Since one aim of the project was to find reasons why youth workers are using or not using certain offers of online learning the first step was to find out, how youth workers learn and how they use online learning offers. Therefore, the research focuses on two areas: a) the individual youth worker and b) the structure of/ for online learning. Discussion rounds with youth workers, diaries of online learning and short online questionnaires were used to learn from youth workers in Norway, Croatia, Austria, England and Portugal.
The diaries brought insights in the way people use online learning settings: appealing ways to make learners stay in the course and evidence for obstacles.
A broad bandwidth of professional experience of the youth worker was represented in the research – from youth workers that were just starting their career to youth work managers and even one person who was already 60 years in contact with youth work – both as user and as provider. The first results came from focus group discussions and small group discussions. The approach in the participating countries is similar in all cases: based on a stimulus the conversations were focusing on learning experiences, online experiences online learning and eventually aiming to learn about the needs and expectations of youth workers for any online training offer concerning youth work.
The diaries brought insights in the way people use online learning settings: appealing ways to make learners stay in the course and evidence for obstacles. The questionnaires were used to get a feeling which forms of media content are right now interesting in youth work training.
The results were really inspiring not only for youth work trainers but for everyone who is involved in teaching and who has to work with online approaches since the pandemic disabled face to face encounters.
Learning happens always and everywhere
One main message of the discussion rounds was that learning is not only something planned that happens in formal courses, but also unintentional and informal learning is seen as very important. Reading a book, watching a video, observing someone else can provide new experience that changes your approach to doing things. And learning does not imply accumulation of theoretical knowledge. Especially regarding professional education and training for youth workers the combination of practical skills and theory knowledge is essential. Participants pointed out that most of the things they learned came from experience rather than from books. Independent if learning is intended or unintended – the main element of learning is interest. That interest can either be extrinsic, which happens often in formal education when students have to learn subjects because these are in the curriculum and passing the exam is paramount for finishing the education program in this case the interest is not in the topic but in the benefit of finishing the education.
Or, and more efficient, learners have an intrinsic interest in the subject and field itself. If someone gets information in a field of personal interest, it will be easier to study and the learner will remember. Experienced youth workers claim that they are mainly interested in the applicability of new information: if a challenge arises in work, they want to know how to cope with it. And this they are eager to learn! Furthermore, it was pointed out that previous experience has strong impact on learning – on expectations as well as on understanding. This should to be respected when designing any online offer: the structure of an online course must allow to start at different points and also to skip modules.
I think, in the field we are working in, you cannot learn anything without the practical experience! This expression of one youth worker points to the fact that social work needs practice and training on the job at least as much as it needs theoretical foundation. Especially regarding the professional education and training for youth workers the combination of practical skills and theory knowledge is essential. Participants in the discussions claim that most of the things they have learned came from experience rather than from books.
Experienced youth workers claim that they are mainly interested in the applicability of new information: if a challenge arises in work, they want to know how to cope with it.
All participants in the discussion rounds had experiences with online learning – but the understanding and the perception of what counts as online learning differed strongly.
Experienced online learners?
All participants in the discussion rounds had experiences with online learning – but the understanding and the perception of what counts as online learning differed strongly. Some did not subsume their usual online search for information under learning, they characterise “online learning” as planned action – quite contrary to their approach to learning in general.
As rule of thumb holds that younger participants associate more online offers with learning than older ones and they also referred to more personal experience. They mentioned tutorial videos on online platforms like Vimeo or Youtube as well as specially designed learning platforms like Moodle or Mahara. But also special interest groups on facebook were mentioned as source for discussion and therefore for learning and reflection, as were media databases of TV stations or TED-talks.
In the discussions it was argued, that video channels and facebook groups are used rather for private topics and mostly with a specific question: how to code, how to make a website, how to cook, how to repair something, how to pronounce some words in a foreign language. The reflection of the different forms of use suggests that content for professional topics is rather connected with offers like TED-talks, Wikipedia, courses or online libraries. Learning platforms were clearly connected to formal education experiences, they were mentioned by students or young people who worked with these offers already on high school level.
A special case is the search for materials for the work with young people. In these cases, the participants have already an idea on how to work with the target group and also feel to have sufficient information on the topic but search for input for the young people.
Obstacles and door-openers
Beside the focus groups also the diary exercises of individual online learners were important to pinpoint the main elements of online offers that help to stay in the course or that make you leave. The diaries where done by volunteers who described their experiences during online learning in detail; they either used single learning opportunities or attended at least the first module of a longer course to provide descriptions of their experience.
