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Facilitating Deep Learning in the Adult Online Learner

A key determinant of deep learning is the previous organization of course content as presented to students. This study shows how carefully crafted organization of course modules according to a knowledge map, termed learning template, facilitates a deeper understanding of course content by students. The researcher compared two courses in the same subject area, one with the added component of learning templates and the other without it. Quantitative indicators corroborate the hypothesis of deeper learning. In addition, the style of discussion in both courses shows qualitative differences contributing to explain how deep or surface learning take place in online courses. Statement of the Problem Cognitive learning theory and memory research have established that knowledge organization is a significant factor for both learning new information and storage of it in memory (Bransford and Franks, 1971; Atkinson et al., 1999). Piaget (1972) concept of accommodation assumes that when people learn something new, they change their knowledge structures accordingly. It follows that deep learning in the cognitive domain implies restructuring previous knowledge. If the incoming information only was added or subsumed to existing schemas, the learning process is superficial. This is not wrong but, certainly, it is not the desired outcome in higher education. This study focuses in the organization of the input material as a key factor for deep learning in online courses. The main hypothesis is that a structured mode of presentation of the subject matter is favorable to more focus and better content of student responses in asynchronous discussions. A structured mode of presentation in an online course is defined as one that possesses an organized content outline either in the form of a map, schema or detailed list of topics, and this outline is expanded through text and activities in the course documents. A course that implements principles of cognitive organization has a number of distinctive elements such as cascading headings and sub-headings, content-rich images, tables, adjunct questions, problems, debates and cases. By contrast, a course that emphasizes collaborative learning more than any other principle will rely more in the organization that external materials can provide. Inside the course, there will be discussion areas and/or collaborative projects forming the body of the modules. The instructor expects that the students will collaborate in structuring course content using external materials as reference. It cannot be generalized that these two approaches to online course design typify many institutions. However, in the SUNY Learning Network, where this study was conducted, they can be observed in many courses.