Developing a Conceptual Framework and Strategies Overcoming Intrinsic Inhibitors to e-Learning

The co-researchers teach ethics to qualified nurses. Both use blended learning approaches and both universities have adopted Blackboard technology. Since 1999, whenever possible, they have linked classes together to discuss ethics cases using e-learning to facilitate the contextual understanding of these qualified nurses working in very different healthcare systems. We originally observed greater resistance to e-learning in the U. K. students and felt it was important to explore this phenomenon further. We were also concerned to ensure that the e-learning element deepened student learning because we identified a risk that the vastness of web-based information available could make student understanding of healthcare ethics inappropriately shallow. The majority of the barriers identified in contemporary literature focus more on extrinsic aspects, such as access to computers and the internet or prior computer experience, internet accessibility, readability of materials and effective facilitation of discussions and few explore person-specific characteristics such as gender, culture or personality type. This paper explains how we have researched student engagement with e-learning from the perspective of intrinsic factors such as personality type and learning style and mapped these against Maslow's hierarchy of needs and Bloom's learning taxonomy. Based on our findings, we have developed strategies which have proved effective in practice. Through further engagement and reflection, we have developed a combined Maslow-Bloom model which now underpins the design of our courses, content delivery and assessment. This paper presents our model and explains how it underpins the educator strategies helping to overcome intrinsic barriers to e-learning by targeted use of intrinsic motivators. The conceptual framework and detailed strategies based on the personality types and learning styles of students can be adopted by other educators in the design and delivery of their e-learning courses.