The Learner's Voice: a Focus on the e-learner Experience
Linda Creanor1, Doug Gowan2, Carol Howells2 and Kathy Trinder1 1 Glasgow Caledonian University, 2The Open Learning Partnership l.creanor@gcal.ac.uk; doug.gowan@olp.co.uk; carol.howells@olp.co.uk; k.trinder@gcal.ac.uk;
ABSTRACT
This paper outlines work in progress on a national JISC research project on the learner experience of e-learning. The project is named LEX, a contraction of the long name but also a reference to the importance of using the learner's own words in the analysis. The project covers a wide range of post-16 learners including adult, community and work-based learners as well as FE and HE learners, distributed widely across the UK. We describe the development, evolution and implementation of the research methodology, and how we tackled practical problems of reaching such a diverse learner group. We go on to outline three case studies which illustrate how learners describe their approaches to fitting learning into their lives, to accomplishing e-learning tasks, their strategies to overcome problems, and their expectations and experiences of e-learning across a range of educational contexts and technology use. The paper does not present findings or research outcomes, however tentative, since we are only at the start of the analytical phase. The case studies do however indicate some of the issues that learners have raised in the research. Keywords e-learning; learner experience; learner voice; interpretative phenomenological analysis
INTRODUCTION
Investigation shows that the majority of e-learning research studies have originated in higher education, whilst adult and community learning and work-based learning are poorly represented in the literature. Many are contextualised and teacher-focused with an emphasis on specific aspects such as virtual learning environments (e.g. Browne & Jenkins, 2003), e-assessment (e.g. Conole & Warburton, 2005), student discussion boards (e.g. Sorensen & Takle, 2002; Webb, Jones, Barker & van Shaik, 2004) and e-portfolios (e.g Clegg, Hudson & Mitchell, 2005). A few embrace a wider perspective, including reviews of individual learning approaches (e.g. Mayes, 2004) and student perceptions of online learning (e.g. Song, Singleton, Hill & Koh, 2003). However, only a small minority put the learner's voice centre stage. This is tacitly acknowledged by the DfES in its recently published e-strategy Harnessing Technology (2005) in which it is stated that, "We need to listen to people's views and ensure that technology meets their needs." The disparate nature of these studies points clearly to the need for a more integrated, cross-sector approach which will inform e-learning developments and help to ensure a real benefit for the learner.

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