Human Performance Technology

1. In my place of work as a stay-at-home mom, problems in performance often present themselves in the form of less-than-desirable 3 year old behavior. As she is our only child, my husband and I are constantly learning as we go along when it comes to handling various situations involving our daughter and teaching her the lessons, values and manners that we expect her to learn. The most recent 'performance problem' we have faced goes back to the bedtime routine fiasco that I wrote about in my first blog posting. Our daughter had suddenly decided that she was no longer going to go to bed with ease, but instead she wanted to drag the process out for as long as she could before her dad and I reached our breaking points. She would continuously come out of her bedroom once she'd been tucked in for the night, tried to come sleep with us long before we felt it appropriate, etc. After sitting down together to discuss our options, my husband and I decided that the problem we were facing with our child was not something that was the result of poor teaching on our part so much as it was a lack of the all-powerful incentive. Our daughter simply didn't see the benefit to her if she did as we asked and stayed in her bed the entire night through. Silly us!! So...rather than sitting down and explaining in great length why she should go to bed with little fight in support of the sanity of her dear parents, we provided her with new reasons to WANT to stay in her bed to sleep. She got a new "big girl" bed and got to select her very own bedding---this was a HUGE DEAL to her. We also began the sleep chart reward sticker program where she could earn two stickers a night for making good decisions concerning our nightly expectations of her. She has since completely filled her first sticker chart and has been taken to the toy store to select her reward for making such great decisions (she chose an obnoxiously loud Disney princess "CD" player that plays music at a level I can only describe as "ear-splitting", but it was her choice, and I am proud of her recent accomplishments so I don't complain too often).


2. Of the definitions I read concerning electronic performance support systems (EPSS), I prefer the definition by Barry Raybould--a computer-based system that improves worker productivity by providing on-the-job access to integrated information, advice, and learning experiences. This definition is concise and easy to understand, whereas a definition I read by Gloria Gery required that I read it a few times over in order to better understand it. These definitions are quite similar, but I appreciate Raybould's shorter version myself.

Until reading this chapter, I had never heard of EPSS before. It sounds like a great way to provide support to both novice and veteran employees by placing training, help and references right at their fingertips. I figure that the reason EPSS is not more widely used could be because of the lack of knowledge about EPSS and its many uses. Others, like me, may not even be aware that EPSS exists. As for the future of EPSS, like the textbook states, as technology becomes more and more prevelant in the daily workings of our lives, EPSS will probably become more widely used. The implementation of EPSS has the potential to save companies money that is being spent on employee training, which will be a huge benefit to those who choose to use EPSS.


3. I spent quite a bit of time trying to think of a hypothetical problem in my line of work that could use the blended learning approach to solve the problem, and I came up with nothing. What did keep floating through my mind was my driver's education experience (my 3 year old will be 16 someday ::sob:: so this will technically become a problem in my line of work as a parent...13 years after I complete this course☺). Student drivers get classroom instruction where the rules of the road are taught--the appropriate distance between vehicles while driving, when to use high-beam headlights, road signs and their meanings, etc.--and then these students get the opportunity to practice driving on the road with driving instructors (those brave souls). Another type of instruction that would benefit the students and those they might come in contact with while driving would be a simulated driving experience where the students use a program that allows them to "drive" and react in various driving situations. Not only would this allow the students a little more practice before unleashing them on the roads, but it would help to identify any areas that might need to be revisited to master a particular skill.

4. Recently I received some informal training in preparation for our church's annual Lord's Acre auction. The person who once was in charge of tracking the sales of the auction items and making sure people paid in full before going home at the end of the evening stepped down from her post and turned the responsiblity over to the next generation. That lucky person is now your's truly. I got a quick training session in using the Excel spreadsheet that is used to assign auction paddle numbers and track the purchases of each individual. I also learned how to run credit card purchases through an online company called Vanco. Others were present for this same training session so that I was not the only guru who knew how to run the show. The training itself consisted of the instructor walking us through the process of filling in the various cells in the spreadsheet, as well as logging in to the Vanco system and completing a credit card transaction. Then I went home to practice on my own. I made a couple of $1 donations to the church on my credit card so that I could make sure I knew how to successfully complete a credit card sale. I also practiced using the spreadsheet and found a few problems with some of the formulas used in calculating the totals. I figured out how to fix this problem by myself. Yea, me! The auction night was a success with few snags. I am glad I had the training and know that next year will go even more smoothly.

