Conference Paper

End-user training methods: What we know, need to know

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Abstract

End-User Training (EUT) has enjoyed a rich tradition of research in Information Systems. However, with the growing pace of change in technology and the dynamic nature of business, organizations are spending an increasing amount of money on end-user training. Training methods are also changing with little research to support new approaches. Thus, extensive research is required in the future. To be credible, end-user training research should preserve and build upon the significant literature that exists, both in IS and Education. This paper provides a review of EUT literature focusing on training methods. It summarizes the findings, while pointing out key future research issues.

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... When it comes to IS training, the focus has largely been on end-user training. The perceived benefits of end-user training on technology acceptance, scaling and sustainability (Arthur et al., 2003) and the willingness of corporations to infuse large sums of money for end-user training (Gupta et al., 2010), may have contributed to the IS training research agenda quite rightly to be end-user focused. ...
... One area that was highlighted in IS literature in relation to end-user training was the differences in learning styles adopted by the learners (Bostrom et al., 1990; Sein et al., 1993; Yi et al., 2003; Sun & Zang, 2005; Gupta et al., 2010). In this regard, Bostrom et al. (1990) recognized the superior ability of abstract learners to perform well in end-user training programs as against the concrete learners. ...
... In advance learners such as those who have been investigated in this research, however, the impact of the learning style may be different to that of novice learners. Nevertheless, as advocated by Gupta et al. (2010), this also means that training programs in IS should be flexible and cater to multiple learning styles of its learners. ...
Thesis
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This thesis is an illustration of an action research study framed within a pragmatic worldview in a developing country context. It was undertaken with the aim of harnessing the potential of training in cultivating communities of practices (CoPs) around the electronic health information system (eHIS) ‒ the District Health Information System 2 (DHIS2). DHIS2 is an open-source public health software used globally in many low and middle income countries (LMICs). The Health Information Systems Program (HISP) at the University of Oslo manages its core activities including providing training for implementers and super-users. Given the expansion of the DHIS2 community and the demand for training, HISP decided to make use of online learning tools to support its flagship training program; the DHIS2 academy. However, introducing online learning tools in place of face-to-face training became a challenge despite its perceived benefits. Thus, the key motivation for undertaking this research was the challenges perceived in introducing online learning tools for eHIS training in LMIC settings. In pursuing its research aim, this study was informed by the theoretical inputs from literature related to communities of practice (CoP) and boundary objects. The concept of CoP was utilized by this study given the different professional groups involved in providing eHIS training and because it could explain the work-based learning processes existing in a domain such as health. Further, the concept of CoP and its related discourse also informed this study regarding the potential of cultivating CoPs and its applicability in professional domains. When it comes to the notion of boundary objects, it was utilized by this study to understand how online learning tools and blended learning programs behave at the boundary between different professional groups. It was expected that by applying the notion of boundary objects it would be possible for this research to shed light to the tensions that may arise and understand the ways of resolving such tensions in a particular setting. Together, the analytical perspective formed was expected to provide a means of understanding how training can be used in cultivating CoPs in relation to the study context. Informed by these practical and theoretical inputs, the study formed three research questions. First was to identify the different dimensions of a blended learning program that determine its potential towards cultivating CoPs around eHISs. The second question focused on ways and means of facilitating social construction of learning by integrating between the eHIS and the different dimensions of a blended learning program. The third research question focused on unraveling the role of participation when training is being used as a tool for cultivating CoPs. The empirical evidence for this study was drawn from multiple iterations of DHIS2 academies based on a blended learning approach from 2011 to 2014. In addition, the study also drew empirical evidence from a cohort of medical doctors from Sri Lanka who also underwent training at DHIS2 academies. This particular cohort allowed this study to follow them up into their work practices and to observe their participation in a Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) community around DHIS2. The gathered empirical evidence was analyzed using qualitative and quantitative means including using social network analysis. Based on its analysis, the study contributes both theoretically and practically. One of its theoretical contributions is to understand the role of training in relation to CoPs in Information Technology for Development (ICT4D) contexts. Firstly, the study expands the usability of online learning tools in facilitating an environment suitable for generating higher order knowledge among the eHIS users. Secondly, the study contributes to expand the VII concept of ‗network of actions‘ by illustrating how it can facilitate micro-level communities, or CoPs, using training as a tool. Thirdly, the study illustrates how training could play a key role in sustaining and scaling ISs. Fourthly, the study contributes to facilitate the call for interdisciplinarity in ICT4D by utilizing pedagogically driven blended learning programs. Another theoretical contribution made by this study is to elaborate on the epistemic potential of blended learning programs. Based on the findings, the study revealed the association between technological frames or technologies-in-practice with epistemic and boundary objects within the ambits of this research. Secondly, the study contributes to the education literature by shifting the current understanding regarding blended learning programs from being a ‗state of permanency‘ and ‗control‘ to a ‗state of fluidity‘ and ‗freedom‘. Thirdly, the study elaborates on the potential of an epistemic blended learning program to function as an alternative channel of scientific inquiry around an IS artefact. In terms of the evolutionary process of an IS, this means that a blended learning program - as perceived by this study - may have the potential to accelerate the said evolutionary process, particularly in an ICT4D context. As the practical contribution, the study elaborates on ways and means of designing and implementing blended learning programs, which are empowering, informal, participatory and equitable. As perceived by this study, such programs not only have the potential to facilitate cultivating CoPs around ISs, but also to sustain IS implementations in LMIC settings.
... Training is one of the most pervasive methods for enhancing individual productivity and improving job performance in the work environment (Goldstein and Ford 2002; Gupta and Bostrom 2006). For instance U.S. organisations with 100 or more employees budgeted to spend $51.4 billion on formal training in 2004 and that more than one-third (38.4%) of the training programmes were aimed at improving the computer skills of employees (Dolezalek 2004). ...
... In the context of EUT, there is no guarantee that even if knowledge and skills have been acquired in training, they will be transferred to the workplace. There is support for additional research to explore new training methods or techniques that would extend knowledge and skills to the technologically dynamic workplace (Gupta and Bostrom 2006; Jasperson et al. 2005). Training is of little value to organizations unless it is transferred in some way into performance (Goldstein and Ford 2002; Kirkpatrick 2007). ...
... There is no theoretical EUT framework that explicitly demonstrates the skill transfer to the workplace. The latest EUT framework proposed by Gupta and Bostrom (2006) is limited to Kraiger et al.'s (1993) three learning outcomes: cognitive outcomes, skill-based outcomes and affective outcomes. Cognitive outcomes refer to outcomes expressed through verbal knowledge, knowledge organisation and cognitive strategies. ...
