A New Kind of Learning

This monthly column, as you know, is devoted to the learning process in its many forms. Most of us get our learning in familiar ways: enrolling in a class, attending a seminar or safety meeting, interacting informally with others in our utilities every day. Only rarely do we encounter a new learning format, but I encountered one recently.

In last month’s newsletter I announced that NEPPA is now collaborating with Energy Management University (EMU), an online training provider based in California, to bring Web-based courses to NEPPA members. I signed myself up with EMU a few weeks ago and have been taking several courses to see what they are like. (As I mentioned last month, EMU’s courses are designed specifically for the electric utility industry.)

What I found surprised me. Not only did I gain information from the content of these courses, but I also made discoveries about the nature of electronic learning. Let me share my experiences:

First, I selected topics I knew nothing about; I was relaxed, because this kind of learning is private: no one looking over my shoulder, no expectations from anyone, no anxiety, no teacher in front of the room passing judgment on me. There was nothing to lose. I don’t know about you, but I learn better when I am not nervous. EMU provides a comfortable introduction to totally new subjects.

Second, I could take as much time as I wanted on each course. No one was rushing me or holding me back. When I bumped up against new material I could slow down and re-read it as many times as necessary. On the other hand, if parts of the subject were familiar to me I could speed up. EMU’s courses allow you to start, stop and resume working on them at your convenience.

The courses also provide you with immediate feedback. Every screen is followed by a quick quiz question on the material you just read. If you answer it correctly you move ahead; if not, you can go back to the previous screen and take your time checking for the right answer. Or if you just want to read the material and skip the questions, you can do that too.

In addition, EMU allows you to print out the material as well as read it on screen. Printing it out enables you to underline key concepts, make your own notes and keep the pages for future review. You will enjoy this option.

If there was one thing that hindered my learning online, however, it was my tendency to move through the courses too fast, and I mention this because I don’t think I’m the only one who does that. Because we are so busy, many of us have a tendency to rush, even when we’re reading. On a number of occasions I caught myself reading the screens without fully concentrating, and I would force myself to slow down and read them again. In that sense, then, online learning is teaching me something about my own learning flaws.

So far, online learning has been a very positive experience for me—and it could be for you, too. For information about how you can access the Energy Management University courses, please contact me at rblunt@neppa.org or 508-482-5906.