Learning style, modal preference & the spacing effect in an online project management training programme.

Abstract

Constant and continued up-grade of skills and qualifications is imperative in a knowledge society (David & Foray 2003, OECD 2007) and central to Continued Professional Development (CPD) programmes in most organisations. However identifying and using effective (maximise retention / recall) and efficient (minimise time to learn) learning practices is often a challenge. This thesis reports the findings of a longitudinal study consisting of naturalistic observations of a real-life adult online learning environment for project management (PRINCE2®) based in the UK. The primary research question sought to explore, the impact of modality preferences, learning/cognitive styles and patterns of usage on course completion, time spent and time to completion. The first phase collected data over 14 months following the launch of the new online project management learning system. Some changes were identified and incorporated before collecting additional data. The second phase collected data over the next 14 months. The interplay between Inter Session Interval, Study Duration, Frequency of Usage and its impact on Time Spent & Time to Completion are further explored using the concept of the Spacing Effect. The Spacing Effect is a robust phenomenon that suggests that the retention / recall of learning improve when presentations are spaced as opposed to massed (Toppino et al., 2002). The thesis concludes by summarising the observations with respect to the research questions, across the two phases of study and the further analysis of the Spacing Effect. The contributions of this research to online project management training are discussed in the form of implications and recommendations for future work. The outcomes of the study have informed and will continue to inform the on-going online learning development at the partner organisation.