The interest and impact of digital learning is on the increase. The programme 'Taalklas.nl' from the Stichting Expertisecentrum ETV.nl (Educational Television Foundation) alone already has over 2 million accounts, in addition to the approximately 130,000 registered users of the 'Lees en Schrijf!' programme. A considerable number of these users are low-educated learners. They try to improve their basic skills via digital learning so they can improve their place in society or even move on to a training course or (other) work. Training materials for digital learning have also been developed in other countries such as Ireland or the United Kingdom and in the United States and Canada as well. Research in Ireland and the Netherlands shows that digital learning can be successful. But the big question is, what is it exactly that determines success?

This is why Artéduc has conducted a scientific study, commissioned by the Stichting Expertisecentrum ETV.nl, (Expertise Foundation) on the success factors for supporting digital learning.

Digital learning is setting the scene

Besides the training materials from the Stichting Expertisecentrum ETV.nl, initiatives have been created in recent decades in several countries for enabling digital learning for unskilled individuals. Ireland has its own www.writeon.ie, while Germany has acquired various online materials via www.ichwill-lernen.de. In the United States also, the ABLE system offers adults an opportunity for digital learning.

Digital learning for the unskilled has become a permanent fixture in our society. And sometimes, it's one of the most desirable forms for unskilled individuals to acquire basic skills, because they don't have to show in public that they have a low literacy level or that they have poor numeracy skills.  

From research by Smit and Bersee on the experiences of people with low literacy levels and teachers with the programme ' Lees en Schrijf! Taal op je werk' (Read and Write! Language at your workplace'), it becomes clear that digital learning for this group of people has a motivating effect and is successful. So its validity is present. But how can one achieve the best possible learning success in digital learning? What are the success factors?

A study framework for a digital training environment

The study conducted by the Stichting Expertisecentrum ETV.nl (carried out by Maurice de Greef of Artéduc) has tried to provide an answer. He carried out a scientific study of 884 respondent learners and mentors on the essential prerequisites of digital learning for the unskilled. The key question of the study was what the support for digital learning for unskilled individuals had to satisfy in order to achieve successful learning results. With desk research and a quantitative study, it was shown what is important with regard to the programme content, the role and profile of the mentor, the learning context and the degree of self-guidance.

A list of requirements for digital learning content

A digital learning and training environment consists of the content of the programme offered, the learning context (location), the degree of self-guidance and the role of the mentor. The study shows that there is a significant relationship between programme content and the previous education of the participants. This also applies for the role of the mentor and the previous education of the participants.

This means that if success is to be achieved, the manner of mentoring and the content of programme for unskilled individuals must be different from that of more highly educated people.

A content-based 'list of requirements' appears to provide results. This list of requirements shows how the content of a digital learning and training environment can connect with the unskilled participant and learning success can be achieved. Examples of these requirements are: connection with the social environment and taking any deficiencies, such as language deficiency, into account.

The impact of self-guidance

One of the most notable results is that the unskilled attach great value to self-guidance. In actual fact, they want to determine the moments themselves that they become certified or can ask questions and get feedback. Mentors are less certain of this. They find that consultation must be possible and that they should actually seek some sort of middle ground.

For unskilled participants, things go a step further. The majority (with the exception of adults who have only attended primary school) indicate that they prefer to learn on their own at home. This does not mean that mentoring is unnecessary, but it can also be distance-mentoring, for example via a virtual coach.

Support from a mentor

That good mentoring can make a difference is revealed by the fact that the mentor has a significant correlation with the educational level of participants. Most unskilled participants need both a mentor and an expert. According to participants, they must most of all bring along new knowledge and be able to provide individual mentoring. The skills required to do this are a blend of professional, didactic and educational abilities. During the study, these skills were presented to current mentors and a skills profile was documented.

 
In a nutshell, balanced mentoring of digital learning consists of:

a strongly content-based programme (checked against the list of requirements), potential mentoring in the form of contributing expertise, giving feedback and individual mentoring, but where the learner can guide his or her own learning process.

To end the digital learning course, most unskilled individuals indicate they would like to take a written test on a PC. So they too would like a formal test of their training course in a digital learning and training environment.

This will lead to an optimal learning and training environment for digital learning.

  

Additional information

For more information and the complete research report, please get in touch with Stichting Expertisecentrum ETV.nl by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or by phone on +31(0)10 266 69 69.