Article
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End-user training (EUT) does not deliver the expected value to the organisations when end users do not transfer the skills learned to their workplace. Training effectiveness occurs when end users not only have the ability but are willing to transfer the skill learned to improve their job. This study proposes a model of EUT effectiveness which explicitly considers training effectiveness outcomes and incorporates attitude and motivation as two key antecedents. We propose a longitudinal field experiment to examine the influence of persuasive communication and goal-matching on EUT effectiveness. The proposed theoretical framework is based on a thorough review of literature from multiple disciplines such as Psychology, Education, Organisational Behaviour and Information Systems.
... Over the years, the importance of training as a critical success factor of ES has taken a central position in ES studies (Garg 2010;Umble et al. 2003). Some studies have investigated training effectiveness by examining the training methods and motivational factors in learning environment (Amoako-Gyampah & Salam 2004;Gupta & Bostrom 2006). While enormous opinions converge on the importance of training on user"s ability to use the system, there are opinions that users do not subsequently use gained skills on the system (Olfman & Bostrom 1991;Shayo & Olfman 1994). ...
... End-user training has been tagged a "cornerstone" of organisational performance (Nordhaug 1989). It has also been recognised as a pervasive method of enhancing individual"s performance in the workplace, especially in the communication of an enterprise goal to employees (Arthur, Bennett, Edens & Bell 2003;Gupta & Bostrom 2006). The effect of a complex and hypercompetitive business environment, influx and adoption of Enterprise Systems have posed a new challenge in human resources development in organisations, especially how human resources can be harnessed in the realisation of organisational goals. ...
... In recent years, many ES and information systems studies have mentioned the importance of end-user training as a critical success factor for ES implementation (Davenport 2000;Igbaria & Tan 1997;Kumar, Maheshwari & Kumar 2003). ES studies have also shown interest on the impact of training, including training typologies and designs on technology adoption (Gupta & Bostrom 2006), end-user satisfaction (Rajagopalan, York, Doane & Tanniru 2007) and technology acceptance (Bedard, Jackson, Ettredge & Johnstone 2003;Marler et al. 2006). Recently, the impact of multimedia, elearning and web-based training on ES has emerged (Choi, Kim & Kim 2007;Piccoli, Ahmad & Ives 2001;Scott & Walczak 2009). ...
Conference Paper
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Organisational motivations for adopting Enterprise Systems (ES) include the achievement of a competitive advantage in production and provision of better control on operations. In spite of its contributions to business successes, an estimated 50- 75% of ES projects failed to justify the enormous financial investment into the projects. Research has attributed ES failure to training-related factors. Suggesting the criticalness of training and education in Enterprise System success; nonetheless enterprise systems researchers have constantly ignored training potential on post adoption behaviours. Regardless of the importance of ES training, it is noted that users resist and hesitate to apply gained skills on the systems. The disproportionate use of learned skills results in low utilisation of the systems and partly ES failures. Post training behaviours are critical in the ES success; however knowledge on the determinants of transfer of skills and knowledge gained from enterprise systems training environment is scarce. This study proposes a model of motivational mechanism of effective use of skills and knowledge in Enterprise Systems.
... In fact, the interplay between educational tools and instructors has been an important aspect of prior e-learning research (Dermentzi and Papagiannidis, 2018;Gupta et al., 2010). It has been suggested that with the use of educational tools, students' interaction with learning materials and instructors will change (Alavi and Leidner, 2001;Fryer et al., 2019). ...
... Learning processes and outcomes have been the two focal evaluation dimensions of many prior studies in e-learning (e.g. Gupta and Bostrom, 2009;Gupta et al., 2010). In this section, we first propose the effects of the traditional QA channel (i.e. ...
Article
Purpose Question-answering (QA) systems are being increasingly applied in learning contexts. However, the authors’ understanding of the relationship between such tools and traditional QA channels remains limited. Focusing on question-answering learning activities, the current research investigates the effect of QA systems on students' learning processes and outcomes, as well as the interplay between two QA channels, that is, QA systems and communication with instructors. Design/methodology/approach The authors designed and implemented a QA system for two university courses, and collected data from questionnaires and system logs that recorded the interaction between students and the system throughout a semester. Findings The results show that using a QA system alone does not improve students' learning processes or outcomes. However, the use of a QA system significantly improves the positive effect of instructor communication. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature on learning and education technology, and provides practical guidance on how to incorporate QA tools in learning.
... Computer learning is a complex task that puts a tremendous burden on all computer users, experienced or not (Kiesler, Zdaniuk, Lundmark, & Kraut, 2000), and results in a multiplicity of 'frustrating experiences' and extensive time losses (Lazar, Jones & Shneiderman, 2006). Regardless of the multibillion investments in schools, universities, and corporate training activities (Corrall, 2008;Gupta & Bostrom, 2006), computer learning continues to be viewed as a personal landscape dominated by individual exploratory approaches, even for students and instructors of Computer Science Departments. ...
... It describes relevant component processes, such as attention, retention, production, and motivation to continue using them (Yi & Davis, 2001), as well as analyzes the results of observational learning in terms of changes in performance, the acquisition of new operants, the acquisition of higher-order operants, the acquisition of conditioned reinforcement by observation and the acquisition of observational learning repertoires (Greer, Dudek-Singer, & Gautreaux, 2006). It also examines approaches to achieving improvement, such as practice (Yi & Davis, 2001), retention enhancement (Yi & Davis, 2003), symbolic mental rehearsal (Davis & Yi, 2004) and enactive learning (Gupta & Bostrom, 2006), all of which have been exploited in the evaluation of SADs from the behavioral modeling perspective. ...
... The first two antecedents of self-efficacy deal with behavioral modeling, i.e. vicarious and / or enactive learning. Much of the EUT literature has focused on vicarious/behavioral modeling as a method of learning [24]. Vicarious modeling in previous research usually is done by using an instructor to demonstrate actions in a video. ...
... A consistent empirical finding is that modeling, both vicarious and enactive, leads to better training outcomes compared with other methods, such as lecture-based instruction or studying from a manual [24][25][26][27]. As hypothesized by the theory, empirical evidence supports the direct effect of modeling on computer self-efficacy enhancements in all environments. ...
... EUT deals with teaching skills to effectively use software and applications. Today most EUT is done through computer-based training or e-learning [12]. We believe in a combination of e-learning and a traditional instructor led lectures approach for the most efficient learning success. ...
