Section 4: Human Performance Technology

Section 4: Human Performance Technology

1. Chapter 14 discusses the concept of the evolution of human performance improvement. Several sections of Chapter 14 present a variety of non instructional solutions to performance problems. Identify a performance problem in your area of work and provide a non instructional solution to solve the problem.

Human Performance Improvement (HPI)…"achieve, through people, increasingly successful accomplishments that are valued by all organizational stakeholders: those who perform their managers and customers, their peers and colleagues, shareholders, regulatory agencies, and ultimately society itself."
(Reiser & Dempsey, 135)

The performance problem that I am addressing has to do with colleagues who perform inefficiently and ineffectively at the workplace. Workplace problems are occurring more frequently lately. Most of the problems are disciplined-based, performance-based, and low morale based. Some examples include: forgetting to do paperwork, blatantly refusing the assigned task given by the administrator, speaking inappropriately about anyone in the workplace or public, and disappearing or leaving the workplace without informing anyone for an unreasonable amount of time are just a few of the problems that need to be addressed in the workplace. Unfortunately, the problem is due to poor leadership management by the administration.

Poor leadership lacks the qualities needed by a successful “manager” so to speak, in our case the principal. Qualities such as providing clear expectations, timely and specific feedback, access to required information, adequate resources, properly aligned policies, efficient procedures, appropriate incentives and consequences, targeted training, comprehensive selection systems, communication of values, knowledge sharing, and varied management support activities are just a few examples of leadership resources needed to run a successful school. Poor leadership will result in problems in the workplace by individuals doing substandard job performances, and deficiencies in job duties and objectives.

So, what is the solution to this problem? How do I expect to solve the issue when the problem is management and leadership?

Gilbert’s Behavior Engineering model (Figure 14.1, 140) and the HPT model of the International Society for Performance Improvement (Figure 14.2, 141), and the volume Improving Performance: How to Manage the White Space on the Organizational Chart (Rummler & Brache, 1995) all wrapped up in a pretty bow to give to the principal would be a start. Unfortunately, it may be an insult coming from an employee, so this might not be the best idea. I think having a meeting to discuss the problems in the workplace with research based resources on hand, such as the ones mentioned earlier, can be disguised as helpful tools to improve personnel problems. Being a media specialist, research is second nature so helping in that department may be a plus for me and everyone else on our campus.

2. Chapter 15 presents several definitions of electronic performance support systems. In addition to these definitions, locate a few more and indicate your preference explaining why you prefer it. Additionally, describe why you believe EPSS have not been widely used and if they are more likely be or become more prevalent in the future.

Electronic Performance Support Systems, EPSS, can help an organization to reduce the cost of training staff while increasing productivity and performance. It can empower employees to perform tasks with a minimum amount of external intervention or training. By using this type of system an employee, especially a new employee, will not only be able to complete his or her work more quickly and accurately, but as a secondary benefit the employee will also learn more about the job and the employer's business. (Wikipedia)

Definitions

In Electronic Performance Support Systems, published in 1991, Gloria Gery defined EPSS as: an integrated electronic environment that is available to and easily accessible by each employee and is structured to provide immediate, individualized on-line access to the full range of information, software, guidance, advice and assistance, data, images, tools, and assessment and monitoring systems to permit job performance with minimal support and intervention by others.

Also in 1991, Barry Raybould gave a shorter definition: a computer-based system that improves worker productivity by providing on-the-job access to integrated information, advice, and learning experiences.

From a business perspective, a former Nortel Networks executive, William Bezanson (2002) provides a definition linked to application usability and organizational results: A performance support system provides just-in-time, just enough training, information, tools, and help for users of a product or work environment, to enable optimum performance by those users when and where needed, thereby also enhancing the performance of the overall business.

According to the textbook, the EPSS system hasn’t been widely accepted because of “lack of awareness, a fear of upfront cost and time required for EPSS development and implementation, commitment to the status quo, resistance to change, and redefining jobs which employees find threatening” (Reiser & Dempsey, 152).

