Section 4: Human Performance Technology

      Even with the best instructional design model, there may still be performance issues. This is a situation when one could implement a human performance improvement solution. With the new STAAR test in Texas, schools are under a great deal of pressure to practice testing for this test through benchmarks and curriculum based assessments. While all the children in the class usually have the same instructional design (lesson), there are some students who experience performance problems on those practice tests. The human performance model that this author finds useful is the HPT model from the International Society for Performance Problems (Reiser and Dempsey, 2007).[1]  This model is a flow chart moving from performance analysis, to cause analysis, and intervention selection and design. The students who are having problems with performance could be pulled aside for acceleration (intervention) using the HPT performance model to help them improve.

Starting with performance analysis, the educator and student need to select a goal to try and achieve as a result of the acceleration. Then, there needs to be an assessment of where the gap in knowledge is of the material. Once the performance is analyzed, and gaps are targeted, the educator moves to the cause analysis. The cause analysis will reveal the reasons for the gaps. These reasons will vary depending on individual students. Some students will have a lack of reward, feedback, lack of environmental support, or lack of individual capacity, etc. Intervention, selection, and design are then implemented during the acceleration to fill in the gaps. Again, each student may have a different intervention solution. These include: coaching, training, culture change, work design (how they are going the work), etc. After selecting the intervention and implementation, an evaluation needs to occur if it was successful. This evaluation can be seen in the student’s performance on the next practice test or teacher made assessment. If there are still gaps, then the educator will start over again with a performance analysis, cause analysis, and intervention selection and design (Reiser and Dempsey, 2007). Keeping this information in mind, one could conclude that the HPT model is useful for intervention plans for students who score low on standardized tests (performance problems).

This author feels that many educators engage in some type of performance improvement plan, even if it is different from the HPT model. In this author’s school, teachers analyze the data and determine what is needed for intervention. However, what is great about the HPT model is that is tries to find the causes for the gaps, and often finding the causes is neglected in traditional intervention. Many just try to reteach and reteach again until the student gets it, without analyzing why they did not get the information in the first place.

           

In addition to the more traditional performance improvement, electronic performance support systems (EPSS) are coming into the business and educational sector as computer training becomes more popular. EPSS allows users to have access to “information, advice, learning experiences, tools to help someone perform a task with minimal support from others” (Reiser and Dempsey, 2007). In other words, EPSS is a system that utilizes technology to train workers to perform better at their jobs. It reminds this author of an online tutorial to help someone perform a certain task on the computer. According to Deborah Alpert Sleight of Michigan State University (1993), EPSS is about performance, finding information, and presenting the information in different forms (video, audio, etc).[2] The definition this author prefers is from George R. Maughen in “Electronic Performance Support Systems and Technological Literacy” from the Journal of Technology Studies.[3]  His definition states that EPSS can “provide alterative learning opportunities to supplement traditional classroom or training strategies.” Thus, this definition is about bringing EPSS to use in the classroom setting. It is software that students can use to help them perform a task or improve in their learning. According to Maughen, it is like an electronic coach. This preference for the definition comes from the perspective of an educator. As technology is integrated more into the curriculum, EPSS will become more popular in the classroom setting to help students.

This author has seen some versions of EPSS in the classroom through reading programs such as Istation (ISIP), which analyzes student performance in real time and attempt to bring them up in reading level so that they are at least grade level equivalent. EPSS, according to Reiser and Dempsey (2007) is not widely used today because of the lack of awareness, the upfront costs, difficult to predict the returns, and maintain of the status quo. This author feels that all the reasons in combination account for the lack of usage of EPSS. For instance, in education, many educators like the status quo and are reluctant to changes in using technology in the classroom. If a district or educational institution has a hard time predicting the benefits of EPSS, they might have a difficult time justifying the initial upfront costs of the programs. Lack of knowledge on the benefits of EPSS is also a valid reason as to why it is not widely used in today’s society. However, this author feels there will be a shift in the near future, particularly in the field of education with more emphasis on implementing EPSS in the classroom. As in the example listed, ISIP is a reading software program. The program basically trains students to read on level while collecting data for the teachers. Also, EPSS could be implemented into a computer application class, to help students navigate different computer applications.  As this author has seen in her school, tutoring students with performance gaps could be held in a computer lab, where students have headsets on and are using ISIP to help with their reading. Using the technology to improve performance instead of drill and practice all the time at a desk is a benefit to the students. For one thing, they love using technology and it keeps their attention longer. Plus, it benefits the teacher by provided data for analysis. 