... As lectures led by an instructor are a major cost driver [13] [14], the aim of this study is to understand how the duration of face-to-face sessions, as part of a blended learning course, affects learning outcome and satisfaction of learners. [12]. Finally we would like to state if and under which circumstances a reduction of faceto-face sessions by identical course content is possible in a BL scenario and which features are most efficient as compensation in perception of end users. ...
Conference Paper
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Based on the updated DeLone and McLean information system success model (ISSM) this study examines the determinants for successful use of elearning to teach theoretical knowledge and skills concerning an ERP system. A blended learning scenario applied at an undergraduate course at the University of Innsbruck served as the object of investigation. Particular attention was paid to the impact of a reduction in the duration of instructor led lectures on the six dimensions of the ISSM and the effects among each dimension. The results show that information quality and service quality have significant influence on the learners’ satisfaction and success, especially when face-to-face session duration is reduced. With high quality content on the learn management system and good support during e-learning periods however, no significant loss in learning success, perceived by learners as well as measured in test results, could be detected.
... Computer learning is a complex task that puts a tremendous burden on all computer users, experienced or not (Kiesler, Zdaniuk, Lundmark, & Kraut, 2000), and results in a multiplicity of 'frustrating experiences' and extensive time losses (Lazar, Jones & Shneiderman, 2006). Regardless of the multibillion investments in schools, universities, and corporate training activities (Corrall, 2008; Gupta & Bostrom, 2006), computer learning continues to be viewed as a personal landscape dominated by individual exploratory approaches, even for students and instructors of Computer Science Departments. ...
... It describes relevant component processes, such as attention, retention, production, and motivation to continue using them (Yi & Davis, 2001 ), as well as analyzes the results of observational learning in terms of changes in performance, the acquisition of new operants, the acquisition of higher-order operants, the acquisition of conditioned reinforcement by observation and the acquisition of observational learning repertoires (Greer, Dudek-Singer, & Gautreaux, 2006). It also examines approaches to achieving improvement, such as practice (Yi & Davis, 2001 ), retention enhancement (Yi & Davis, 2003), symbolic mental rehearsal (Davis & Yi, 2004 ) and enactive learning (Gupta & Bostrom, 2006), all of which have been exploited in the evaluation of SADs from the behavioral modeling perspective. Hence, SADs constitute the combined materialization of several distinct research streams, and their assessment and advancement has just begun, since its media form is well-suited to the aesthetics and authoring conveniences sought in the next wave of e-learning applications. ...
Article
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Learning about computers continues to be regarded as a rather informal and complex landscape dominated by individual exploratory and opportunistic approaches, even for students and instructors in Computer Science Departments. During the last two decades, software animated demonstrations (SADs), also known as screencasts, have attracted particular attention as a promising platform for the struggling computer users. However, their anticipated ground-breaking success has not yet been verified, while research results have been both limited and inconsistent. In this study, we explore the deficiencies of SADs in a self-paced learning environment for computer science students, with a view to pinpointing design priorities for the enhancement of their learning value. An application containing 161 SADs was developed and distributed to thirty students who participated in three interviews during a period of two months and gave consent to usage logging for research purposes. The results of our study showed that, although computer science students recognized SADs as persuasive and intriguing media, their exploitation of SADs was not a straightforward matter. Problems reported included ineffective support during practice, the absence of encoding opportunities, low exploratory qualities and limited navigation opportunities. Other difficulties concerned pacing conflicts, incomplete self-descriptions, the inconvenience of the required environmental settings, and unexpected exposure to explicit time requirements, all of which challenged students’ previously-acquired learning strategies. Students negotiated their study model right through until their last usage sessions because SADs were interruptive and did not encourage or facilitate any specific practice model. Even though these problems were confronted by all students, a significant percentage of them watched the videos in their entirety, developed tricks to overcome SADs disadvantages, overcame the novelty effect, and extracted most of their value. This is a promising sign for the future diffusion of SADs in the acquiring of software skills in information technology education and underlines the need to enhance their form and the affordances provided.
... Other examples of aSt being used to build an overarching perspective include the area of GSS [24], technology-mediated learning [45], and knowledge management theories [117]. this type of literature review highlights key gaps and guides future empirical research. ...
... the learning method, which stems from the "spirit" discussed earlier, embodies the external structural features and the dimensions. More specifically, three sets of structures characterize the tML domain: team or the social setup of the team, It or the array of possible uses of technology, and learning techniques or the specific procedures to attain learning goals (see Figure 3) [45]. ...
Article
Information systems (IS) research often attempts to examine and explain how technology leads to outcomes through usage of IS. Although extensive research in this area has resulted in a significant number of theories, limited work has been done on integrating these theories. This paper presents adaptive structuration theory (AST) as a meta-theory for examining IS within an organizational context. The two main contributions of the paper are an understanding of meta-theory’s role in IS and building a case for using AST as a meta-theory to (1) provide an overarching perspective for understanding and integrating existing literature and theories, (2) provide a template and set of guidelines for creating better context-specific IS models and theories, and (3) provide a deeper understanding of a theory. Along with discussion of the contributions, we provide examples to guide researchers in applying AST as a meta-theory.
... R&D activities are essential for generating new knowledge, fostering innovation, and developing effective strategies to address emerging challenges (OECD, 2015). Human resource practices include training and development, which aids in developing workers' competencies, abilities, and knowledge in order to increase workers' capacity for more effective performance (Palo & Padhi, 2003;Gupta & Bostrom, 2006;Jagero, Komba, & Mlingi, 2012). Human resource is very important and the backbone of every organization and it is also the main resource of the ...