I prefer having an EPSS system especially with today’s emerging technology trends. I think these systems will be more accepted by managers to address performance problems, employees will become more comfortable using this system because technology in the workplace is so common now. They will not feel threated at all with the system and instead look to it as an added resource to save time at work to learn new skills. Workers will expect more electronic performance support to help mange time in the workplace.

3. Knowledge management is the way we manage information, share that information, and use it. Organizations, such as schools, are full of information/data and we must organize that data in a way that we can make sense of it. We use data to make decisions and good data=good decision making. Identify a real or hypothetical problem in your line of work. How might a blended learning approach, including the use of knowledge management system, be used to solve the problem?

A real problem in my district would be researching to problem solve or gain accurate information for students and teachers. For some reason, we seem to be behind the times when it comes to using valid sources and resources for projects in education. I continually fight the Google search engine and others because the school databases are too complicated or hard to get to because of user IDs and passwords. Instant gratification is what everyone wants and I can completely understand time management.

So daily I will guide educators and students to use the databases we provide and try to find information for them to save time. I also have trouble getting patrons to use the online catalog to locate books, movies, or other materials. I am completely obsessed with trying to help everyone but sometimes the time constraints leave me at a loss of my “to do list”. This leads to frustration on both parties.

How can I use the knowledge management system to solve my problem? Well, this is something I have been working on for the past three years. I have been working on my media specialist website which when finished will have as many research tools that I have encountered in my classes for masters in library science. I believe with the knowledge management in action, our school will enable to improve teacher/student performance through easier, more direct access to reliable information and expertise from the media specialist. Training teachers and students doesn’t always mean that they will listen or remember what was learned during that meeting or class after instruction. With these tools easlily accessible, patrons will have reliable information at their fingertips and quickly at that. “By immersing people in knowledge culture…they learn to be better knowledge seekers and better researchers…develop a critical thinking skill: the ability to identify, access, evaluate, and effectively use information.” (Reiser & Dempsey, 163)

4. Describe the types of informal learning you have been exposed to in your adult life. What was the purpose? What was the experience like? Was it engaging? Social? What role did you play? What role did the instructor play?

I have had much informal learning during my adult life. Going into education in college, I was just into my education courses when I was offered my first teaching job. I had enough English credit hours to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree. I had exactly twelve college hours of education when I was offered a teaching job in my hometown. The teacher’s military husband had been transfereed and I was at the right place at the right time. I didn’t student teach, but learned through co-workers how to do everything on my own. Between lesson plans, grades, and paperwork, my colleagues were a life saving device for me at the time when I was teaching all day and going to classes at night. It was very difficult and time consuming. It also had unfortunately a negative impact on my marriage because I was so busy and didn’t have time for anything other than my career and college work. Online classes weren’t really an option for me going to college in the 80s. I drove an hour to get to my classes two nights a week from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. My instructor’s would lecture the whole class period. We would have one break and sometimes we could work on our homework or otherwise we did it on our own time.

Fast forward a few years and I go from teaching middle school students to teaching high school seniors. A former coach of mine had a coaching position open and she asked me to apply. I decided since I was newly divorced, I had plenty of free time on my hands and I loved sports so it seemed like the right move. Again, much of my time learning was informal. I was thrown into a teaching field that was unfamiliar (Government & Economics), to teaching seniors (bigger middle school students), and coaching freshmen girls in volleyball, basketball, and track. I learned from my colleagues again, my students, and my athletes informally. These were some of the best years of my life. A tragic accident of one of my athletes led me to quit coaching and I had a child at this point because I had remarried. I decided coahcing took too much of my time and I wanted to spent every minute I could with my child because I wasn’t going to miss anything in his life.

The last three years I have embarked on a new adventure. Our district librarian left abruptly, and I was offered the position and with that the commitment to attain a masters degree. Again, I was introduced to informal learning experiences. Working with a certified librarian through our region, I was able to learn all the “ropes” about running the library while learning the majority of information through my online college classes. I did learn from my mentor many daily, tedious tasks to run the media center and how to manage my aides wisely. I was truly blessed to have a wonderful person as she was to help a “rookie” like me turn into a professional media specialist.

