Picture perfect learning

Leonard Nolan investigates whether the concepts of e-learning can go beyond just training your workforce.

I have always considered myself as a pretty ‘hands-on’ kind of guy, and the idea of physically being in one place and experiencing something first-hand is exactly what has driven me through life, both personally and professionally. Take photography, for instance. One summer vacation, about 11 years ago, I ended up coming home with reams of film (this was before the joys of digital photography). Through these photographs I uncovered a passion for taking pictures. I began shooting local landscapes and monuments, along with portraits of friends and family. In time I pushed on, messing about with compositions, the use of lighting and shade, exposure and digital media.

It was then that I took a local evening course in photography. While my main aim had been to get a handle on the techniques that professional photographers use to capture that elusive ‘perfect picture’ – concepts like contre-jour, long exposure and lith-printing – I discovered that getting into class, sharing my latest prints with classmates, seeing their photographs and our discussions was actually the most rewarding thing.

Learning in this way was incredibly rewarding for me, and the classes’ relationships transcended student stereotypes and instead became friendships. It was a special 12 weeks, and something I believed would remain unmatched as I continued to take pictures for my own collection.

Until very recently I had had no real desire to get back into the classroom setting, but then I came across a company offering online photography courses – something that interested me both as an amateur photographer and an internet enthusiast.

Over the last 10 years, we have seen e-learning emerge from being a radical idea to something that is widely regarded as mainstream. This is because the nature of the people using the internet has begun to change. While these changes are sweeping across all industries and are not particularly unique to the area of education, we do know that the modern internet user does want to learn. They absorb information quickly, in the format of images and video, as well as through text; they expect instant responses and feedback; they prefer on-demand access to media and they expect to be in constant communication with their friends and colleagues (who may be either next door, or around the world).

However, my experiences of ‘traditional’ photography classes, which I saw as being so intrinsically linked to face-to-face communication, meant I struggled to see any functionality for photography through an online setting.

I decided to give it a go, and test my theories. Research showed how the company I chose to sign-up with offered courses to suit all competencies and tastes – I chose an eight-week, level three course entitled, ‘Eight Steps To More Dramatic Photography’, though there are also courses graded at levels one to four, and some that only last four weeks. Each course follows a similar path, offering informative lessons, inspiring assignments designed to get students out shooting, professional feedback on photographs, including critiques, and an online forum providing message boards, follow-ups, interactive Q&A’s and answers to FAQ’s.

The course allowed me to interact with other photographers from across the globe – one of my ‘classmates’ lived in China, another in London – and it encouraged me to take better pictures. It felt good to be ‘learning’ this skill again – developing it further. In many ways, it was like traveling around the world to study 
with the best in the business – only without the jet lag or price tag.

It got me thinking that if the way we were are learning is set to change. There is not only greater autonomy for the learner, but also a greater emphasis on ‘active learning’, with creation, communication and participation all playing key roles, perhaps now is the time to look beyond the workplace and ask, what else can we achieve through e-learning?

This article first appeared in HR Management magazine: www.hrmreport.com/article/Issue-11/Technology-AND-E_Learning/Picture-Perfect-Learning.