Article
Research & Development and Employees Productivity in Public Service of Nigerian Fourth Republic 1Casey Ngozi Egbon-Charles 2 Danjuma Bwese Tanko, 3 Nasamu Gambo (PhD), 4 Judith Aimiebenomo Ehiaguina, 5 Fredrick Yakubu 1,2,3,4,5Nile University of Nigeria, Abuja, Nigeria doi: https://doi.org/10.37745/gjhrm.2013/vol12n4108130 Published July 14, 2024 Citation: Egbon-Charles C.N., Tanko D.B., Gambo N., Ehiaguina J.A.,and Yakubu F. (2024) Research & Development and Employees Productivity in Public Service of Nigerian Fourth Republic, Global Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol.12, No.4, pp.108-129 Abstract: This study examines the impact of research & development on employees’ productivity in public service of Nigerian fourth republic from 1999 to 2023. The annual data for the study is sourced from World Bank’s Development Indicators (WDI) and Central Bank of Nigeria Statistical Bulletin. The dependent variable is employee’s productivity proxied by total factor productivity while the explanatory variables are research & development expenditure as percentage of GDP, employee compensation proxied for income and institutional quality components of governance effectiveness and regulatory quality. The preliminary test of Augmented Dickey Fuller (ADF) unit root test reveals mixed order of integration among the series under consideration, which reinforces the choice of Autoregressive Distributive Lag (ARDL) as estimation technique. The ARDL bounds result reveal the existence of long-run among the series under consideration. On the result, the series of research & development exhibit negative and significant relationship with employee productivity in the Nigerian public service. The complementary series of employee compensation exert negative effect and significant impact on employee productivity. Also, governance effectiveness further exerts negative and insignificant nexus while regulatory quality demonstrates significant positive effect on employee productivity. This study concludes that research & development has not enhanced employee productivity in the Nigeria public service within the period considered. Therefore, the research recommends the need for government agencies and parastatals to make adequate provision for resources to fund high-quality training programs for public sector employees. This can include providing on-the-job training, skill development workshops, and opportunities for continuous learning and professional development.
... Developed from Gupta & Bostrom (2006); Barki et al. (2007); Jasperson et al. (2005); Bagayogo et al. (2014). ...
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Individual adaptation plays an important role in using enterprise information technology (IT). In the life cycle of enterprise IT in the organization, various factors can change IT and its related work tasks. Therefore, users have to adapt to these changes. Since the use of information technology depends on the capabilities acquired through individual adaptation behaviours, it is essential to examine these behaviours in more detail. This study presents the factors affecting individual adaptation behaviours as a model. The results of the experimental test of the model show that technology experience and IT knowledge affect an individual's perception of task difficulty, and personality traits moderate the relationship between task difficulty and individual adaptation behaviours. One of the advantages of the proposed model is separating the roles of managers and users in different periods of enterprise IT adaptation. Also, paying attention to users' personal characteristics in explaining the differences in adaptation behaviours among employees is another advantage of this model.
... When it comes to the corporate sector, spending on technology-aided training has been steadily increasing, with organizations in the United States spending, on average, $1,296 per employee on learning opportunities in 2017 (Ho, 2018). While many studies focus on measuring the effectiveness of eLearning for postsecondary and professional learners (Coppola & Myre, 2002;Delf, 2013;Gupta, Bostrom, & Huber, 2010;Santos et al., 2016;Sarwar et al., 2020;Sousa & González-Loureiro, 2017), with more to come post-COVID-19 pandemic, one may be hard pressed to find many studies focusing on the return on investment (ROI) of online learning programs to the fullest extent. While the potential cost-savings, time-savings, and improvement in employee affect are often explored, little to no research encompassing all aspects of the potential returns of eLearning exists. ...
Conference Paper
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Much research surrounding eLearning focuses on comparing the effectiveness of technology-mediated education to that of traditional teaching methods; however, few studies exist exploring the holistic return on investment (ROI) of online learning programs. While some research examines potential cost-and time-savings, among other major investments and returns, no research encompasses all aspects of an eLearning implementation. This review of the literature about eLearning in universities and the corporate sector identifies six key considerations for decision makers when determining how best to leverage eLearning. These include the financial ROI; the return on time investment; the affective ROI for all stakeholders involved; the effectiveness of programs; the potential for indirect returns, such as larger community improvement; and stakeholder weight factors. As evidenced by the literature, each of these factors individually can determine the success or failure of an eLearning integration plan. However, considering all elements can provide a more thorough representation of an eLearning implementation's risks and rewards. Through the synthesis of these major components as they are each outlined in the literature, this paper proposes a foundational model through which key decision makers in organizations can determine how eLearning adoption best fits in their institutions.
... Second, a review of the literature points out that current training methods have adopted a more active and teamoriented learning approach (Gupta et al., 2010), referred to as collaborative learning. While substantial support has been found regarding the significance of collaborative learning outside of IT learning research (see Rohrbeck et al., 2003), its role in IT learning is unclear. ...
Article
Explorative information systems behaviors are the ways in which individuals actively revise their usage and discover creative means of applying the system, extending the potentials of the system, and enhancing task performance. This study has developed a specific concept of explorative system behavior-explorative information technology (IT) learning-to describe users' post-training learning behavior-novel use. Adapting a herding lens, we study the individual and team-level triggers of explorative learning cognitions. The study tests the proposed cross-level model and collects data from 225 individuals who are divided into 51 teams. The results indicate that individuals tend to innovatively use a system through developed exploration cognitions in team settings as a response to examined herd behavior triggers. The study uncovered that members of cohesive teams and learners with high uncertainty perceptions are more likely to imitate the observed explorative learning behaviors of their peers and reproduce such behaviors in the long term.
... Satisfaction with the learning process can be characterized as an affective learning outcome that "focuses on enhancing the level to which the learner is immersed in the subject" (Gupta and Bostrom 2009, p. 692). Satisfaction with the learning process can be described as the positive feelings of learners related to their performance and related to affective outcomes of learning (Gupta et al. 2010). In a classroom setting this kind of feeling is typically triggered by a teacher who can support learners in improving their performance because satisfaction is higher when users believe the learning and teaching system they use meets their information requirements (Eom 2014). ...
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In online learning settings interactive and meaningful feedback is becoming increasingly important. However, feedback from teachers is oftentimes missing in online learning settings. To overcome challenges that arise from the missing representation of teachers, our study analyzes the relevance of avatar designs in learning settings. We therefore rely on avatars as game design elements and analyze how their design can influence emotional attachment, learning process satisfaction, and extraneous cognitive load in learning. To achieve our goal, we conduct a qualitative comparative analysis with 998 datasets that were collected in a 2x2x2 pre-post online experiment that was developed to train participants in learning functions in Excel. Our results indicate that interaction, familiarity, motivation, and aesthetic experiences are important configurations for avatars that are used in learning. We contribute to different streams of theory such as self-expansion and guide practitioners by providing implications about how to create meaningful avatar designs for learning applications.
... Training and development play a vital role in the effectiveness of an organization. It is one of the most pervasive techniques for improving job performance, enhancing organization productivity in the work place (Gupta & Bostrom, 2006). Training is a learning activity directed towards the acquisition of specific knowledge and skills for the purpose of an occupation or task; while development implies creating and sustaining change (Ampomah, 2016). ...