Evaluating, Implemeting, and Managing Instructional Programs and Projects

1. An evaluation model that I found when searching for evaluation models is the Flashlight Triad Model which helps to give focus and to carry out technology-oriented evaluations.

This model has 5 distinct steps:

1) Overview & Confronting the Blob--In this step, brainstorming takes place to help identify all of the various elements of a lesson, course, or program.

2)From Blob to Issue--determining the purpose for the evaluation (i.e. summative or formative). In this step it is also decided who the intended audience for the evaluation is. The following questions should be answered--a) What are the three most crucial things you fear might happen as a result of using technology? b)What are the three most crucial things you hope will occur?--then one or two of the top issues from these responses should be chosen for further study.

3) From Issue to Triad--For each issue selected, create several "triads". A triad includes a possible technology to use (T), a specific activity that the technology enables (A), and expected outcomes from the activity (O). Select the triads on which you wish to focus.

4) From Triad to Data--Generate questions to gather data about the triads (these can be administered as surveys, interviews, focus groups, etc.). At least five types of questions can be created: a) technology, b)interaction of technology and activity, c) activity, d) interaction of activity and outcomes, and e) outcomes.

5) From Data to Next Steps--Based on evaluation data, decisions can be made about a lesson/program, etc. (such as necessary modifications).


Another evaluation model I found is the Discrepancy Evaluation Model. This model serves as an ongoing narrative of the project's activities related to it original goals and objectives, as well as a roadmap that evaluators can use to analyze the status of the process and summative evaluators. In discrepancy evaluation, performance is compared to the standards (i.e. what is is compared to what should be). If a difference is found between the performance and the standard, this is considered a discrepancy, and a discrepancy can be either positive (performance is better that the standard) or negative (performance is lower than the standard).

The Discrepancy Evaluation Model has four stages:

1) Pre-Design Evaluation--determines the appropriateness of the simulation to be chosen as a method of instruction for a particular lesson.

2) Design Evaluation--seeks to determine that the chosen simulation is appropriate and that the simulation has validity.

3) Input/Process Evaluation--examines the situation in which the simulation is being tried.

4) Output Evaluation--the simulation is assessed to determine which, if any objectives were not met.

It sounds to me like it is possible to use both of these evaluation models with the same lesson. The Flashlight Triad Model seems to lend itself to evaluating the planning aspect of a lesson, whereas the Discrepancy Model might work well during the instruction process. With the Triad Model, I would brainstorm an idea for a lesson (such as using a wiki for group work and peer revision). My fears for this type of activity (step 2) might be having the students use the editing features of a wiki to alter classmates' assignments in non-productive ways, the wiki idea might be too far fetched for my students to truly appreciate (beyond their skill level), or technical difficulties might impede the lesson and activity. The crucial elements I hope would take place might be the students' increased feelings of ownership towards a lesson, increased success in peer-tutoring opportunities, enough success to warrant another activity completed in a similar manner. An example of a triad for this lesson (step 3) might look like this: Technology (T)= electronic communication tools, email, and discussion boards; Activity (A)= student critique of each other's course assignments; Outcome (O)= increased course satisfaction and student collaboration. Some questions I might ask regarding the triad I create for this activity could be (step 4): How will the students use the wiki to aid in the completion of this assignment? What is the overall goal of using a wiki for this type of assignment? How will this technology better benefit my students in successfully completing this assignment? Finally, I will be able to make any necessary modifications and/or revisions (step 5) to this lesson or another like it before using it with students again.

Using the Discrepancy Model, I would decide that using a wiki for students to complete group work and peer revisions is an appropriate way to complete this task (step 1) and has validity(step 2). Then I would observe and assist my students as they proceeded to complete the assignment requirements through use of the wiki (step 3). Finally, I would assess the entire experience in order to determine if all the objectives of the task were met (step 4).