But, that being said, I have learned so much from my online classes. The knowledge that I have attained so far has been the most rewarding. All of my classes and learning experiences have been so useful in my activities within the media centers I manage. I have not taken a single class that has not motivated, given me useful tools and resources that can only make me to do a better job with my career. I think the professors are so knowledgeable and technologically masterful, that I can only gain more knowledge and experiences through technology with them to guide me.

My experiences have been truly amazing; having both ups and downs. I truly love going to work daily. I can’t seem to get enough and helping everyone satisfies me in a way I don’t even understand. I hope to always have some informal learning experiences because that seems to be how I learn best.

Section 3: Evaluating, Implementing, and Managing Instructional Programs and Projects

1.Chapter 10 discusses evaluation in instructional design and provides you with two evaluation models, the CIPP and Kirkpatrick models for evaluation. Search for at least two

other models used for evaluation and summarize these models. Describe how you would use them to evaluate the instruction.

Formative Evaluation Example:

Dick & Carey:  Clinical evaluation (One-to-one evaluation/ One-on-one evaluation)

The clinical evaluation, also known as a one-to-one or one-on-one evaluation, is when the designer works with individual learners to obtain data to revise the materials in question. During one-to-one evaluation, one learner at a time reviews the instructional design with the evaluator and provides comments about it. The purpose is to identify crass problems in the instruction, such as typographical errors, unclear sentences, poor or missing directions, and so forth.

With the clinical evaluation both the instructional designer and the learner are involved in the one-to-one evaluation. The designer should emphasize that the material is being evaluated and NOT the learner. Learners selected should represent a variety of abilities.

Example:  Being the media specialist, this type of evaluation would be used to evaluate the media center facilities, technologies, and circulation materials on a one by one basis from patrons who frequently use the facility.

Summative Evaluation Example:

Smith & Ragan: Determine goals of evaluation

According to Smith and Ragan, determining goals of evaluation is the first step in a goal-based summative evaluation. The most important part of this stage is determining questions that should be answered as a result of the evaluation. The client organization (librarian or media specialist) and funding agencies (school board/superintendent) and other stakeholders (teachers, students, maybe parents) should identify the questions. 

These questions will guide the remainder of the summative evaluation. Questions might include:

Does implementation of the instruction solve the problem identified in the needs assessment?

Do the learners achieve the goals of the instruction?

What are the costs of the instruction? What is the "return on investment" of the instruction?

Both the client and evaluator should agree on the questions before moving on to subsequent steps of summative evaluation.

Example:  The media center director would select various individuals to help come up with the questions to be used in the formative evaluation for the media center.  One or two individuals from the media center, school board, principal, or maybe a couple of students as well to help select the questions that will benefit all at the secondary campus.  One might be done for the elementary campus as well being that some media specialists are for the whole district.

2.  Think about a technological innovation within your social system that was recently   introduced (social system=place of work, home, etc.).  Any innovation have what is known as perceived attributes-relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trial ability, and observe ability.  Describe these attributes of the innovation and which of the attributes assisted and/or hindered adoption of the innovation.  For example, was it not compatible with the existing beliefs of the system or was it overly complex to use or understand?

Technological Innovation:

With the latest technological innovations of 2010, our district recently purchased a location-based social networking system for schools called My Big Campus or MBC.   Most of our students are familiar with Facebook, which at this point currently has approximately more than 400 million members across the world, as well as the micro-blogging site, Twitter. But for those looking toward the future, location based networking sites like Foursquare, Brightkite, Loopt and Gowalla seem to be what's ahead. Indeed, the social networking giants mentioned above are rushing to integrate this kind of technology into their service, which connects users with friends based on their location, allowing for meet-ups and a little friendly competition.

My Big Campus

With My Big Campus students are more engaged with faculty and lessons assigned to them in a format they are very familiar with because all of them have or are parts of some social networking system.  Not only does this system provide differentiated learning for our students, but also it does prepare them for responsible use of the latest and up to date Web 2.0 or 3.0 tools available today.  

Here our staff and students access many learning resources and Web 2.0 tools from other educators while at the same time keeping everyone safe, securing the school network, and ensuring your schools are in compliance with the law.  Some of the collaboration tools used are closed messaging, blogging, group discussions, online assignments, and merging calendars for the district.  