Article
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The study examined the perceived influence of human resources management on teachers' job performance in senior secondary schools in Rivers State. A descriptive survey research design was used for the study. The population of the study comprised 268 principals 7,425 teachers in the 268 public senior secondary schools in Rivers State. A sample of 134 principals and 734 teachers, representing 50% of the population of principals and 10% of the population of teachers was used for the study. The disproportionate stratified random sampling technique was adopted in obtaining the sample size. A self-structured questionnaire titled "Perceived Influence of Human Resources Management on Teachers' Job performance Questionnaire was used for data collection. The face and content validities of the questionnaire were assessed by the researcher's supervisor and other experts in Educational Management. The reliability of the instrument was determined through test-retest technique. The responses were correlated and analyzed, using Pearson Product Moment correlation statistics that yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.80. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions while z-test was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed among others that newly recruited teachers are helped in meeting their needs for direction in performing their job and that staff supervision enables teachers to be mentally stable in performing their duties. It was therefore recommended that school administrators should ensure that secondary school teachers are effectively supervised in order to discover in time areas of weakness that require immediate attention.
... Training is an organized approach to enhancing individuals' knowledge, skills, and attitudes to improve individual, team, and organizational effectiveness (Shenge, 2014). This was emphasized by Goldstein & Ford (2002) and Gupta & Bostrom (2006) that training is one of the most inevitable methods for enhancing individual productivity and improving job performance in the work environment. Training effectiveness is looked at as an evaluation of the change happened after the training, such as the definition of Bramley (1996:35) who defined it as "a measurement of observable changes in knowledge, skills, and attitude after training has been conducted". ...
... Without the users being trained properly in their assignments the chance of failure increases substantially. Training is not only important as a mean for teaching the individuals how to perform certain tasks, it's also one of the most pervasive methods of communicating organization goals to the personnel (Gupta and Bostrom 2006). ...
Article
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_________________________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT-Information is the foundation for policy making, planning, programming, and accountability. Health informatics is the intersection of information science, computer science, and health care. It deals with the resources, devices, and methods required to optimize the acquisition, storage, retrieval, and use of information in health and biomedicine. Boddy et. al (2005) describes an information system (IS) as"a set of people, procedures and resources that collects data which it transforms an`d disseminates". Most professionally run hospitals and clinics now rely on Hospital Information Systems (HIS) that help them manage all their medical and administrative information. A health information system (HIS) can be defined as "comprising all computer-based components which are used to enter, store, process, communicate, and present health related or patient related information, and which are used by health care professionals or the patient themselves in the context of inpatient or outpatient patient care" (UMIT, 2005). It is also known as Healthcare Information System. In health organization such as hospitals, implementation of HIS inevitable due to many mediating and dominating factors such as organization, people and technology. Data for this paper were collected through bibliographic and internet research. Four key areas will be addressed in this paper: 1. An analysis of HIS and its components. 2. Benefits of HIS 3. Phases Of Implementation Of HIS 4. Suggestions for selecting of HIS Study showed that End-user training is crucial for the success of an HIS. Without the users being trained properly in their assignments the chance of failure increases substantially. Training is not only important as a mean for teaching the individuals how to perform certain tasks, it's also one of the most pervasive methods of communicating organization goals to the personnel.
... However, limitations in training prevent all but the most dedicated users from effectively attaining proficiency. Once a sufficient level of working knowledge is established, a training gap occurs, where current methods fail to encourage the intermediate user to advance (Gupta, Bostrom, and Huber 2010). Because of this limitation in training, most users tend to plateau in their learning (Gray 2017;Olfman and Mandviwalla 1994). ...
Article
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As software continues to grow in power and complexity, frequent on-the-job training is essential to maintain a proficient and productive skill set. However once a base operational skill set is attained, software users rarely continue to become proficient with the tools they use on a daily basis. This lack of proficiency results in the frequent occurrence of workflow interruptions due to the continued locating and re-locating of the operators required to perform both new and routine tasks. Aids such as reference cards and application help systems exist to make the user aware of efficient methods for task completion; however, these resources are seldom used. This study presents a new and efficient approach to help software users continue to learn about the tools they use to complete their work. This new approach to learning, called inline training, leverages common workflow interruptions to facilitate the discovery of new application knowledge. At issue is fitting the amount of work necessary to use the trainer into the already occurring interruption window. By understanding the amount of within-interruption work tolerated by the user, including an inline trainer within the window, promotes a deeper understanding of the application, resulting in a more efficient workflow.Published: 11 April 2018Citation: Research in Learning Technology 2018, 26: 1994 - http://dx.doi.org/10.25304/rlt.v26.1994
... Some reasons that have been suggested for this phenomenon include the difficulty end-users face in applying the skills they have learnt, inadequate training, and poor training strategies, especially those that involve external consultants on short-term training sessions (Koh, Gunasekaran, & Cooper, 2009). It is common to see investigations on different training methods; best practices in training, and the impact of training on satisfaction and self-efficacy (Amoako-Gyampah & Salam, 2004; Bradley & Lee, 2007; Choi, Kim, & Kim, 2007; Esteves, 2013; Gupta & Bostrom, 2006; Rajagopalan, York, Doane, & Tanniru, 2007). Notwithstanding, these explanations lack robust theoretical underpinnings to explain why individuals do use or not use the skills they have gained in IS task environment, especially, and understanding of the predictors of ES post-training behaviours. ...
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Enterprise systems are large software packages that have been widely adopted, but are complex to deploy. One way to obtain more value from them is to train end-users. However, little is known about the effectiveness of enterprise systems training. This study examines post-training behaviour in the enterprise systems environment through the concept of training transfer and the theoretical framework of self-determination theory. It proposes that end-users' computer self-efficacy and mastery orientation, as well as the perceived ease-of-use of a system, influence their motivation to transfer the skills they have gained during training to their work environment and to use the system. Data was collected from 170 enterprise systems end-users, who had previously attended enterprise systems training, through a survey. Partial least squares modelling was used to analyse the data, and all of the hypotheses were supported. This study is among the first few studies that investigate the more distal impact of information systems training.
... However, limitations in training prevent all but the most dedicated users from e↵ectively attaining this level of proficiency. Once working knowledge of an application is established, a training gap occurs, where current methods fail to promote the intermediate user to an advanced user [Gupta et al., 2010]. Because of this limitation in training, most users tend to plateau in their learning [Olfman and Mandviwalla, 1994] . ...
