Participant Perceptions Of The Importance Of Situated Learning Design In The Delivery Of On-Line Training

Abstract

Situated learning has been recognized as an important approach to the design of programs for professional training and development programs. Knowledge is gained in the context of problem situations that are representative of the group’s professional practice. Participants gain knowledge and interact with program content that reflects the day-today reality of their experience. The intent of this study was to explore the perceptions of members of the addictions counseling profession in Canada, relative to the situated learning design features they felt were important elements in training programs delivered on-line. A case study approach was employed in this study, utilizing two questionnaires and a telephone interview to ascertain which situated learning elements they perceived as being important in their program delivery. There were nine situated learning elements that they considered. The feedback from the sample group suggested that on-line training programs should consider including the “provision of authentic context” and that facilitation should ensure “coaching and scaffolding at critical times”. These were deemed as being very important instructional design elements that should be present in their training programs. A number of other design elements were also indicated as being of importance, including: “promotion of articulation, provide access to expert performance, promote reflection, provision of multiple perspectives and the provision of authentic activities”. The situated learning elements least valued by the addiction counselors were: “provision of collaborative construction of knowledge and the provision of integrated assessment of knowledge”. The ongoing formative and summative evaluation of programs delivered on-line training might consider gaining participant feedback on the design elements that they feel are important to their situated learning.