Section 6: Getting an IDT Position and Succeeding at It

Chapter 24 takes a look at lessons learned from the chapter's author for obtaining a position in instructional design. Take a look at a few of the sources provided for job openings from lesson 1 and search for at least 3 positions that are of interest to you. Describe the general nature of the positions and list the skills required for the job. Do you have these skills? 

Instructional Design Positions

Instructional Designer (Mount Saint Mary College)

http://www.jobtarget.com/c/job.cfm?vnet=0&site%5Fid=136&jb=7424661

Job Description: Mount Saint Mary College invites applications for a part-time Instructional Designer position to develop blended online courses in collaboration with our faculty and other members of our instructional design team.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Collaborate with subject matter experts and other members of the instructional design team to design, develop, evaluate, and refine blended online courses
• Participate in required training and meetings in order to follow and refine established instructional design procedures and frameworks for course development as appropriate to project goals, timeline, and budget
• Ensure the application of appropriate guidelines to blended online courses in areas such as assisting technologies, accessibility issues, and copyright laws

Requirements:

• Masters degree in instructional design, instructional technology, curriculum and instruction, or other relevant discipline areas
• Experience with the development of online courses in higher education settings
• Application level understanding of instructional design theories and models, online pedagogy, and adult learning theories
• Demonstrated proficiency with Web conferencing systems (e.g., Skype, WebEx) and Web/multimedia development tools (e.g., Dreamweaver, Flash, Photoshop, Captivate)
• Experience with and working knowledge of learning management systems, such as Moodle, Sakai, Blackboard, and Desire2Learn.
• Demonstrated ability to regularly collaborate with others in a team environment, and work independently on assigned duties with minimal supervision
• Excellent organization and project management skills and the ability to meet project deadlines
• Outstanding verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills

My Skills:

I am interested in this job because it focuses on instructional design in the field of education.  The idea of working with a team of instructional designers and faculty to develop and maintain blended online courses sounds like a worthwhile challenge.  I do have all the skills necessary however I have no experience in developing online courses or the software (Dreamweaver, etc.) to create such courses.  I would need more experience if I were to be considered for this position.

Instructional Designer (Educational Policy Improvement Center)

http://www.jobtarget.com/c/job.cfm?vnet=0&keywords=instructional%20design&max=25&kfields=pos&site%5Fid=2637&jb=7388416

Job Description:  EPIC is seeking a highly skilled individual to serve as a key member of a team that is designing curriculum and assessments related to college-readiness. Initially, this individual will be involved in creating a break-through program of curriculum, instruction, assessment, and support services spanning grades 6–12. This innovative program is designed to enable more students to be prepared to succeed in Advanced Placement^® courses while in high school and to be fully ready to succeed in a broad range of postsecondary institutions.

Requirements:

• Master’s degree required, doctorate preferred.
• At least five years’ progressively greater experience in organizations engaged in educational improvement, research, or product development activities, state education departments, testing or publishing companies, or school districts.
• Willingness to work out of EPIC’s Eugene, Oregon office initially (possibility for part-time or full-time assignment to EPIC’s Portland, Oregon office in cases where this is desired, but only after a period of full-time employment in the Eugene office).
• Submit professional or academic writing sample upon request.
• Be willing to travel as required up to approximately 20% of the time.
• Report directly to the CEO of EPIC.

My Skills:

Helping middle and high school students by creating a program that helps them be successful in Advanced Placement courses and college is a job that is very appealing.  I teach high school Math to juniors and seniors.  I also teach a college math class and am aware of the college readiness curriculum.  I am qualified and   am presently working on a doctorate.  I lack some of the necessary experience requirements however, I have been on the team at my school that has turned our campus from unacceptable to recognized.