Technical Report
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Menu searching is a common form of discovery used to compensate for a lack of application knowledge. This method of discovery often results in workflow interruptions due to the frequent locating and relocating of operators on the menu. Once the location of an operator is learned, its execution becomes habit and applied to situations where more powerful solutions exist. Aids such as reference cards, application help, and Inter-net searches exist that make the user aware of these more ecient operators, however these resources are seldom used. This study presents an inline trainer that leverages the workflow of the individual to facilitate the discovery of new application knowledge. At issue is fitting the amount of work necessary to use the trainer into the already occurring interruption window. By understanding the amount of within-interruption work tolerated by the user, including an inline trainer within the window promotes a deeper understanding of the application resulting in a more ecient workflow.
... Training is one of the most pervasive methods for enhancing individual productivity and improving job performance in the work Environment. (Goldstein and Ford 2002;Gupta and Bostrom 2006) Training is of little value to organizations unless it is transferred in some way into performance. (Goldstein and Ford 2002;Kirkpatrick 2007) Training effectiveness is a measure of how well training achieves its intended outcomes, for example, to improve job performance. ...
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The Evaluation of any training programme has certain aims to fulfil. These are concerned with the determination of change in the staff behaviour and the change needed in the organizational structure. Hence evaluation of any training program must inform us whether the training programme has been able to deliver the goals and objectives in terms of cost incurred and benefits achieved. Training as the process of developing skills, Habits, Knowledge and attitudes in employees for the purpose of increasing effectiveness of employees in their present positions as well as preparing employees for future positions in organization Purpose of current research is a Evaluation Effectiveness of training courses in Islamshahr University by Kirkpatrick Model. The study is an applied one and the data collection method has been descriptive. The statistical population consisted of personnels, Managers and teachers. The data was collected through the application of sampling, questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were used in order to measure the main indicators of effectiveness Evaluation of training courses. Research findings show that effectiveness of training courses is below the standard level. also data gathered about effectiveness evaluation indicated that reaction, learning, behaviour and organizational levels need to be improved. The study showed that the effectiveness evaluation in the subject centre needed to be improved through implementation of optimizing training design, redefining training roles, providing enough budget, management commitment, attention to individual, job and organizational needs, motivation mechanism, use of ongoing and summative evaluation.
... Training is one of the most pervasive methods for enhancing individual productivity and improving job performance in the work environment. (Goldstein and Ford 2002;Gupta and Bostrom, 2006). Evaluation of training systems, programmes or courses tends to be a demand of a social, institutional or economic nature. ...
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The aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness of training and development in the Higher Education sector using training evaluation framework. Quantitative method through questionnaire survey was used for data collection in which questionnaires were distributed to respondents in various Teachers, Staff and Managers Islamic Azad University, Takestan Branch. The findings of this study suggest that Effectiveness of training on subject were evaluated at all four levels of evaluation, namely, the reaction, learning, behavior change and results of training levels. Factors that can affect the effectiveness of training in the Takestan univrsity include lack of support from top management and peers, employees' individual attitudes, job-related factors and also the deficiencies in training practice.
... Training and development play a vital role in the effectiveness of an organisation [21]. It is one of the most pervasive techniques for improving employees' performance enhancing organisation productivity in the work place [22]. Employees are the indispensable asset and key element of gaining competitive advantage of any organization and training is essential tool for its actualization [23]. ...
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Training and development is indispensable strategic tool for enhancing employee performance and organizations keep increasing training budget on yearly basis with believe that it will earn them competitive edge. The main objective of this study is to examine the effectiveness of training and development on employees’ performance and organisation competitive advantage in the Nigerian banking industry. Descriptive research method was adopted for this study using two hundred and twenty three valid questionnaires which were completed by selected banks in Lagos State, South-West Nigeria using simple random sampling technique. The data collected were carefully analyzed using descriptive statistics to represent the raw data in a meaningful manner. The results show that strong relationship exists between training and development, employees’ performance and competitive advantage. Summary of the findings indicates that there is strong relationship between the tested dependent variable and independent construct. However, bank management should not relent in their quest to train their staff to develop new ideas that will keep improving and retaining employee performance.
... Training and development play a vital role in the effectiveness of an organisation [21]. It is one of the most pervasive techniques for improving employees' performance enhancing organisation productivity in the work place [22]. Employees are the indispensable asset and key element of gaining competitive advantage of any organization and training is essential tool for its actualization [23]. ...
... Yksittäisiä sovelluksia ei kannata opettaa, ellei teknologia itsessään ole jo tuttua. Käyttäjäkoulutusta täytyykin siis lähestyä ja järjestää sekä yleisen teknologiankäytön että tietyn sovelluksen näkökulmasta(Gupta & Bostrom 2006).Opettajien puutteelliset tekniset käyttötaidot ovat kuitenkin vain yksi rajoite.Sen lisäksi pedagogisten tietoteknisten ratkaisujen käyttöä haittaa teknisen tuen puute. Näyttääkin siltä, että paikallisen käyttötuen siirtäminen koulujen tietotekniikkavastaavalle ei johda kokonaisvaltaisesti hyvään lopputulokseen. ...
... The technological and social aspects surely need to be understood in a balanced way to determine motivations, perceptions and resulting actions. As with many social endeavours, the adoption of e-Learning is necessarily a complex phenomenon [21], [31]. ...
Conference Paper
E-Learning can be described as instruction that is delivered using computer and communication technology, and its potential to liberate learners from the limitations of other forms of learning is uniformly acknowledged. However, there is surprisingly high resistance to e-Learning in corporate training environments. The purpose of this study is to examine the literature on factors that may contribute to this resistance, also in South Africa. We present the corporate e-Learning environment as an activity system and analyse existing adoption literature using the six elements of Activity Theory. In this way, a holistic understanding is obtained of contributing factors towards adoption of e-Learning in corporate environments.
... Three research model will be discuss and explain in this section, while the comparative study on the models will be explained and analysed in the analysis and findings parts. The research model identified are the framework for End User Training explained by Gupta S (2006), barriers of learning in an online programme by Packham et.al(2004) and blended learning by Khan (2003). i. ...
