learner types
TRANSCRIPT
E-LEARNER TYPES
WOLF
Once a week, lots ofactivity, then lost againuntil next week.
ELEPHANT
Short steady visitsevery day.
SQUIRREL
Completes 2 weeks in onesession then disappears forsome time.
MOUSE
Only once a week, reads andcontributes little.
MOLE
Posts are disembodied andat random.
RABBIT
Prolific message writer,always online, respondsrapidly.
STAG
Tendency to dominatediscussions at times.
MAGPIE
Steals ideas withoutacknowledging.
DOLPHIN
Intelligent, goodcommunicator,playful online.
Gilly Salmon’s E-novicesE-moderating: The Key to teaching and Learning Online, 2011,
Routledge
TheSwimmers
• Dive in early• Have relevant experience• Are usually willing to help others• May become disruptive if they think the activities are not
demanding or interactive enough• Are likely to claim they know of better systems than the
one you’ve chosen to use.
The Wavers
• Need help and encouragement to get started• Usually arrive after the main group• May need help in sifting through a mass of messages• Feel there is too little time to do everything• Do very well and become enthusiasts once they’ve logged
on, got going and are given support.
The Drowners
• Have little motivation to succeed• Complain at every opportunity that online work is irrelevant or too
time consuming• Find the relationship building and socializing online difficult,
especially if they are used to taking a leading role in face-facegroups.
• Find it very difficult to log on• Or promise to log on but do not• May be reluctant to ask for or accept
help• May perceive working online with
others to be disruptive to their learning
Lurkers: students who log on butdon’t contribute
• Uncomfortable in Public• Learning about the group• Building an online identity• Concern that postings become too permanent• Communication overload• Someone else already contributed what he/she wanted to post• Group characteristics (fall outs with other students)• Personal characteristics (e.g.. Introvert in a group of extroverts.)