Integrated with Lightspeed Systems’ content filter for easy management, school-designated users can add resources to the Lightspeed-hosted site that will be allowed to bypass the filter. Resources can include online You-Tube videos, blog, wiki websites, and uploaded documents.  It can be called intelligent filtering because of the way it can filter yet safely provide access so some of the most innovative Web 2.0 technologies and online content within a controlled, monitored, and secured environment.

Relative/Compatibility Advantage:

Network integration

Users login with their normal network credentials—there’s no account creation required

Controlled access policies are set locally within the filter along with every other policy

Complexity:

Library safeguards

CIPA compliance enforced at submission so pornography and security issues are always blocked.

Users police library with “flags”

Documents scanned for viruses

User activity reported

Observe Ability:

Collaboration safeguards

Profanity intercepted from display

Access controlled by local policy

User activity monitored and reported

Users police collaboration with “flags”

3.  Chapter’s 12 & 13 focus on project management and how to manage projects when resources are scarce. You have been assigned to develop a series of professional development sessions focusing on technology use in the classroom for teachers. How will you use Situational Leadership to facilitate this project?

Situational Leadership:  The four leadership styles of SLII are:

SLII essentially combines four different leadership styles into a practical and methodical order, for the benefit of individuals who are managers that lead and manage staff. It teaches leaders to diagnose the needs of an individual or a team, and then use the appropriate leadership style to respond appropriately.

Web 2.0 Professional Development for NISD District

In order to implement the training for all teachers in the district, roles would need to be identified.  I, as the media specialist would be the project manager that ensures the staff will be trained properly.  I would follow the Situational Leadership Model to train the staff on the technological projects. 

1. Directing style – directive, detailed, and supervisory without being overbearing or appearing to be too demanding

2. Coaching style – you can move from a more directive role to one where you explain and clarify decisions and reward improvements in direction and knowledge

3. Supporting style – changes to focusing on the results and making sure your team is rewarded for effort and production

4. Delegating style – the last stage involves less of your involvement as a director and more as a monitor

Project Manager Characteristics:

Communication:  Effective, concrete instructions, enthusiasm, motivation, and acceptance in communication among all individuals is an essential skill.

Personality/Behavior:  Being a good listener, being a team builder, providing feedback, having a sense of humor, showing mutual respect, knowing how to delegate, being a good decision-maker, challenging the team to do well, and being flexible.

Skills:  creating schedules, define objectives, develop a budget, and conduct formative evaluations.

Morale:  should be open to questions, provide clear feedback, show appreciation, allow team members space, create traditions, keep a sense of humor, get together outside of work, create a variety of tasks, provide them with challenges, and encourage them to take care of themselves.

Section 2: Theories and Models of Learning and Instruction

Theories and Models of Learning and Instruction

*Identify a specific learning goal and how you would  

incorporate two learning theories highlighted in Chapter 4 

to achieve this goal.

Cognitive (problem solving/synthesis level)

Schema Theory (knowledge is represented in long-term memory as packets of information) 

"Given two cartoon characters of the student's choice, the student will be able to list five major personality traits of each of the two characters, combine these traits (either by melding traits together, multiplying together complimentary traits, or negating opposing traits) into a composite character, and develop a short (no more than 20 frames) storyboard for a cartoon that illustrates three to five of the major personality traits of the composite character."

*Find a reference that describes Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction.  Then create a table or chart that compares and contrasts those events with the first principles described in Chapter 7 and describe how you would apply each of the first principles to the goal you’ve developed from the first activity in this reflection.

Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction Reference Website Source:

http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/learning/id/nine_step_id.html

Compare/Contrast Chart

Explanations
1.Gain attention. Present a problem or a new situation. Use an "interest device" that grabs the learner's attention. This can be thought of as a teaser -- the short segment shown in a TV show right before the opening credits that is designed to keep you watching and listening). The ideal is to grab the learners' attention so that they will watch and listen, while you present the learning point. You can use such devices as:

◦ Storytelling

◦ Demonstrations

◦ Presenting a problem to be solved

◦ Doing something the wrong way (the instruction would then show how to do it the right
    way)

◦ Why it is important

2.Inform learner of Objective. This allows the learner's to organize their thoughts and
around what they are about to see, hear, and/or do. There is a saying in the training filed to 1) tell them what you're going to tell them, 2) tell them, and 3) tell them what you told them. This cues them and then provides a review, which has proven to be effective. e.g. describe the goal of a lesson, state what the learners will be able to accomplish and how they will be able to use the knowledge.