Instructional Technology Designer (Center for Writing and Rhetoric, Univ of Mississippi)

http://www.jobtarget.com/c/job.cfm?vnet=0&keywords=instructional%20design&max=25&kfields=pos&site%5Fid=2637&jb=7437828

Job Description:

The Center for Writing and Rhetoric at the University of Mississippi invites applications for an Instructional Technology Designer. This person will provide direct support to composition teachers and their students in connection with multi-modal assignments.  The responsibilities of this permanent, full-time position include developing on-line courses and converting print-based instructional materials to be used in web-based courses.  Other responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Train faculty and staff in the use of on-line course delivery methods and interactive classrooms,
• Code necessary HTML and World Wide Web documents for conversion purposes,
• Stay abreast of current instructional technology by attending conferences,
• Hire, train, and schedule facilitators to assist faculty, staff, and students in interactive classrooms,
• Act as liaison between faculty and students enrolled in courses,
• Design and coordinate the publication of fliers, brochures, reports, newsletters, and related materials. 

Requirements:

A Bachelor's Degree from an accredited four-year college or university in a related field as well as two (2) years of experience related to the above described duties are required. 

My Skills:

Being a Math teacher, I would not particularly want or like to work writing online curriculum and transferring existing materials online as well.  I love the idea of working with faculty and students and helping them be successful however being mathematically minded this would not be a job for me.  I do have a master’s degree, but I doubt being an Math teacher is their idea of adequate experience for this job.  I also know very little in the way of html and web code. 

Remember that the field of instructional/educational technology is not just focused on education, but on business and industry as well. Look at the resources provided on page 258 in chapter 25 and select one of these links and complete the self assessment. What did you learn about yourself from the assessment? 

I took a skills assessment and scored higher than average in most areas.  It made me feel good and that I am very qualified for many positions. Some of these skills I realized about myself but underestimated.  That is great news for me!!

Chapter 26 lists several websites for professional organizations and websites for professional publications. Visit 2-3 websites for professional organizations and 2-3 websites for the professional publications and address the following:

• Professional organizations:
• Mission
• Cost of membership
• Publications
• Conferences and meetings
• Opportunities for professional development

Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education

http://site.aace.org/

Mission:

The Society for Information Technology and Teacher Education is an international association of individual teacher educators, and affiliated organizations of teacher educators in all disciplines, who are interested in the creation and dissemination of knowledge about the use of information technology in teacher education and faculty/staff development.
The Society seeks to promote research, scholarship, collaboration, exchange, and support among its membership, and to actively foster the development of new national organizations where a need emerges. SITE is the only organization that has as its sole focus the integration of instructional technologies into teacher education programs.

Cost of Membership:

Professional Membership:  $115 (US); $130 (non-US)

Student Membership:  $35 (US); $50 (non-US)

Publications:

Journal of Technology and Teacher Education (JTATE)

Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education (CITE)

Conferences and Meetings:

SITE 2011 - Nashville, TN -
March 7 - 11, 2011

Opportunities for Professional Development:

Special Interest Groups (SIGs)

SITE members participate in Special Interest Groups (SIGs). These SIGs are organized under three councils: Information Technology, Teacher Education and Consultative.

My Analysis:

As a math teacher and future administrator, it is extremely important for me to understand how to incorporate technology into teacher education.  Part of my job as a leader on campus will be to help others understand how technology can help them be successful in class.  I had not heard of this organization before now.

Association for Educational Communications and Technology

http://www.aect.org

Mission Statement:

The mission of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology is to provide international leadership by promoting scholarship and best practices in the creation, use, and management of technologies for effective teaching and learning in a wide range of settings.

Cost of Membership:

New Regular Membership:  125.00

New Student Membership:  75.00

Publications:

Educational Technology Research and Development

A bi-monthly publication of the Association for Educational Communications & Technology

TechTrends - Linking Research and Practice to Improve Learning

Instructional Science
An International Journal of the Learning Sciences

Learning and Instructional Technologies for the 21st Century

Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning

Educational Technology: A Definition with Commentary

Distance Education: Definition and Glossary of Terms

Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching and Technology

Quarterly Review of Distance Education

Conferences and Meetings:

2011 AECT International Convention
'Celebrate 3.0: Design.Learn.Community'

November 8-12, 2011

Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront

Jacksonville, Florida

Opportunities for Professional Development:

Membership includes the opportunity to attend a Summer Leadership Institute.

