What Kind of Course is Best for TEL Delivery?

Instructor-led courses that focus on content and information (not requiring experiential learning that closely duplicates job situations) are good candidates for TEL delivery. Listed below are desirable traits for courses to be TEL-based.

Content Rich

• Well-defined body of knowledge
• Comprehension of facts and principles
• Application of knowledge

The web is a good delivery medium for knowledge and comprehension of facts and principles, and for the application of knowledge. The application of knowledge can be done through on-line simulations, games, case studies, or structural problem solving. Ideally, simulations or application exercises cover situations that can be handled and resolved independently by an individual learner. It is possible to build opportunities to communicate with an instructor on an asynchronous or as-needed basis.

Low-Fidelity Job-Performance Outcomes

Web courses should not require close approximation to job environments. For example, the web is not the right delivery method for technical situations where body movement practice is needed relative to assembly operations.

Minimal Interaction Among Students

Interpersonal skills development or courses dependent on extensive person-to-person interaction between the instructor and students or among students are not optimum based on current web technology.

Structural and Managerial Considerations

TEL-based courses need to be organized in modules based on major topic areas. There should be natural segments in subject matter. In addition, courses should be taught with sufficient frequency and have large enough audiences to warrant time (for every 1 hour of instructor-led training, it takes about 200 hours of TEL design and development time!), effort, and expense of the TEL conversion. Evaluation of learning for computer-based courses can use conventional methods such as pre- and post-assessment tests and structured application exercises. However, audio conferencing should be used as a wrap-up strategy and debriefing.

If the classroom course contains primarily desirable characteristics then it will likely make an effective TEL course.

Please see the following table for descriptions of desirable traits and limiting characteristics of potential courses for TEL delivery:

[Source: The ASTD Learning Handbook by Allison Rossett, pg. 89]

Hypertext links and other references to non-USGS products, trade names, and (or) services are provided for information purposes only and do not constitute endorsement or warranty, express or implied, by the USGS, USDOI, or U.S. Government, as to their suitability, content, usefulness, functioning, completeness, or accuracy.