3.Stimulate recall of prior knowledge.  This allows the learners to build on their previous knowledge or skills. Although we are capable of having our "creative" minutes, it is much easier to build on what we already know. e.g. remind the learners of prior knowledge
relevant to the current lesson, provide the learners with a framework that helps learning and remembering.

4.Present the material. Chunk the information to avoid memory overload. Blend the information to aid in information recall. This is directly related to Skinner's "sequenced learning events." This allows learners to receive feedback on individualized tasks, thereby correcting isolated problems rather than having little idea of where the root of the learning challenge lies. Bloom's Taxonomy and Learning Strategies can be used to help sequence the lesson by helping you chunk them into levels of difficulty.

5.Provide guidance for learning.  These are not the presentation of content, but are
instructions on how to learn. This is normally simpler and easier than the subject matter or content. It uses a different channel or media to avoid mixing it with the subject matter. The rate of learning increases because learners are less likely to lose time or become frustrated by basing performance on incorrect facts or poorly understood concepts.

6.Elicit performance. Practice by letting the learner do something with the newly acquired behavior, skills, or knowledge.

7.Provide feedback. Show correctness of the learner's response, analyze learner's behavior. This can be a test, quiz, or verbal comments. The feedback needs to be specific, not, "you are doing a good job" Tell them "why" they are doing a good job or provide specific
guidance.

8.Assess performance. Test to determine if the lesson has been learned. Can also give general progress information

9.Enhance retention and transfer. Informs the learner about similar problem situations, provide additional practice, put the learner in a transfer situation, and review the lesson.

Merrill’s First Principles

The demonstration principle:

Learning is promoted when learners observe a demonstration. Provide students with clear and complete instructions that show learners the task or the problem they will be able to do or solve.

The application principle:

Learning is promoted when learners apply the new knowledge. Make sure that students are engaged at problem or task level not just operation or action level. Requires that learners use their knew knowledge in a problem-solving task.

The activation principle:

Learning is promoted when learners activate prior knowledge or experience. Students should have relevant previous experience promotes learning by allowing them to build upon what they already know and giving the instructor information on how to best direct learners.

The integration principle:

Learning is promoted when learners integrate their new knowledge into their everyday
world.  Effective instruction occurs when learners are given the opportunity to demonstrate, adapt, modify and transform new knowledge to suit the needs of new contexts and situations.  Being able to reflect through discussions with

peers and the teacher, enables long term learning.

The task-centered principle:

Learning is promoted when learners engage in a task-centered instructional strategy.

A task is a problem or situation that may be encountered in a real-world situation. Learning objectives of the types of problems learners will be able to solve at the end of the learning process may also substitute for a problem.

*Whole-Task, Scaffolding, and Mathemagenic Methods

Whole-task Approach-focus is on the overall goal to be attained throughout the entire
process.  The task is learned as a whole rather than a set of individual sub-skills.

Scaffolding-teacher helps the student master a task or concept that the student is initially unable to grasp independently.  Teacher allows student to complete as much of the task as possible and only helps with those skills that are beyond the student’s capabilities.

Mathemagenic-that learning tasks must differ from each other on all dimensions that also differ in the real world, such as the conditions under which the tasks are performed, the way they are presented, the saliency of their defining characteristics, and their familiarity.

*Table 9.2  ARCS Model Categories and Subcategories

•Attention:

Gaining and keeping the learner's attention. Keller's strategies for attention include sensory stimuli (as discussed previously), inquiry arousal (thought provoking questions), and variability (variance in exercises and use of media).

•Relevance:

The training program should answer the critical question, "What's in it for me?" Benefits should be clearly stated.

