Dr. Khan's Strategic Framework for E-Learning

"Is your e-learning is open and flexible," asks Badrul Khan. Have you fully considered all eight dimensions of e-learning?

What's that? You're asking who the heck is Badrul Khan? Well, up until a year ago, I didn't have any idea who he was either. Fortunately, I had the pleasure of interviewing Badrul over dinner one night in New York City.

Turns out, Badrul is one of the most passionate and prolific thinkers on e-learning I've ever met, and he has a compelling personal background that really makes you want to see him succeed. The reason I never heard of him before is that he's on the academic side of the business, not the applied corporate side that I crawl around in.

For Badrul, the "digital divide" is not some academic discussion point, but something he has known personally. Badrul grew up in Bangladesh in the 1970's very aware that he and his family did not have access to the educational opportunities available in industrialized nations. In the 1990's as a college student in the United States, Badrul discovered the Internet and literally changed his personal mission. Today, Badrul is an Associate Professor and Program Director for George Washington University's Educational Technology Leadership Cohort program.

Author of many books and articles, Badrul is best known for his comprehensive model for e-learning. If you are involved in e-learning strategy, I strongly encourage you to become familiar with the details of this model's eight dimensions:
1) Institutional - administrative elements
2) Pedagogical - learning goals and design
3) Technological - infrastructure
4) Interface - user intereface
5) Evaluation - for both learners and content
6) Management - of learning environment
7) Resources - non-tutorial components
8) Ethical - related to diversity issues

To learn more about Badrul Khan's model check out:
- Dr. Khan's PowerPoint presentation
- Badrul Khan's home page

Adult Learning Theory was Born on the Roof of a YMCA...

The birth of the modern theory of adult learning, known as andragogy, occurred in 1946 at a Boston YMCA. A young director of adult education organized a course on astronomy and arranged for a local university professor to teach the class. Although initially enthusiastic, the students quickly became bored with the passive lecture experience and attendance dwindled until the course was finally canceled.

Trying again, the YMCA director rescheduled the course and this time invited an amateur astronomer to teach. As soon as the students arrived for their first class, the new teacher rushed them to the roof of the YMCA and simply asked them to gaze into the night sky, and to wonder.

The astronomer/teacher asked them what it was they noticed most in the night sky and what they wanted to learn. Their questions formed the basis for the rest of the course and the teacher led discussions with a telescope on hand for ready use. This experiential method of teaching was popular with the students and the class enrollment swelled.

The young YMCA director, named ______, took note of the different teaching styles and their dramatically different outcomes...

Click here to find out the name of this young YMCA director and to review his principles for successful adult learning.

Need your help

Last week I asked for referrals to articles or other resources related to marketing of e-learning. I've only got about four or five good items. Was hoping for a top ten list! Any chance anyone else out there has some ideas for me? Send me an e-mail with your suggestion(s) to
kkruse@e-learningguru.com

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Here's to living and learning,

-- Kevin

Kevin Kruse is the e-learning columnist for CLO, Chief Learning Officer magazine, author of Technology-based Training (Jossey-Bass), and Principal with Kenexa. He can be reached at kkruse@e-learningguru.com.