Time is mentioned as a main factor for sticking with online courses – be it for private or for professional use. On the one hand online courses allow participating from everywhere and enable the user to find their own rhythm and schedules, but on the other hand, many claim that in the end they do not find the time to finish the course and would prefer to visit a seminar offline. For example, the chore to finish a certain task in a given week is often not compatible with the work situation in exactly this week. But then again, the learners ask for timely answers and feedback from course providers if they hand in tasks or have any questions. Overall, we can see that time is a relevant part of learning structures and the expectations of learners are to get all the time they need for their tasks and prompt response to their requests.
Or, and more efficient, learners have an intrinsic interest in the subject and field itself. If someone gets information in a field of personal interest, it will be easier to study and the learner will remember. Experienced youth workers claim that they are mainly interested in the applicability of new information: if a challenge arises in work, they want to know how to cope with it. And this they are eager to learn! Furthermore, it was pointed out that previous experience has strong impact on learning – on expectations as well as on understanding. This should to be respected when designing any online offer: the structure of an online course must allow to start at different points and also to skip modules.
In online courses the missing exchange with colleagues is for many a big challenge; they claim that especially the informal get-togethers during coffee breaks or after seminars make face-to-face training courses so fruitful. This informal form of support and exchange is hard to establish with online offers. It is possible in offers of blended learning, where on place seminars and meetings as well as online elements are part of the course. In these cases students and trainers/teachers become acquainted which enables online exchange. Research during the pandemic showed also that almost everywhere the face-to-face exchange is of outmost importance and difficult to substitute – be it between students and teachers, or between young people and youth workers. In latter case the contact worked sufficiently only if already before a trust relation was established.
They claim that especially the informal get-togethers during coffee breaks or after seminars make face-to-face training courses so fruitful.
Also language is a topic, especially international offers are often in English without translations. This is considered as outdated
Elements that keep users of staying with online course offers are manifold. Most often registration procedures and passwords were mentioned. Since many users are accessing the online offers over different devices, they understand that registrations are important, but they are not happy with the way they have to choose the password or what they have to do, if they forget it. What is annoying is, if one is asked to choose username and password and then after submitting learns that the username is already taken, the password is to short, too long or has too few variations.
The offers must be accessible for all devices alike. It was mentioned, that many offers are now optimized for handheld devices but are not as convenient for laptops / desktops any longer – and especially older users are still in favour of a quiet office setting to attend a course or a webinar. Accessibility also includes presenting the content of courses in various forms to allow the different types of learners to join in. Many courses are still too strongly based on texts, while you could use other media instead, or at least have all texts also recorded. A variety of media for the same topic and the opportunity to choose the one fitting best for you could be the solution.
Also language is a topic, especially international offers are often in English without translations. This is considered as outdated. Videos should at least be provided with subtitles, and the subtitles have to be provided as text files, also audios must have a transcript. Such text files subsequently can be translated with online-translators.
Videos are the grain in any online learning experience
Talking of videos; the research brought here a broad variety of elements that are important for users. Some participants preferred animation or graphic videos whereas others want to see a recorded lecture, and tutorial videos could be only movies with music. Videos are for most a main element for information transfer. But they should follow certain standards: not be too long, easy to follow, of high quality, with more than one presenter, ideally interactive, they should be downloadable, and adjustable to the individual need by size and speed.
On the other hand, almost all participants in the research prefer videos, independent of their making or quality, to written texts. This does not imply that online courses should not use texts or books, but videos explaining the content of the texts just safe time, while the written word is seen as a kind of repository of knowledge.
Overall, the research proved that online learning opportunities for youth workers have to fulfil many needs of youth workers. Especially the usability of the content for the daily work is essential for practitioners to access courses. Videos and easy to follow audio explanations are a must and translations are needed for most of the professionals.
See here the full research report.
The conclusions of this research were taken as basis for the online learning platform developed in this project – see here the results.
by Manfred Zentner (2021)
Manfred Zentner is a youth researcher currently working at the Danube University Krems. He is mainly focussing on youth participation and on (European) Youth Policies.
Photos in order of appearance © Derek Thompson, Green Chameleon, Brett Jordan, Tim Mossholder, Nathan Cumleo, Leonardo Toshiso Okubo on Unsplash
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