•Confidence:

 The confidence aspect of the ARCS model is required so that students feel that they should put a good faith effort into the program. If they think they are incapable of achieving the objectives or that it will take too much time or effort, their motivation will decrease. In technology-based training programs, students should be given estimates of the time required to complete lessons or a measure of their progress through the program.

•Satisfaction:

Learners must obtain some type of satisfaction or reward from the learning experience. This can be in the form of entertainment or a sense of achievement. Other forms of external rewards would include praise from a supervisor, a raise, or a promotion. Ultimately, though, the best way for learners to achieve satisfaction is for them to find their new skills immediately useful and beneficial on their job.

*Benefits of Engaging in Design Research

It is important to use instructional design models and educational research in order to illustrate a dramatic growth of attention to increases and decreases to motivational factors in learning and performance of students.  Research has shown that it is possible to use these models to show that it is possible to build valid, systematic approaches to understanding and influencing learner motivation, which leads to an enhanced learning environment and an increase in human performance in education as well as the workforce.

Section 1: Defining the field

Defining Instructional Design and Technology according to the work environment:
Instructional design and technology is a complicated study and ethical practice of facilitating and analyzing the design, development, implementation, evaluation and management of instructional and non instructional processes and resources intended to improve learning and performance in a variety of settings in the classroom environment.

Model of Instructional Design:

1. Instructional Design is Learner Centered

Identify the learners and their performances when selecting all teaching and learning activities. Self-
centered and group study, technology based instruction, and teacher based strategies are just some
examples of techniques used in a leaner environment. Identify learners’ present skills, preferences and
attitude as well as the characteristics of the instructional setting; the useful information about the target
population includes entry behaviors, prior knowledge of the topic area, attitudes toward content and
potential delivery systems, academic motivation, attitudes toward the organization.

2. Instructional Design is Goal Oriented and Stated Objectives
Goals should be well-defined, and reflect clear student expectations. If goals are met, the well-
intended projects should run smoothly during implementation. It is important to identify what it is the
learners are expected to be able to do at the end of the instruction.

3. Instructional Design and Meaningful Performance while establishing the Learning Environment 
Instructional design shows the learning environment will focus on learners who solve meaningful and
complex problems. The learning environment should reflect the objectives in which students will
acquire the knowledge or skill intended by the lesson.

4. Instructional Design and Identifying Teaching and Learning Strategies
Instructional design model should state the developed strategies in pre-instructional activities
(motivation, objectives and entry behavior), presentation of information (instructional sequence,
information, examples), learner’s participation (practice and feedback), testing (pretest and posttest)
and follow-through activities(remediation, enrichment, memorization and transfer).

5. Instructional Design and Selection of Technologies
Instructional design and the selection of appropriate technologies for the instructional lesson can
consist of social networking sites, wikis, blogs, YouTube, or any other Web 2.0 tools that include
educational instructions for the lesson to be taught to students.

6. Instructional Design and Summative Evaluations
Instructional design and summative evaluations are used to measure the value and success of the
lesson. The teacher will use the data from the formative evaluation to examine the validity of the
instructional analysis, learner and context analysis, performance objectives, assessment instruments,
instructional strategies, and instruction. The data collected can be used to measure the success of the
lesson to determine how to improve the instruction or lesson for next time.

The Future of Technology in the field of Education:
The need for improvement in education is presently a major issue. With all of the technology driven curriculum out there, is it no wonder that we cannot seem to get ahead of some other countries? What seems to be something so simple is indeed very complicated. School boards and administrators have to alleviate fears that teachers will lose their jobs to technology. In order to improve educational technology, educators, politicians, parents, and concerned citizens must understand how schools can use computers more effectively to improve education and to benefit students and teachers. Next, commercial companies must create suitable software in order for it not to be a waste of time and money by not being utilized.

Web 2.0 tools, social networking sites, My Big Campus, wikis, blogs, and podcasts are changing the way students are learning in today's world. These tools may be utilized on every level of education, but mainly the distance learning based classes or online classes. These tools can be so useful to students and also allow them to work at their own pace. Any of these softwares would work in the areas of K-12 Education, Higher Education, and Adult Education.

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