Train-for-life (T4L): an interactive learning platform for logistics, safety and security professionals

• Main Authors: Bashar Barmada, Nilufar Baghaei
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: SpringerOpen 2018-10-01
• Series: Smart Learning Environments
• Subjects: Lifelong learning; Interactive learning environments; Smart learning environments; Distance education; Teaching/learning methods; Work-based learning
• Online Access: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40561-018-0072-z

Abstract The ageing workforce and the changing nature of jobs make it critical for education providers to include life-long learning skills and training provisions for adult learners already in the workforce. Learning a topic online via Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) has gained a lot of popularity due to their scalability and efficiency of knowledge distribution. However, participating in these courses usually means fully committing to the course for at least a few months in some cases and the dropout rate is high. Providing engaging online education is even more challenging for industry trainees due to their lack of time and daily distractions at work. In this paper, we describe Train-For-Life, an interactive training platform for non-academic audience in transport, logistics, security and safety industry. Several design ideas are proposed to make the courses short, flexible and interactive to keep the trainees interested and engaged with the content. We evaluated the effectiveness of our approach with employees from a large company in the UK (n = 884). Results show that most of the trainees completed the courses they enrolled in, they were engaged with the content during the duration of the study, and the majority passed the course test after first attempt. In addition, the employees found the learning materials valuable and enjoyed their learning experience.