn Chinese Resource #6:

**CRI Radio

A great site to read and listen to radio broadcasts in English and Chinese about China and life in China – China news, culture, sports, travel, entertainment etc.

Learn Chinese Resource #7:

**Chinese Fonts

If you’re not reading Chinese characters properly on your computer, like the chinese words for “learn Chinese” 学中文 follow the link to find out how to display and type Chinese fonts on your Windows or Mac computer.

There you have it — seven free online resources for learning Chinese faster.

If there’s any “secret” to learning Chinese faster and with better results, it’s this: learn a little, use a lot!

Don’t be afraid of making mistakes, or fret about getting the pronunciation right.

Start by speaking Mandarin with Chinese friends whenever you can. There’ll be lots of slip-ups along the way, but you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much you can accomplish in a short time!