There’s an old Monty Python segue (and a movie by the sametitle) that goes, “And now for something completely different…” This month I’llbe discussing a social eLearning platform called ApprenNet. The company isthree years old, but it has made quite a splash in the education market and is moreand more often used in the commercial sector as well.
How doesApprenNet work?
Simply put, ApprenNet has three steps:
- An instructor creates a video. In the video, theinstructor challenges learners to respond to a real-world challenge within thesubject matter in question (Figure 1).
- Learners then use the mobile app (iOS orAndroid, free to download) to make a video that responds to the challenge andis automatically uploaded.
- The instructor then turns on the option to letlearners perform peer reviews on each other’s videos. The instructor can also,of course, perform reviews on the learner’s submissions.
Figure 1: The ApprenNet app delivers the challenge from theinstructor and provides for recording the learner’s response
All this can form a treasure trove of best practice videoscreated not only by instructors but also by learners. The instructor can vetthe learner videos and post the best ones from those submitted to set up alibrary of expert aids for workers and others.
Videos fromcell phones?
The videos are to be short but meaningful. As learnersalmost universally not only own mobile devices (mobile phones and tablets) butfind themselves quite attached to them (figuratively and literally), there isno issue with having to set up an expensive video shoot or even to use acomputer webcam to record themselves. They just need to pick up their tablet ortake the cell phone out of their pockets and use the ApprenNet app to recordtheir responses to the challenges the instructor gives them. The videos in thiscase do not even need to be high quality, though it’s amazing how good videos frommobile devices can be.
How does thishelp?
Those of us who create eLearning often find that we are“converting” courses that are taught in classrooms by instructors who areexperts in their fields. The reason we so often must to do this is becauseeLearning can reach more people at less expense. Designed correctly, theeLearning will capture the best of the classroom instruction while affordinglearners the opportunity to interact as much as possible with the material topractice and reach a level of expertise in what they are learning.
The issue is that often what makes the classroom experiencemeaningful is the give and take between the instructor and the students.Questions and answers can be immediate, and so can feedback to imprompturequests.
eLearning occupies a different realm and also hasadvantages. Each learner can go at his or her own pace and not be bored or lostas they might be in the classroom. This requires, of course, that the eLearningdesigner keeps the individual in mind and doesn’t try to deliver a cookie-cutterapproach to all.
I see ApprenNet as occupying a strategic point between theclassroom experience and the eLearning approach. It gets close to the classroomexperience, because a computer is not teaching them—a real person is challengingthem, though it is a recorded person and not live. Learners provide feedback asthey might in the classroom and the instructor can respond accordingly or, asoften happens in the classroom, may ask other students what their thoughts to astudent’s response are to encourage discussion.
It’s all done electronically, of course, not live, so itfits the description of eLearning, but it gets much closer to the classroomexperience because learners are not alone. They are still part of a biggergroup with which they can interrelate and where they can interact with theinstructor.
What about reporting?
ApprenNet has reporting built in. Instructors can see whichlearners are participating and which are falling behind. They can print outreports that show learning results as well. Note that this system stands byitself. It does not work like traditional eLearning through an LMS, and so doesnot use SCORM or Experience API protocols. However, you can integrate it intoan LMS if desired.
So what’s so special aboutthis?
ApprenNet does something for learners that’s difficult toget outside of a classroom. It lets them posit their own solutions to aninstructor’s challenge, sure, but we know that there may be better solutions inthe minds of others. Rather than having canned answers or solutions, as weusually must in typical eLearning courses, this approach lets learners learnfrom each other almost in real time. That’s different, and that can be perfectin many situations.
I think this platform that gives me an additional way ofreaching and helping learners become experts. Coupled with more typical (andhighly interactive) eLearning courses, ApprenNet can really enhance the speed atwhich learners become experts.
To get moreinformation
You can learn more at www.apprennet.com.
The ApprenNet Video Recorder for Android devices isavailable in the Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.apprennet.app
The ApprenNet Video Recorder is also available for iOSdevices in iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/apprennet-video-recorder/id871860519?mt=8