There are also divisions of AECT that focus on more specific aspects of the field. Members communicate through blogs and nings.

     Design and Development

     Graduate Student Assembly

     International

     Multimedia Production

     Research and Theory

     School Media and Technology

     Systemic Change

     Teacher Education

     Training and Performance

My Analysis:

AECT is very useful for me as I become an administrator.  Part of being an administrator is incorporating new technologies into the curriculum.  This organization offers several publications and other resources to help me accomplish this.  I had never heard of AECT before this assignment.

• Professional publications:
• Focus/Goals of the journal
• Submission guidelines
• Is this a peer reviewed journal?
• Is the journal online? 

American Education Research Journal

http://www.aera.net/publications/?id=315

Focus/Goals:

The American Education Research Journal publishes original empirical and theoretical studies and analyses in education that constitute significant contributions to the understanding and/or improvement of educational processes and outcomes. The Social and Institutional Analysis section focuses on significant political, cultural, social, economic, and organizational issues in education, and the Teaching, Learning, and Human Development section explores the processes and outcomes of teaching, learning, and human development at all educational levels and in both formal and informal settings. Both sections publish research representing a wide range of academic disciplines and using a wide range of research methods.

Submission Guidelines:

Specifications for ManuscriptsThe preferred style guide for all AERA journals is the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th ed., 2001. The only exception is the Social and Institutional Analysis section of the American Educational Research Journal. Contributors to that section may, if they wish, use The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed., 2003. If a manuscript that is accepted for that section does not use author-date citation, the author will need to reformat it for publication in author-date style, following either the APA or Chicago manual.
Manuscripts should be typed on 8 1/2 x 11-inch white paper, upper and lower case, double spaced in entirety, with 1-inch margins on all sides. The type size should be at least 10 pitch (CPI) or 12 point. Subheads should be at reasonable intervals to break the monotony of lengthy text. Words to be set in italics (contrary to the rules of the style manual) should be set in italics, not underlined; sentence structure should be used to create emphasis. Abbreviations and acronyms should be spelled out at first mention unless they are found as entries in their abbreviated form in the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed., 2003 (e.g., IQ needs no explanation).
Pages should be numbered consecutively, beginning with the page after the title page. Mathematical symbols and Greek letters should be clearly marked to indicate italics, boldface, superscript, and subscript.
Requirements for Computer Disks
A 3.5-inch computer disk should be sent to the editor once an article has been accepted. (The disk may accompany the manuscript for book reviews.) The computer file must contain all revisions and must agree with the final version of the manuscript. We prefer a file in Microsoft Word for Windows, but can convert from RTF and WordPerfect. Tables and figures should be included on disk and hard copy.
It would be most helpful if you would use the following practices in typing your manuscript on disk:

• Continue to follow the APA Manual to differentiate among subhead levels; the managing editor will convert these to the proper codes.
• Type only one space after a period or other punctuation.
• Begin each paragraph with a tab, not the space bar.
• In text, use hard returns only at the ends of paragraphs, heads, and subheads. Do not use hard returns in block quotations.
• Despite the instructions in the APA Manual, do not use indents or margin changes in the References. Just type straight copy and use one hard return at the end of each entry.
• Type footnotes in as normal text at the end of the text section of the manuscript rather than as part of the footnote or endnote feature of a computer program.

Peer Reviewed?  Yes

Is the journal online? Yes,  http://aer.sagepub.com/

My Analysis:

This journal is helpful as an educator on many levels.  It covers topics concerning education and I was aware of this journal.  I have used articles from this particular journal in my masters  and doctoral courses.

eLearn Magazine

http://www.elearnmag.org/index.cfm

Focus/Goals:

eLearn Magazine is where e-learning professionals turn to produce more innovative and effective online education and training. We strive to be the leading source of high-quality information on technology for corporate training and higher education.

Submission Guidelines:

Contact Lisa Gualtieri or Jill Duffy with a clear and well developed idea for an article (about 3 paragraphs is all we need), or submit an article as a Word document attached to an email using the format guidelines below.