2. The most recent innovation that has been introduced to our home is Direct TV with DVR capabilities. Prior to Direct TV we were using Dish Network with little complaint (in 2.5 years time we have had 3 different boxes for the television because the boxes kept corrupting themselves and erasing the shows we had set to record, but other than that we were content), but when the World Series came around we decided to make the change to Direct TV because of the problems that were going on between Dish Network and FOX (wouldn't you know that an agreement was reached between the two companies on THE DAY we had Direct TV installed...figures). So...here we are with the new cable provider and we're locked in for the next two years, but I digress...
The relative advantage of Direct TV over Dish Network is unobservable. Both allow the user to record live television for later viewing; however, with Direct TV we can record up to 4 shows simultaneously (this is possible with Dish Network also, and we only have this feature with Direct TV because of their failure to better explain the various packages they had to offer). Direct TV is compatible to our needs because it allows us to record multiple shows. The complexity of this new cable server is greater than that of Dish Network, but this could be largely because it is new to us. Maybe with time we will find our way around the new system and our opinions of its complexity will change. Unfortunately we were not given a trial period for Direct TV or we might have decided to stay with Dish Network (not only because an agreement had been reached but also because we like the ease of use with Dish Network). Observable benefits of Direct TV...I like that it provides a folder where numerous episodes of the same show can be found (Dish Network used to do this, too...I don't know why they stopped). Overall, I am not satisfied with Direct TV. It's functions and capabilities seem much more limited than that of Dish Network. It's possible these features that I am missing in our new cable provider are actually available and I just haven't found them yet, but if that's the case then I'm not pleased. It shouldn't be this hard. I can't wait until our 2 year contract expires so that we can go running back to Dish Network.



3. In Phase 1 of my professional development technology sessions, I would be large and in charge. I could use this opportunity to give a detailed description of what the learners should expect during the course of the training--objectives and goals, steps to be taken to reach completion of the training and an understanding of the technology being taught, etc. The learners would get the opportunity to begin working with the new technology to gain a better understanding of its capabilities while I would provide direction, guidance, and technical support.
In Phase 2 the learners will be gaining ground and feeling more confident in their new found skills (I am one happy teacher!). At this point I can provide encouragement and begin helping others to focus on aspects of their own classroom where the technology being learned might be helpful in teaching their own students.
In Phase 3 the learners are moving right along in their learning. As the instructor, I will be able to focus on what the learners are creating and get excited with them. Their projects are looking great and they are excited about taking their new skills back to the classroom.
In Phase 4 I am observing more than leading. The learners are humming along in their work, quite pleased with their accomplishments, as am I. Mission accomplished on all fronts.

Theories and Models of Learning and Instruction

1. My husband and I had been having trouble with keeping our daughter in her own bed throughout the night. She is the queen of stalling and our bedtime routine had become something that we dreaded instead of something we enjoyed, and I wasn't getting adequate sleep at night because my sweet child would come to my side of the bed at all times of the night wanting to sleep with me. Something had to change.

According to B.F. Skinner, learning can be understood, explained, and predicted based on observable events. Antecedents are cues that signal the appropriateness of a behavior, while the consequences of a behavior help to determine whether the behavior is repeated again. These consequences can be both good (a smile from a teacher for a good action) or bad (a good action going unnoticed by the teacher).

So...to try and improve our nighttime routine with our daughter some changes were made. First, we converted her toddler bed into a full-sized bed and let her select her new bedding all by herself at Target. She'd been complaining that her bed wasn't comfortable so this nixed that problem because we used the mattress from the guest room for her new bed and she LOVES the mattress from the guest room! This gave her one less reason to come out of her room to tell us something once she'd been put to bed for the night. The tactic we tried to help encourage our child not to come out of her room at bedtime or in the middle of the night was a sticker chart that I made for her. I hung it on the back of her bedroom door so that she would have to see it before deciding to come out of her room (an antecedent). We told her she had the opportunity to earn two stickers a night--one for staying in her room once she'd been put to bed (unless she needed to go to the bathroom) and one for not coming to sleep with us before 5:00 am. The stickers are the consequence (a good consequence). Some nights she earns both of her stickers, other nights she only earns one, but she has always earned at least one sticker per night since we started this new plan. When she fills up her sticker chart she knows we will be taking her to the store to select a reward. I'd say that by our observations we have achieved success. YEA!

With this same goal in mind, I think it would be possible to use the Constructivist approach to help our daughter to become successful at staying in her room at night instead of stalling the inevitable by repeatedly coming out of her room, etc. While I don't think that the goal I have selected to write about for this assignment is necessarily a complex problem in need of solving, Constructivism encourages learning by engaging learners in authentic activities related to the discipline they are learning, providing collaboration, supporting learners in setting goals and regulating their learning, and encouraging learners to reflect on what and how they are learning. While this type of approach might be a bit difficult with a three year old, I do think it's possible. With regard to the afore mentioned problem/goal and in keeping with the Constructivist approach, my husband and I could sit down with our daughter and talk with her about the problem we've been having with our nighttime battle. We could help her with creating some goals for herself to help in finding a solution to the problem. Having already implemented the sticker chart idea and introduction of the new bed, we could encourage her to talk about how the new changes are working--what does she see that could be done better, where has she been successful, etc.