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Most of the daily tasks are been digitized in the form of electronic to ease the daily routine of a person in the current fast moving life styles. Everyone are busy and hope to do all the task in just a click away. That is why every task nowadays are mostly started with the letter E which means electronic. The convergence of electronic ways of living is used widely to most of the areas and field. The schools or institutions and educational areas individual are also moving into this hype. The higher education or institutions nowadays are trying to run the fully e-learning concept due to space limitation be it in term of storage or in term of locating the students in the classrooms. But this type of learning is still new to some of the institutions especially to the new and small private institutions. Some of the techniques nowadays does use the tradional classroom and most of the institutions would provide the technology and prefer to put the e-learning methods inside the traditional classroom with the hope of engaging the students with the lesson taught and to ensure that the facts delivered could be easily understood as compared to the previous method. But there are always a flaw in every new things introduced. It is believe that e-learning are unacceptable to some of the peple who resist to change or afraid of technology. Some students also tend to get attach to internet until they are not pay full attention to the material provided for classes. This research aims to identify the problems faced using e-learning which only cover the scope of looking into student interest in learning and look at the research model that is related and show the findings of the appropriate ways of learning.It is hope through the research model identified, it could guide the educators to find the best way of teaching in higher institutions.
... Yksittäisiä sovelluksia ei kannata opettaa, ellei teknologia itsessään ole jo tuttua. Käyttäjäkoulutusta täytyykin siis lähestyä ja järjestää sekä yleisen teknologiankäytön että tietyn sovelluksen näkökulmasta(Gupta & Bostrom 2006).Opettajien puutteelliset tekniset käyttötaidot ovat kuitenkin vain yksi rajoite.Sen lisäksi pedagogisten tietoteknisten ratkaisujen käyttöä haittaa teknisen tuen puute. Näyttääkin siltä, että paikallisen käyttötuen siirtäminen koulujen tietotekniikkavastaavalle ei johda kokonaisvaltaisesti hyvään lopputulokseen. ...
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Three approaches to computer training (behavior modeling, self-paced study, and lecturing) and a no-training control condition were compared concerning their relative performance across an array of evaluation measures in a field experiment. Learning theories of K. Lewin (1951) and D. A. Kolb (1984) were used to provide theoretical bases for the training approaches and the measures of learning. Trainees were 160 novice computer users from the U.S. Naval Construction Battalion at Gulfport, Mississippi. Measures of cognitive learning and skill demonstration were highest for behavior modeling, followed by the self-paced condition. Results were similar for measures collected immediately after training and 1 month after training. Satisfaction with the computer system I month after training was also highest for behavior modeling. Implications are discussed, especially those pertaining to transfer of cognitive and skill-based learning. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
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Conducted 2 experiments to examine the effect of adapting the context of a presentation to a student's background in 2 experiments. In Exp I, 51 preservice teachers studied statistical probability rules presented in 3 contexts. One variation used education-related explanations and examples (adaptive context), another used medical-related (nonadaptive) contexts, and a third used abstract contexts. Posttest results showed the adaptive context to be superior to both of the other contexts on education-related problems and to the abstract context on transfer problems unrelated to education. Little or no advantage was found on standard problems unrelated to education or on memory of formulas. In Exp II, the design was replicated using 50 nursing students as Ss. Results again supported the effectiveness of contextual adaptation, this time showing better performance under medical-related contexts. Learning advantages, however, were more consistent across item types than was the case in Exp I. Findings are interpreted in terms of the effect of adapting context on meaningful learning and motivation. (33 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
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Conducted 2 studies of peer training via computer-assisted instruction (CAI) in the technical training of electronics in the military. Ss were 182 male US Air Force personnel. Study 1 compared a peer-trained CAI group ( n = 72) to both an individually trained CAI group ( n = 55) and a conventionally trained group ( n = 55). Results indicate no differences in achievement levels, but the mean training times of both CAI groups were significantly less than that of the conventionally trained group. The mean peer-trained CAI training time was significantly lower than that of the individually trained group, and the variability of training time was also significantly lower. Study 2, using the peer-trained subsample from Study 1 and an additional 48 Ss, investigated optimum pairing strategies. Ss were paired for training based on their previously demonstrated ability. Pairing strategies did not affect individual achievement scores, but some strategies were consistently superior in reducing training times. Implications of CAI peer training in both military and civilian technical training are discussed. (6 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
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Students received a personalized or nonpersonalized version of a narrated animation explaining how the human respiratory system works. The narration for the nonpersonalized version was in formal style, whereas the narration for the personalized version was in conversational style in which "the" was changed to "your" in 12 places. In 3 experiments, students who received the personalized version scored significantly higher on transfer tests but not on retention tests than did students who received the nonpersonalized version. The results are consistent with a cognitive theory of multimedia learning in which personalization causes students to actively process the incoming material. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
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Alternative training methods on self-efficacy and mastery of a computer software program were compared in the context of a field experiment involving 108 university managers. A behavioral modeling approach relative to a tutorial approach yielded higher self-efficacy scores and higher performance on an objective measure of computer software mastery. Participants scoring high in self-efficacy performed significantly better than participants with low computer self-efficacy scores. Participants low in self-efficacy reported greater confidence in their ability to master the software training in the modeling compared with the tutorial conditions. Participants in the modeling training reported more effective cognitive working styles, more ease with the task, more satisfaction with training, and less frustration compared with participants in tutorial training. Implications for training interventions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
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A meta-analytic review of group comparison design studies evaluating peer-assisted learning (PAL) interventions with elementary school students produced positive effect sizes (ESs) indicating increases in achievement (unweighted mean ES = 0.59, SD = 0.90; weighted ES, d = 0.33, p < .0001, 95% confidence interval = 0.29-0.37). PAL interventions were most effective with younger, urban, low-income, and minority students. Interventions that used interdependent reward contingencies, ipsative evaluation procedures, and provided students with more autonomy had higher ESs. Adequate descriptive information was missing in many studies. Researchers are encouraged to develop PAL interventions in collaboration with practitioners to maximize those interventions' use and effectiveness and to include more detailed information about students, schools, and intervention components in their reports. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
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Although there has been more than a decade of literature on computer-mediated communication in education, the research has been unclear as to whether it is an effective replacement for face-to-face (FtF) collaboration. This study sought to add to this body of research by exploring the effects of two modes of collaboration on student groups. Following a repeated-measures experimental design, each student group collaborated on two case studies, one using face-to-face collaboration and the other using asynchronous computer conferencing technology as a means of collaboration. Empirical findings indicate that asynchronous collaboration is as effective as face-to-face collaboration in terms of learning, quality of solution, solution content, and satisfaction with the solution quality. However, students were significantly less satisfied with the asynchronous learning experience, both in terms of the group interaction process and the quality of group discussions.