Editorial Process
All contributed articles will be edited according to eLearn's editorial process, explained below.

      Once a submission has been accepted, the authors will be asked to submit a draft (unless already completed) of the article by a deadline.

      Upon delivery, the article will be reviewed by eLearn Magazine's editors and editorial board.

      Next, the author may be asked to revise the article, based on the board's comments. A new deadline will be determined.

     When the author delivers the revised article, or if the author's first draft is accepted, the editors will review it, edit it, and assign a tentative date of publication.

     All authors are required to sign a standard copyright release form, which the editor will provide. Details of the form are available prior to submission upon request.

Format
Please submit your article as a Word document or RTF (see the Submission Guidelines below for complete instructions).

Your article should include:

      At least one suggested headline or title for the article, subject to change.

      Authors' full names and affiliations.

      Body of the article, with NO images.

      A 3- to 4-sentence author biography with an email address and links to your web site and blog, if applicable. If you would prefer your email address not be made public, please indicate that.

      Sidebars, if applicable, such as a list of links to resources or additional reading.

Peer Reviewed?  No, this is a magazine, not a scholarly journal

Is the journal online?  eLearn is only online!

My Analysis:

The fact that this is free makes it very useful for me in education.  The articles focus on everything related to integrating technology into the classroom.  Through a quick search, I found information on podcasting, webinars, virtual role-playing, and many more topics.  I had never heard of eLearn before now, but now that I know I will be visiting the site quiet often.



Chapter 27 looks at competencies for instructional design and technology professionals. If you were responsible for identifying the domains, competencies, and performance statements for a performance technologist, what would they include and why? 



Performance Competencies  

In the textbooks, there are several competencies for performance technologists.  I think that the 2004 ISPI/ASTD PT competencies to be the one that covered the competencies more thouroughly. As the textbook mentioned  I would use these competencies and divide them into four domains.

Domain I:  Outcomes—a performance technologist must concern himself with the outcomes and adapt/change them accordingly in order to best serve his clients. 

• Competency 1: Focus on results and help clients focus on results.—it is only by focusing on results that any change can be made.

 Domain II:  Systemic Processes—all aspects of performance must be taken into consideration.  A systemic approach includes:

• Competency 2:  competing pressures, resource constraints, and anticipated changes—all nonconstants in the workplace.
• Competencies 5-10:  assessment of need, analysis of work and workplace, design of the solution, development of the solution and its elements, implementation of the solution, and evaluation of the process.

Domain III: Value—all work of the performance technologist should be meaningful and relevant to ensure the success of the clients.

• Competency 3:  Add value in how you do the work and through the work itself—this focuses not only on how the work is done but also the ethical conduct the performance technologist displays in his/her actions and decisions.

Domain IV:  Partnership—working with the client and other professionals is essential to increasing performance; a performance technologists cannot work alone and expect to be successful; there are too many different aspects to the workplace environment that he may unaware.

• Competency 4:  Use partnerships or collaborate with clients and other experts as required. 

Section 5: Trends and Issues in Various Settings

Chapter 18 discusses instructional design in business and industry. Give an example of rapid prototyping and discuss how this could be used in education.

The video 2009 Year in Review: Hottest prototype technology above sheds light on understanding the dynamics of rapid prototyping.

     Although prototyping often directly relates to the corporate world, its application and utilization within the educational realm is endless. Our book references the rapid prototyping methodologies and how they have been adapted instructional design.  An great example of utilizing various prototypes in a classroom would be storyboarding and the ability to have the project right in front of the student to allow for use of this project as a working model. Also the use of Cad or Solid Works is a powerful technology tool for the classroom.

     I see the concept of rapid prototyping in relation to maps in the history classes and graphic organizers for all subject areas.  Students will be able to alter and modify the project to the desired outcome and never feel as though they are starting over and over. 

     Cad 3-D drawing is a great way for students to be able to have a prototype and then later on see the product.  I taught a Robotics class and the students used Solid Works to develop their prototype.  They took the drawings and built the robot to specifications.  The learning process that goes on in a classroom using this kind of technology is priceless.