2.To apply the First Principles to my goal of getting my child to sleep in her bed through the night, I would do the following: 1) The Problem: I would ask my daughter to verbalize what the problem is that we've been having at night. I hope that she will respond with her inability to stay in her room after she has been put to bed or to sleep straight through the night without trying to sleep with Mom and Dad before the morning. 2) Activation: I would ask my child to recall our bedtime routine. 3) Demonstration: I would ask my child to give me some examples of valid reasons for getting out of bed (to go to the bathroom, feeling ill, etc.) and examples of reasons not to get out of bed (to see if Mom/Dad are still awake, watching T.V., etc.). Role play might also be a good way to demonstrate the behavior and lesson I want her to learn. She can be the mommy and I can be the child. 4) Application: The next morning, I would talk with my daughter about the previous night's events and have her point out her successes and/or areas in need of improvement. 5) Integration: My child can successfully sleep the whole night through without reminders or other incentives.

3. Teaching students to make and count back change without the use of a calculator or cash register is a valuable lesson to be taught. It is terrible to go to the store and watch a cashier struggle to make the correct change when handed coinage after the amount tendered has already been entered into the cash register. You can watch a flash of panic cross their face. Students begin learning about money at a young age, and this knowledge is built upon from year to year (scaffolding). First, students learn about the names and denominations of the coins and bills. This is followed by learning about the relationship between the coins and bills (i.e. 10 pennies = 1 dime, 4 quarters = $1, etc.). Once this task is mastered, the students will practice making combinations of money values (i.e. $3.27 = 3 $1 + 1 quarter + 2 pennies OR 3 $1 + 5 nickels + 2 pennies). At this point it is possible to begin teaching students how to make and count back change.

To teach this same concept using the mathemagenic method, the students will practice making and counting back change in various situations. For example, students will make change from payment made with only a paper bill (total = $6.57...cash tendered = $10...change = $3.43). The students will also make change from payment made with a paper bill and exact coinage (total = $6.57...cash tendered = $10.57...change = $4.00). Additionally, students will make change from payment made with a paper bill and some coinage (total = $6.57...cash tendered = $10.07...change = $3.50).

4. I am designing a course to show students how to use Animoto to create book trailers for other students to view as a means of determining whether or not to check out a book.
Attention:
Perceptual Arousal: Begin the presentation by showing an Animoto video to capture the attention of the learners
Inquiry Arousal: How could we use something like the clip that was just shown in a purposeful way in our school library?
Variability: Show a how-to PowerPoint presentation that highlights the steps that necessary in order to complete a similar video. Allow the students to work in groups to begin working on an Animoto video in order to become more familiar with the program. Introduce the students to Creative Commons in Flickr for finding photos for Animoto videos.

Relevance:
Goal Orientation: Ask the students to think about a time when they were trying to check out a book in the library. What factors influence the books they select? Have they ever selected a book and then were disappointed with the selection because the book was not as good as they had hoped?
Motive Matching: The students will be able to select the book they will be using for their Animoto project, as well as select the photos they will use for the project.
Familiarity: Ask the students to think about the previews we see prior to the featured movie at the theatre. What is the purpose of those previews? They should keep this concept in mind when creating their own book trailers (book previews).

Confidence:
Learning Requirements: Throughout the creation process, I will continuously provide support and encouragement to the students.
Success Opportunities: By creating these book preview videos for their peers, they will be able to see how their input and opinions matter and benefit others.
Personal Control: The students will clearly know their success is based upon their efforts and abilities because they will be the sole creators of their own videos. The students will also provide assistance to fellow classmates when problems arise, thus furthering their feelings of success and competence.

Satisfaction:
Intrinsic Reinforcement: Students will be able to create and submit an Animoto book preview any time they feel the desire to add to the growing supply of book reviews available for student use. Knowing that their videos might help another student to want to read a particular book is great encouragement.
Extrinsic Rewards: Extrinsic rewards will come in the form of fellow students commenting and praising the videos as they are viewed. Also, an end-of-year award show would be a great way to provide extrinsic rewards. Hosting an Emmy-type award show with awards for 'Best Fiction', 'Best Nonfiction', 'Best Chapter Book', etc. would not only be enjoyable but it would also serve to promote the videos that were created and hopefully increase the viewing numbers.
Equity: I could assist the students in anchoring a positive feeling about their accomplishments by promoting their videos on the library bulletin board. Each week I could select one or two videos and their creators to highlight to boost interest in the books, the videos, and the creators themselves.

