Meet Fred. Fred has to complete a course in order to get the job he wants. Because he is looking to change careers whilst still working to support his family, Fred opts to study online.
He enrols in a Certificate IV in Accounting/Bookkeeping and plans on working his way up through the Diploma. From there, he will try to gain some experience for a year or two in a firm and then branch out and set up his own business. Working for himself is his goal.
As if studying something so numerically heavy and systems-based as Accounting wasn’t enough, poor Fred has to wade through lots of potentially dry content to learn terms, systems and codes and Australian Taxation Office rules around records.
So, how can we best support Fred through this dry course material?
We don’t need to focus on motivating him as such, taking an andragogy-based approach, as an adult learner Fred is self-motivated (he wants to work for himself and change his career path). Fred has spent 15 years working in IT, so has a wealth of knowledge and life experience he brings with him that he can share with his classmates.
Knowles et al identified that there should be an emphasis on experiential techniques: “…such as group discussions, simulation exercises, problem-solving activities, case methods, and laboratory methods instead of transmittal techniques. Also, greater emphasis is placed on peer-helping activities.” (2012, p. 64)
By creating narratives that travel the length of a course, students like Fred can engage with what they are learning better. They see the rights, wrongs, what to do, what not to do and why! They are able to see the application of the knowledge and skills they are gaining in a ‘real life’ situation through narratives, which in turn better prepares them for when they need to apply what they’ve learnt in the workplace. Having context makes such a difference to the act of learning for many.
Environments can help too!
Rather than being a dry case study activity here or there, narratives can be considered so much more when provided in simulated environments. In this case, creating a mock workplace, colleague and client characters, a robust internal ‘cloud-based drive’ where policies and procedures are stored and accessed can actually really support Fred (and all students) in honing their skills prior to working through assessment and moving into the workplace once deemed competent.
By taking a holistic approach to online education, we can provide students with a more well-rounded, real-life set of knowledge and skills they can (and will) actually use. This in turn reflects the very nature of the VET industry.
References:
Knowles, M.S, Holton, I.E.F., & Swanson, R.A (2012). Chapter 4: The Theory of Adult Learning: Andragogy. In The Adult Learner: The definitive classic in adult education and human resource development (7th Ed.), (p. 34-71). Routeledge. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/csuau/reader.action?docID=680833&ppg=81
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