     I stumbled across this article  and the idea of using rapid prototyping in instructional design made a lot more sense to me.   http://jcflowers1.iweb.bsu.edu/rlo/pubs/rpinte.pdf

Chapter 19 discusses instructional design opportunities in military education and training environments. I had the opportunity to work two summers in Orlando on a faculty fellowship in the advanced distributed learning lab (ADL) discussed in the book and saw first hand some of the constraints placed on some of the tools that could be used for learning. Pretend you are hired as a consultant for the military. They want to use technology in its training, but electronic access is not always available. Using the Full Spectrum diagram, what alternatives could you suggest for a successful program?

    

     According to the text "Instructional designers are accustomed to examining the skill and knowledge levels of his target audience to determine how to design the instruction and what level of language to use."  When training with technology this would be a way to determine mastery.  The text also says, "The knowledge of learning theories and instructional strategies that will be needed can be employed in virtually any manner:  instructor-led or instructor-facilitated classroom, informal self-study, formal online learning courses with synchronous and/or asynchronous options, or a blend of any or all of these."  This idea leads the trainer to always be prepared for the unexpected and be able to deal with it effectively.

     The three areas of Rank/Capability, Skill Level and Environment will be addressed although they have common characteristics as far as learning.  The issue at hand is the absence of reliable electronic access and how as a trainer to work around this issue. 

     Rank/Capability concentrates on the maturity level of the learner.  As a trainer I will use a hands on format for training and group discussion. The students will be expected to to study at their own rate.  I will prepare copies of instructional powerpoints and also have CD/CD-ROM formats of the training materials available as an option.  Students that are more capable or higher in rank will serve as mentors for struggling students.

     Skill Level concentrated on situations that are unique to a particular culture, an example being an Hispanic new to the environment.  All materials will need to be presented from the Beginner level all the way to the Expert level.  Evaluations of skills and determining learning styles and reading levels will determine the various groups according to the learner’s ability. Having groups with different learning levels and presenting in small units will expedite the learning process.

     Hands on training format would apply to the different Environments of Classroom, Garrison/Base, or Deployed.  Having hands on experience, mentors for students, discussion groups and written text can  be delivered in any these environments.  Real world applications make the learning more meaningful.  As I get older I have learned by relating learning to real life students learn at a much better rate and I am sure the military knows this as well.

Chapter 21 looks at radical educational change in P-12 settings. I visited the Chugach School District in Alaska and know Richard DeLorenzo very well. I can assure you that this change can occur in our schools. Review the Step-Up-To-Excellence methodology and the GSTE. Outline a staff development activity that will introduce both methodologies to your colleagues. 

Staff Development for Systematic Change

• First I would begin by describing the various differences between piecemeal and systemic change.
• Then we would watch the following video:

They would then brainstorm some changes that would improve student performance in our district.
The changes that were identified would be discussed as to whether they were piecemeal or systemic.
We would identify the changes that would like to see become required systemic change.
We are a recognized district, so it would be emphasized how the GSTE and SUTE systems are for successful performing schools that want to get to the next step.  That step would be our district becoming an Exemplary rating from the state.

We would go over the highlights of the GSTE and SUTE systems
There would be a discussion of the similar step-by-step processes and how they both emphasize the importance of teams and collaboration.

We would focus on the figures, charts, and data that could help explain the process.

We would divide up into teams and look over the data that would include detailed information of each campus.  Also there would be information from high performing district using this process of change that can be reviewed.

Bringing teams back together they would share their findings and what they would like implemented in our district to facilitate this process of change.
At the end of the meeting there will be a survey for all participants to gather feedback from the stakeholders.  This information would then be shared with the superintendent as well as the school board.

 

   

Navigating through the ranks of a faculty member in higher education can be tricky. A good institution has support for its faculty and provides faculty development opportunities to grow and learn. Research three different university offices for faculty development. Answer the following questions for each office:

What are the different names used for faculty development?

What division is it under?

What services does it offer?

How often are programs given and what specifically are they?

