Is it really the method?

Clive on Learning is a blog I read [Link to blog] and there recently found what I might describe as a paradox in his postings of June 26. First off, Clive humorously retells some "Now I've heard it all" stories gleaned from IT trainers he recently encountered. [Link to posting]. This posting brought lots of comment of ridiculous IT adventures with hapless newbies; the kinds we have all seen. (CD drives used for coffee cup holders comes to mind).

So, where's the paradox? Well, that same day brought a posting entitled "It's the method, not the medium" where the gist was that e-learning efficacy depends on the instructional approach rather than on the delivery platform. [Link to posting]

These two posts, though not intentionally connected, made me think about the technologically challenged folks described in the first who, for various reasons, enroll in our online classes. How can we possibly expect them to succeed in a technologically driven platform, no matter what the instructional pedagogy, as discussed in the second? Someone who thinks a mouse is a floor pedal with too short a cord has been set up to fail in e-learning, don't you think?

Surely, the medium, just by virtue of its inherent learning curve can be intimidating enough to have an impact on the success of an e-learner. While not insurmountable, I think this combination of Clive's blog posts serves as a reminder to us that, while it very well may be the "method and not the medium" we must be vigilant to fulfill our educational duty to make sure our learners know how to use the medium BEFORE we ask them to learn the content.