E-learning activities design and individual learning styles - Case study

With this paper the authors aim to explore the importance of e-learning activities and materials' design towards attaining learning and development objectives. This work rests on the belief that activities' design must be thought according to different learning styles, and is based on a case study from a hands-on-project - "Think Industry" (TIP) focused on experiencing. TIP is running since 1995 and it has encompassed more than 7600 youngsters with ages between 13 and 17 years old and enrolled on the formal teaching system. The main objective for the TIP is to develop a positive vision of industry and of employment opportunities and technical careers in the industrial sector. TIP activities are clustered in three main categories: (1) awareness; (2) experiencing; and (3) complementary support actions. The authors will focus on one e-learning experiencing activity' design and implementation: "This is an Idea!" (TiaI!), an web based game designed with the objective of fostering entrepreneurial spirit and creative in a sustainable and global way. Pedagogy, technology use and global impact were the main drivers for the development of the e-learning game TiaI!. The game is used according to different styles of learning: (1) reading; (2) seeing; (3) hearing; (4) watching; (5) doing - experiential learning; (6) learning by teaching/selling. Some reflection for the future, based on this e-learning experiencing game are: (1) people have basic styles of learning, usually tent to prefer one. So if we provide different styles we can strive higher mastery; (2) Blending more than one approach improves retention and proficiency; (3) e-learning lacks socialization, but with this program it is a complement to one global understanding of pre-determined issue (e.g. renewable energies, fuel cell energy, new products design, global impact of technology use, development of green technologies); (4) Feedback and global contextualization are mentioned to be important issues for the development of a "new" or "renewed" conscienceless for the globe; (5) Youngsters approve the use of different means for the attainment of the same objective; (6) The design stage and the learning point are crucial to success; (7) Personal values need to be spoken and challenged in an entrepreneurial fashion to promote awareness.