Purdue University:  Faculty Development is under the Office of the Provost and they refer to it as Faculty Development. The various services they offer are:

• Department Head Leadership Program:
• Center for Instructional Excellence:
• American Council on Education (ACE) Fellows:
• Provost Fellows:
• Teaching Academy:
• Susan Bulkeley Butler Center for Leadership Excellence:

According to the university website every 2 to 4 times a month progams are given.  Various programs are available including new faculty training, encouraging feedback to improve teaching, grant writing, and also ways to increase discussion in the classroom.  http://www.purdue.edu/provost/shtml/faculty/development.html  

University of Minnesota:  Faculty Development is under the Academic Affairs and Office of the Provost.  The University of Minnesota's goal to become one of the world's greatest research universities relies upon a great faculty. Well-prepared, fully engaged faculty and staff represent the most important asset the University has in times of change.

The various services they offer are:

• New Faculty Orientation:
• Grant Writing Seminars:
• Provost's Department Chairs Leadership Program:
• Faculty Development:
• Mentoring:

The university website states that the programs are held on an as needed basis.  In August orientation for new faculty is held with two sessions held.  Several programs are held monthly or each semester.  http://www.academic.umn.edu/provost/faculty/development.html 


DePauw Univerwsity:  Faculty Development at DePauw University is under the Academic Affairs and is a systematic, comprehensive, well-resourced effort to help us all do our best work, to learn and grow as individuals and as an intellectual and teaching community.  The various services they offer are:

• Short and long-term internal funding for conferences and research travel
• Stipends for course development and for scholarly and creative projects
• New faculty orientation, and other teaching workshops
• Mentoring
• Sabbaticals and other leaves
• Opportunities for a reduced teaching load to undertake research or teaching improvement
• Groups that meet to read, write, and discuss topics of mutual interest

According to the university website several events are held monthly.

http://www.depauw.edu/admin/acadaffairs/facdev/



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. 

Performance Problems and Non Instructional Solution

As an Algebra II teacher, a performance problem that I have is poor student homework completion. When I assign any type of homework (problem sets, worksheet, etc.), my turn in rates often is lower than 50%.

Using the HPT model for the International Society for Performance Improvement (Figure 14.2), starting with the performance analysis. The desired workforce performance would be homework completion rates of 90% or higher and the actual performance is often at rates of under 50%. There is an indication of a gap.  Cause analysis tells me to that there is a lack of incentives and rewards, feedback, and support for my students to feel motivated to complete homework.

I have come up with a few non instructional solutions for intervention selection and design, . First, I want to create homework support groups for each class period by adding online collaboration to our class by using E-Chalk. There would be bonus point incentives for students who access the support groups, either for help or to help others. Second, I would like to try a flexible schedule to turn in assignments.  I would give students  a window of two or three days to turn in and complete assignments. This extended time should help increase the completion rate. Lastly, I will grade and return homework and print out weekly progress reports.  By having the progress report in hand the students will be able to see how the zeros are affecting their average and will help them to understand that completing assignments will have increase their average.  This will help students because right now they only receive a progress report every three weeks.

I plan on implementing these non instructional solutions starting next six-weeks and am hopeful that they will help my students be more successful in completing their homework.

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 become more prevalent in the future. 

EPSS Definitions:

Gloria Gery 1991 coined the phrase, EPSS. She defined an 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.

Barry Raybould 1990 suggested that computers could solve human performance problems and defined an EPSS the electronic infrastructure that captures, stores, and distributes individual and corporate knowledge assets throughout an organization, to enable individuals to achieve required levels of performance in the fastest possible time and with a minimum of support from other people.

Villanchia, Stone, and Endicott 2006 defined ESPP as an optimized body of integrated on-line and off-line methods and resources providing what performers need, when they need it, in the form they need it in, so that they can perform in ways that meet organizational objectives.

Rossett 2007 defined EPSS as a helper in life and work, performance support is a repository of information, processes and perspectives that inform and guide planning and action.

PC Magazine Electronic Performance Support System: A computer system that provides quick assistance and information without requiring prior training to use it.   It may incorporate all forms of multimedia delivery as well as AI techniques such as expert systems and natural language recognition. 

