ETEC 561: Human Performance Technology

Human Performance Technology

1.      Chapter 14 discusses the concept and evaluation 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 identify non-instructional solutions that my help solve the problem.

      We document and evaluate student’s daily behavior. Is the student progressing, digressing? Is there no observable change from day-to-day?  A job aid which might be useful could be a chart of what was the activity for the day, did the activity reveal any change in behavior, better than before, worse than before, or no change. As information accumulates, trends might reveal strengths and weaknesses in abilities. Scrutinizing the written words describing performance results is time-consuming and can lead to misinterpretation if skimmed versus actually read.

     

      On another view:      

What is the reality today? Severe staff reductions as budgets shrink translated to increased workloads for those who remained. Those who remained address new tasks as they occur. Did they know how to perform them, when to perform them, or where to get help to perform them? No. The knowledge walked out the door with the staff reductions. Few employees spend time documenting what they do or how they do it unless it supports a performance appraisal. This is what I do most of the 10 hours’ work days, instead of 8.

2.     Chapter 15 presents performance support systems. Define performance support systems and explain how a performance support system might (or might not) help solve the problem you identified above.

      A performance support system is an electronic method to record data in useful formats. For example, single observations of progress, or no change, or digress could be entered and be converting to chart form that readily show trends. This tool could be valuable if designed to show daily results, weekly results, monthly results, quarterly, annual results.

On another view:

Many large organizations have built knowledge bases online to explain common questions on policies and processes. The problem with these knowledge data bases is they can be so generic in nature they talk around an issue, but not to what I exactly want to learn. These knowledge bases do not fill gaps in specific deficiencies which often track back to a training shortfall. In the end, is the employee resourceful and persistent enough work through uncertainty?  Uncertainty is the key word due to non-human interactions for learning.  When I am not familiar, at times as to where to go find information to solve the specific problem that I am facing, when no one else knows to direct me.

3.     Chapter 16 explains knowledge management: the way we manage information, share that information, and use it to solve organizational problems. Organizations, such as schools, accumulate a great deal information/data, which must be organized in a way that we can make sense of it in order to use it for making decisions. What knowledge would help solve the problem you identified above and how would that knowledge need to be collected and managed to help facilitate problem solving?

      Behavior was acceptable during activities, my students prefer. Behavior becomes unacceptable during activities such as math and science for 1 of my students and during writing for another one of my students.  The behavior is predictable based on these activities?

Records of when behavior was acceptable, unacceptable, predictable, and the activities at the time each type behavior occurred, could become a tool to structure a program that caters to the student plagued with the tag of needing to be placed in a behavioral unit.

     

      On another view:       

Customer services reps who quote the scripts in front of them that do not quite match the question I am asking, becomes bothersome. I either compromise with the situation and let the programmed answer, or almost answer my specific question, or, I ask to speak to a supervisor, who might comprehend my question and be able to read between the lines of the script and really answer my question. This points out the shortcoming of even the most detailed set of processes, whether they come from a written out instruction or an on-line database. We have not eliminated human intervention.

4.     Chapter 17 describes types of informal learning. What informal learning experiences have you participated in at your organization? Could those informal learning experiences be shared with others? Could the knowledge gained in those settings be codified and managed? And should it be managed or should the informal experiences be replicated or broadened for others?

     

      Informal learning is often sharing of lessons learned. This works well for administrative processes. We often meet to emphasize details necessary to include in student assessments. Also several of us may have contact with the same troubled student. We compare observations. Our behavior unit students do not classify easily and there are no recipes that work for all. Unfortunately, different teachers applying the same approach do not get the same result. What worked yesterday, may not work today. The puzzle of working with these students is their positive response to one teacher and completely negative response to another teacher. Replication is no predictor of success. 

On another view:

Motivation drives informal learning. Never underestimate the will to succeed, and to be more than just acceptable as factors in developing individual competence. It may not be my job, but can I add paper to a copy machine or clear a blockage if a sheet becomes stuck?  Am I willing to try? Do I look to see if the machine is plugged in or walk away when it does not work? Do I turn my device off and back on or immediately call for help when my computer acts crazy? Do I check for the Ethernet cable being plugged in at the wall or call the help desk because the internet is down? Can I send a fax or attach a document in an email?  Do I pursued the knowledge about my broken machine, whether I considered it or not, my motivation can carry me to a productive conclusion? So much of informal learning is simply wanting to understand how to be more certain the next time and persisting in pursuing the knowledge that gets me there.