WBLE Disadvantages

There is a set of disadvantages related with WBLE as compared to other learning vehicles. The disadvantages of WBLE will be divided into psychological, technical, and those related to the human-computer interaction.

a. Psychological Drawbacks of WBLE

 Feelings of isolation: All the flexibility in time and place delivered to trainees also means that they will be frequently studying alone. This situation, when kept for a long enough time, may lead some learners to feel socially isolated; the concept of “long” will depend on the characteristics of each individual. Even with the use of online discussion groups this feeling may persist for those forums that present a different social organization compared to face-to-face interactions in a small group, as in a classroom. (Berry, 2006; Chou & Liu, 2005; Cook, 2007; Fischer, Spiker, & Riedel, 2009; Piccoli et al., 2001). For the training of an SO, AOs play a key role, but a large part of their decision-making process relies on information processed by the members of the STP. Although such information can be artificially generated by the simulation, trainees may feel a lack of human interaction.

 Frustration: Positive effects of learner control can be neutralized when a student experiences frustration derived from his or her inability to efficiently operate the application or make effective instructional decisions (Berry, 2006; Chou & Liu, 2005; Hara & Kling, 2000; Piccoli et al., 2001).

 Anxiety: When the WBLE is introduced as a new learning method for students who are already used to an old approach, it will require them to navigate through a new learning environment. For those students not used to web technologies, or who have a negative attitude toward this approach, this kind of situation may lead to anxiety. The more a user is comfortable with technology, the more the anxiety will give way to excitement (Chou & Liu, 2005; Fischer et al., 2009; Piccoli et al., 2001; Sitzmann, Kraiger, Stewart, & Wisher, 2006).

 Confusion: In the beginning learners used to old forms of interaction may become confused about the adaptations (Gellman, 2005; Hara & Kling, 2000; Piccoli et al., 2001).

 Reduced interest in subject matter: Students used to learning “under pressure” may lose interest or feel a lack of motivation in a self-paced environment (Maki, Maki, Patterson, & Whittaker, 2000).

 Individual differences: Some students may overestimate their own ability and view less material than desired or skip important components of the lessons in which they are less interested (Lepper, 1985; Reeves, 1993). Individuals also vary the time required to find their best learning ways to take full advantage of learning control (Milheim & Martin, 1991).

 De-individualized instruction: Even though one of the main promises of WBLE is the enabling of a more individualized instruction, the opposite can be often found in WBLE that fails to meet the user’s individual needs. It is easy for a good teachers to adapt and accommodate to different students’ needs, but the web application must be explicitly programmed to do so, which can be a hard goal to achieve (Cook, 2007).

b. Technical Caveats

Other possible drawbacks to WBLE related to the technical aspect of the Internet are:

 Technical problems: Frequent technical problems, such as network issues, can amplify existing psychological problems of the users, increasing their frustration with the WBLE (Cook, 2007).

 Poor instructional design: A poor instructional design can be more easily noticed in a WBLE due to the absence of an instructor to clarify confusing points and procedures (Cook, 2007).

 Technology for technology’s sake: Developers impressed by the possibilities of a new technology may feel tempted to implement it in a WBLE without considering if it is really useful for the learning context (Cook, 2007).

 Security vulnerability: Making content available on the Internet always involves some risks (Byrne et al., 2010).

 Connection speed issues: Depending on the application, the connection speed of the user can influence negatively the user experience and the training (Byrne et al., 2010). This is of particular concern for interoperable systems, where one station depends on the input of another, but they may be subjected to different speeds and latency.

c. Human-Computer Interaction Limitations

One of the advantages of large training simulators with physical mock-up instrumentation is that one can train using input and output devices similar to those found in the real system. In the Submarine Multi-Mission Team Trainer (SMMTT), for example, the simulator is a room with the same layout, and in many cases the very same equipment one would find aboard the vessel (Jones, 2008). In that case, adapting a simulation to run over the Internet using only a standard user input devices would represent the loss of most of the mechanical interaction. Although these interactions may

be important for the training of select skills, some training segments can be emulated to work with the forms of interaction available for the user at home. Brodlie et al. (2000) cites how haptic devices can be replaced by the mouse on WBS just by reducing the degrees of freedom on object manipulations. To simulate the force feedback, they used a color code for the user.

The most common forms of interaction available for users at home are:

 Input devices:  Mouse  Keyboard  Webcam  Microphone  Geographical Location

 Touchscreen (available on most mobile devices as of 2014)

 Gyroscopes and inertial sensors (available on most mobile devices

as of 2014)

 Output devices:

 Computer or laptop screen

 Mobile device screen

 Loudspeakers

 Vibration feedback (available on most mobile devices as of 2014)

In WBS design, using creativity and the results of scientific studies, developers can simulate the human-machine interactions present in real systems, adapting those interactions to be performed with the devices available for the user. Those adaptations would allow the simulation to put users in contact with most of the interactions they will later experience in the actual system. However, it is important to avoid the introduction of the negative training, using a form of interaction too different from that of the real environment. In some cases, it might be better to design the WBLE to perform only PTT.

d. Health Issues

As is common for virtual environments, users may experience some cyber- sickness (Stanney, Kennedy, & Drexler, 1997). This condition can be aggravated by the fact that the virtual environment movements in a WBS do not accompany actual movement of the user’s body. Designers of WBS should employ different techniques to reduce those undesired effects and make the experience more comfortable for the learner. Other possible health issues are the ones common to normal use of the Internet, such as addiction, depression, etc., which are out of the scope of this thesis.