Webbasedtraining.com Electronic Performance Support System (EPSS) Applications designed to run simultaneously with other applications or embedded within other applications that provide support for the user in accomplishing specific tasks. An EPSS may provide needed information, present job aids, and deliver just-in-time, context-sensitive training on demand. A Web-based performance support system (WBPSS) is an EPSS that uses Web technology to deliver support in an enterprise environment. 



My Preference:  I prefer the Webbasedtraining.com because of how it emphasizes that an EPSS application could work within or embedded within applications that are already being used in the workplace. I also agree that the best EPSS offer on demand context-sensitive training. Workers would be able to get support and information whenever they need it and in a timely manner. The mention of the web-based performance support system is also interesting. This allows users even more flexibility in accessing information and support from anywhere (home, office, vacation) and with a number of devices (PC, Laptop, mobile phones and other devices).

Current and Future Use of EPSS:  EPSS is currently not being widely used because of various reasons one being the risk involved. Management feels unsure about the success of EPSS applications and also highly ignorant about them. To change the system and invest what feels to be a substantial amount of time and money can be a daunting undertaking to a business.  I think EPSS applications will be used more in the future. Like any change, moving forward tends to move slow. As companies begin to investigate more data focusing on EPSS successes in business, they might begin to jump on the bandwagon. However, the human interaction I think will never completely go away.

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 a knowledge management system, be use to solve the problem? 

Knowledge Management and the Blended Learning Approach

The Problem
Our district has been using C-Scope for all core courses for about five years now. The online curriculum for the Math department is hard to understand, has very involved lessons and offers little in the way of interactive lessons to teach the assigned objectives. Also, not all objectives that are tested are taught in each subject (Algebra 1, Geometry and Algebra II).  There is also no support for teachers with questions or concerns. Consequently, teachers have either played by the rules and stuck to the C-Scope curriculum with little success or they have chosen to ignore it completely and venture out on their own. The original goal of the online curriculum was to help teachers be more successful in the classroom and save them much needed time and energy in the planning stages; however, this is not the reality. www.cscope.us/curriculum.html

The Solution

Using the blended learning approach and a knowledge management system can help the paced Math curriculum be more successful. I propose formal training in the way of training sessions where the Math teachers are shown the basics of paced curriculum including the overall objectives and how to access the information to be successful. Teachers will be given starter manuals, and the informal learning can then begin. Access will be through a blog created for the Math teachers of the district. The blog will have uploaded lesson plans, discussion boards, and links to the C-Scope database. Collaboration will be both online and face-to-face. Teachers will use the online discussion boards on the blog to ask questions and brainstorm ideas for particular objectives. They will also be able to upload lesson plans to share with one another. The district will also set-up collaboration meetings with the district coordinator for Algebra 1, Geometry and Algebra II teachers separately. These meetings will allow the teachers to have face-to-face discussions. The outcomes of the collaboration process will be posted on the blog. The teachers’ experience and collective knowledge along with the curriculum objectives will all be uploaded as well for easy access. Hopefully, with successful collaboration, teachers will be able to access several resources for teaching each objective in the curriculum in a meaningful way.

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? 

My Informal Learning

My informal learning Wow!  I have a multitude of informal learning with school, college, being a teacher, working in retail, and parenting.  I am always looking for ways that can improve teaching I guess it is ingrained.  My life has been all about teaching, learning and education whether its is myself, my students, my children or grandchildren. I have always been propelled to learn and I have such satisfaction when learning or teaching something new.  It would nice someday if I could get paid to learn.

Results Now Book Study

All teachers on the high school campus, including myself, were put in charge of teaching a chapter on the book Results Now. We were given set of books and then were divided into groups. Each groups was assigned a chapter to present the knowledge to the entire district.  We connected through email and set-up a meeting. During the meeting we shared ideas and mapped out how to best present the chapter. We invited all the other teachers as collaborators. Thanks to our collaboration throughout the chapter, we had several resources and were able to present our chapter very successfully.  I think if you are going to have a book study this is a great way that each chapter can be presented and be very informative to all.



Collaboration