User training

1
User training

• Levels of skills and understanding
• Actual course results
• Alternative to parrot teaching
• Support system

2
Reconceptualizing IT training for the workforce
of the future

• Sein, Bostrom, Olfman (1998)
• SIGCPR 30,1,233-241
• The cost of user training may exceed software
  development cost
• No best training strategy has been found
• Often training focuses on skills without
  understanding

3
Suggested levels of software knowledge

• Syntax
• Commands or mouse clicks
• Semantics
• Meaning of commands
• Task / functional
• Grouping a commands into a task
• Conceptual
• Big picture
• Inferential
• What else can be done with the software?
• Motivational
• What does it do for me, my job and my company?

4
Suggested strategy
Levels of knowledge Syntax Semantics Task/function
al Conceptual Inferential Motivational
Types of IT tools
Training methods
Types of trainees

• Inputs Process Outcomes

5
Didactic relationships model

• 6 interrelated factors

Learners
Assessment
Ways of working
Structures and resources
Learning objectives
Contents
B. Bjørndal, S. Lieberg (1978) Nye veier i
didaktikken. Aschehoug, Oslo
6
The training and learning process

• Initiation
• Identify training needs
• Develop training methods
• Design training environment
• Select trainees
• Compose training groups
• Train trainers

• Training and learning
• Conduct training

• Post-training
• Evaluate training and learning
• Support trainees
• Evaluate transfer of training

7
Skills training

• Teaching Learning outcome
• Presentation of theory
• Modelling / demonstration
• Practice under simulated conditions
• Structured and open ended feedback 40
• Coaching and support 100
• Bruce Joyce and Beverly Showers (1980)
  Improvising Inservice Training The Messages of
  Research. Educational Leadership. Feb., 379-385

8
Approach to computer literacy in a third world
setting

• Venter, Blignaut (1996)
• SIGCPR 30,1,233-241
• Comptuer literacy course for novice students in
  South Africa
• Mainly black and coloured students in business
  studies
• 13 week subject
• Operating system
• Text processor
• Spread sheet
• 305 questionnaires

9
Results

• 35 passed the exam
• Little correlation with statistics course
• A negative shift in attitude towards computers
  after the course
• English and Afrikaans speaking students and male
  students performed better at theory
• I come from the Eastern CapeTranskei. Like
  there my first language is Xhosa, so sometimes
  you get teachers that speak Xhosa. So if you
  dont understand and you just ask, and they will
  explain in Xhosa. When explained in English you
  dont get the message quickly.

10
Brugervenlig edb-undervisning

• Herskin (1994)
• Personal experience with parrot training
• The teacher demonstrates computer operation by
  means of a video projector
• The learners repeat
• The learning result is the ability to repeat what
  the teacher does
• Suggested teaching method
• The teacher presents an overview
• The learners read, do, and take notes
• The teacher summarizes
• Suggested results
• The learners understand
• The learners bring back a piece of documentation
  that they have adapted to their own understanding

11
The alternative hands-on training

• Theory. The teacher presents
• why an operation is useful. Examples from users
  work
• how the computer carries it out. Overview only
• the procedure involved. Steps
• The teacher hands out instruction sheets which
  show the sequences of buttons and windows
• The learners do not have to remember these
  details
• They can take notes on the hand-outs and bring
  them back to work as their own documentation
• Practice. The learners carry out the instructions
  on their computers
• Theory. The teacher adds details and relates the
  operation to the learners work tasks.

12
An instruction sheet

• Save and open
• Aim
• Finding data next time you use a program
• Rationale
• The computer stores data in named files in
  folders. In order to open a file that you have
  been using before, you have give it a name the
  first time you save it and remember the folder
  you save it in.
• Operations
• 1 Saving. Before quitting a program
• 1.1 Click the ? button.
• 1.2 Select the folder you will save the file in
  by clicking the down-arrow in the Save in box.
• 1.3 Type the name you will give the file in the
• File name box
• 1.4 Click the Save button
• 2 Opening. The next time you have opened the
  program and want to work on the same file
• 2.1 Click the ? button
• 2.2 Select the folder you saved the file in by
  clicking the down-arrow in the Search in box.
• 2.3 Select the file by double-clicking on the
  file name

13
Superusers How to improve user support and
information flow?

• Almnes (2001)
• Master thesis, Department of Informatics,
  University of Oslo
• A study of user support in a local health
  administration in Norway
• One support manager
• Over 100 superusers
• Over 1000 users
• Method
• Interviews and logs

14
Results. Superusers should

• Be selected amongst
• People who are frequently asked for help
• People who have an interest in computing
• Avoid local managers
• Have responsibility and resources within their
  area
• Be well trained in the computer system and also
  in supporting others
• Be included in the planning of support
• Participate in the user training
• Be organized
• Belonging to a group
• Sharing experience
• Receiving updates
• Communicate user requests to the computing
  personnel
• Communicate system updates to the users