5. Engaging in design research helps us to become better teachers and instructors. Knowing about the different motivational theories and design theories helps keep teachers current in the ways to promote success in the classroom. Design research provides another means for teachers to update and modify lessons to accommodate students and keep the lessons new and exciting.

Defining the Field

1. There are so many different ways to define instructional technology/instructional design, and each is unique to the environment in which it is used and implemented. As a stay-at-home mother, I find that instructional design and technology facilitates learning through analyzing learning and performance issues and incorporating the use of various technology tools to address those issues. Short and simple. In my "workplace", my daughter uses technology daily to learn her letters, sounds, etc. She has a "compooter" in the car (her Leap Frog) that teaches letter sounds, letter recognition, and how to write the letters of the alphabet. Her "compooter" also lets her practice following directions and tracing and identifying shapes. She has also shown a great interest in reading, so I feel certain she will be getting one of those reading games that allows her to read a story with a stylus that pronounces the words as she points to them.

2.

It took me forever to figure out how to get this image into my blog, but I finally got it! I don't know if it's readable, but I'm proud of myself nonetheless. :)

The Dick, Carey, and Carey model adheres to the six characteristics of instructional design: 1) The model is learner centered because the needs of the learner are assessed to identify the goals for the instruction and the learner is continuously analyzed throughout the learning process to make sure proper instruction is taking place and to allow for revisions as needed. 2) The model is goal oriented because the goals are identified early on in the process, performance objectives are written to aid in the successful completion of the goals, and revisions are made as needed to stay on track as well. 3) The model focuses of meaningful performance by assessing the needs of the learner and then developing the appropriate strategies and selecting the necessary materials and assessments to support meaningful learning. 4) The model assumes outcomes can be measured in a reliable and valid way and supports this by allowing for the design and implementation of a formative evaluation of instruction and a summative evaluation. 5) The model is empirical, iterative, and self-correcting, which is evident by showing that revisions to instruction throughout the process are possible at all times. 6) The model is typically a team effort--this instructional design model supports teamwork and allows for the inclusion of many.

I don't know that this type of instructional design plays into my "workplace" at home with my three year old, but I did employ this type of design in my third grade classroom for some assignments. Throughout the year I had my students work in groups to complete various team projects. Each group was expected to write out the goals for their project, assign roles for each group member to perform to aid in the completion of the project, and decide on the best method to use for project completion. Very often my students would find it necessary to make changes to their plan when they ran into a snag. I would explain that this is fine and even encouraged because it helps them to understand that things don't always go as planned and we should be flexible to change.

3. Technology use in the classroom can be a wonderful thing if you know how to use it effectively. I can remember going to the computer lab when I was in elementary school and playing Math Blaster to work on my addition and subtraction skills. My second grade teacher liked to show film strips to highlight something she was teaching in class. I can also recall taking a computer class in high school that taught keyboarding and other basic computer skills. In today's classrooms technology can be used for all that and more: to research and present information, communicate with teachers and classmates, conduct lessons, and take virtual field trips to distant places.

In K-12 education, students and teachers can use blogs as a means for submitting assignments and discussing those assignments. Blogs could also be used by the teacher to keep students and parents up to date on the latest happenings in the classroom and informed of upcoming class and school events. Wikis could be used in much the same fashion. A wiki could provide students a place to turn in assignments and discuss with the teacher and fellow students a current classroom topic. Classroom discussions could carry over into time spent beyond the school walls.

In the higher education arena, I have had the opportunity to participate in online discussions with classmates and professors using web cameras and microphones. I have utilized blogs and wikis in the same manner as discussed above. More and more colleges and high schools are offering online courses to accommodate students when distance and other factors come into play. For higher education and adult education (continuing education) purposes, YouTube and other online video providers can offer numerous ways to post information. These students could use YouTube to post videos of themselves making presentations for class or watch an assigned video to highlight a topic being discussed.

It's amazing (and sometimes a bit overwhelming) to think about all the ways that technology can play a part in the everyday learning of our students and ourselves. Just think of all that will be available to us in the next decade. It blows my mind to try and imagine what school might be like when my child enters high school and college. As a teacher, this is equally exciting because technology provides yet another way to reach out to students and make learning fun and engaging. I just hope I can keep up. :)