Knowledge management enables users to receive and share information in real time (Reiser and Dempsey, 2007). As a teacher in today’s society, we use data constantly. With each state test, district test, and EPSS usage, data is collected and analyzed to see where students are having gaps. If the data is thorough, then educators can make informed decisions on the needs of their students. Thus, knowledge management can be used in this situation to enable teachers to have access, codification, and collaborate with peers over what the students need (Reiser and Dempsey, 2007).  The use of blended learning can be used to apply to the classroom setting. Basically, the knowledge management system would be used for the benefits of helping teachers plug in the gaps in the students’ human performance. Blended learning brings into account both online and classroom training. It combines the formal and the informal (Reiser and Dempsey, 2007). As mentioned earlier, the programs such as ISIP provide knowledge management when students use the program. Students have access to the information and the program collects data (codification). The results of the students are sent to the teacher who can collaborate and implement best practices to ensure students are receiving what they need to fill in the gaps. The ISIP program provides suggested lessons for teachers to use during intervention. However, students are not just going to improve on reading through the online programs and teachers need more data than the program provides. There needs to be a blending of the formal and informal. Informal learning could range from listening to the students read in the classroom or free time, peer reading, online discussions over a reading, etc.

The same concept goes to teachers when accessing data on the computer through district databases. The database provides easy access to the data, which is organized in a user friendly way. As a result of having easy access to the data, educators to discuss the data in team meetings. However, as stated, teachers need not to rely on just formal data alone, they need to account for the informal data collected. As more knowledge management systems become available there needs to be an emphasis on the blended learning. By enabling teachers to communicate and students to participate in the program a knowledge management system is useful. Below is a model of a knowledge management scenario (2008).[4]

To have blended learning, informal learning must be utilized. Informal learning takes place outside a formal classroom or online training. It is through individuals informally interacting with each other (Reiser and Dempsey, 2007). Most of the informal learning this author has experienced as an adult is through discussions with peers, message boards, and on the job training. As an educator, discussions with peers over teaching strategies, discipline problems, and lesson ideas are common. Educators want to improve upon their craft and that improvement could be learned from others. Most of the discussions take place at lunch during social interactions. For the Master’s program, this author has had to engage in message boards to interact with peers over certain topics. Often one can learn different ideas from their peers. Everyone brings in his or her own opinions and experiences into the discussion. The experience of the message boards was informative and less stressful than some formal classroom setting; it was a casual environment. Even though the participation in the message boards was a course requirement, it was engaging, social, and informative. As a participant in the message boards, the perspectives of what the others brought to the table were valuable learning opportunities. The instructor was also a participant in the message boards when clarification was needed or to make comments (usually words of encouragement) over the discussions. It would not be surprising that in the future, classroom discussion will be held on social networks, students having their phones out in the classroom texting to each other, and podcasts.

---

[1] Reiser, R. A., & Dempsey, J. V. (2007). Trends and issues in instructional design and technology. (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.

[2] Sleight, D. A. (1993). What is electronic performance support and what isn't.

[3] Maughen, G. R. (n.d.). Electronic performance support systems and technological literacy. Journal of Technology Studies.

[4] "Knowledge Mangement." Stylusinc. Stylusinc, 2008. Web. 15 Feb 2012. <http://www.stylusinc.com/Common/Scenarios/km.php>.