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Although important, traditional basic-to-applied research methods have provided an insufficient basis for advancing the design and implementation of innovative collaborative learning environments. It is proposed that more progress may be accomplished through development research or design research. Development research protocols require intensive and long-term collaboration among researchers and practitioners. In this article, we propose guidelines for implementing development research models more widely, and conclude with a prescription for an online collaborative learning research agenda for the next five to ten years.
Book
A Dutch policy scientist once said the information and knowledge in the twenty-first century has the shelf life of fresh fish, and learning in this age often means learning where and how to find something and how to relate it to a specific situation instead of knowing everything one needs to know. On top of this, the world has become so highly interconnected that we have come to realise that every decision that we make can have repercussions somewhere else. To touch as many bases as possible, we need to work with knowledgeable others from different fields (multiple agents) and take heed of their points of view (multiple representations). To do this, we make increasing use of computers and computer-mediated communication. If computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) is not simply a newly discovered hype in education, what is it and why are we writing a book about it? Dissecting the phrase into its constituent parts, we see that first of all CSCL is about learning, and in the twenty-first century this usually means constructivist learning.
Chapter
This study investigates the effectiveness of online task support (the wizard type in particular) relative to instructor-led training, and explores the underlying cognitive process in terms of the development of mental models. Ninety-two novice users of Microsoft Access were either trained by an experienced instructor or performed exercises with online task support, and then completed a variety of performance-based tests. Analysis shows that users of online task support tended to outperform instructor-trained individuals on high-level tasks, whereas the performance difference on low-level tasks was not significant. The cognitive processes underlying the difference are also noteworthy. Task support users were more likely to develop conceptual mental models as opposed to procedural ones, which accounted for their better high-level performance. Mental model completeness was also found to be closely associated with performance on both low and high-level tasks. These findings offer support for increased use of online task support.
Article
77 7th and 8th graders in mathematics classrooms learned a 2-wk unit on exponents and scientific notation in mixed- or uniform-ability groups. Group interaction was tape recorded. Three categories of interaction were related to achievement (ACH): Receiving no explanation for a question or error (receiving no response or receiving only the correct answer) was negatively related to ACH; giving and receiving explanations were positively related to ACH; and ACH and interaction in the group were related to group composition, sex, ability, and personality. Medium-ability Ss in uniform-ability groups showed higher ACH and received more explanations than medium-ability Ss in mixed-ability groups. Males showed higher ACH than females. There was a curvilinear relationship between ability and ACH in mixed groups: Highs performed best, and mediums and lows showed similar ACH. High-ability Ss gave more explanations than low-ability Ss. Introverts outperformed extroverts, but extroverts received more explanations. (45 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved).
Article
The thesis of this research is that performance on a task depends not only on objective complexity (a task characteristic) but also on one's perception of task complexity. This study allowed investigation of the influences of (a) cognitive ability, (b) motivation, (c) subjective task complexity, and (d) task experience on performance for an objectively simple or complex scheduling task. Potential determinants of subjective complexity were also studied, as well as the mediating effects of subjective complexity on the relations between independent variables (i.e., objective complex- ity, cognitive ability, and task experience) and task performance. Participants (N = 195) were undergraduates who prepared a 1-week work schedule for a fictitious film processing store under either a Simple or Complex condition. Those in the Complex condition were additionally required to account for employee time off and varying store traffic. Hierarchical regression revealed significant, unique main effects for objective task complexity and subjective task complexity in predicting task perform- ance when controlling for cognitive ability. Subjective task complexity was found to partially mediate the (a) objective task complexity-performance and (b) cognitive ability-performance relations. Future directions for research and theory are discussed.
Article
The classic work of Benjamin S. Bloom, "Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, The Classification of Educational Goals, Handbook 1: The Cognitive Domain", still serves as an important reference for adminstrators and teachers at all levels of education. This volume analyzes the underlying reasons for its lasting importance. The contributors evaluate the taxonomy within the context of a specific topic in contemporary educational study. They compare the historical period in which the taxonomy was developed to the present educational milieu and discuss the likely future of education in the United States and the world at large. Specific topics covered include: philosophy; psychological perspectives; empirical studies; validity versus utility; teacher education; and curriculum planning. Two chapters are devoted to the applications of the taxonomy in Asia, Europe, the Mediterranean and the Middle East.
Article
This paper develops a new theoretical model with which to examine the interaction between technology and organizations. Early research studies assumed technology to be an objective, external force that would have deterministic impacts on organizational properties such as structure. Later researchers focused on the human aspect of technology, seeing it as the outcome of strategic choice and social action. This paper suggests that either view is incomplete, and proposes a reconceptualization of technology that takes both perspectives into account. A theoretical model—the structurational model of technology—is built on the basis of this new conceptualization, and its workings explored through discussion of a field study of information technology. The paper suggests that the reformulation of the technology concept and the structurational model of technology allow a deeper and more dialectical understanding of the interaction between technology and organizations. This understanding provides insight into the limits and opportunities of human choice, technology development and use, and organizational design. Implications for future research of the new concept of technology and the structurational model of technology are discussed.
Article
This study quantitatively synthesized the empirical research on the effects of social context (i.e., small group versus individual learning) when students learn using computer technology. In total, 486 independent findings were extracted from 122 studies involving 11,317 learners. The results indicate that, on average, small group learning had significantly more positive effects than individual learning on student individual achievement (mean ES = +0.15), group task performance (mean ES = +0.31), and several process and affective outcomes. However, findings on both individual achievement and group task performance were significantly heterogeneous. Through weighted least squares univariate and multiple regression analyses, we found that variability in each of the two cognitive outcomes could be accounted for by a few technology, task, grouping, and learner characteristics in the studies.
Article
The past decade has brought advanced information technologies, which include electronic messaging systems, executive information systems, collaborative systems, group decision support systems, and other technologies that use sophisticated information management to enable multiparty participation in organization activities. Developers and users of these systems hold high hopes for their potential to change organizations for the better, but actual changes often do not occur, or occur inconsistently. We propose adaptive structuration theory (AST) as a viable approach for studying the role of advanced information technologies in organization change. AST examines the change process from two vantage points: (1) the types of structures that are provided by advanced technologies, and (2) the structures that actually emerge in human action as people interact with these technologies. To illustrate the principles of AST, we consider the small group meeting and the use of a group decision support system (GDSS). A GDSS is an interesting technology for study because it can be structured in a myriad of ways, and social interaction unfolds as the GDSS is used. Both the structure of the technology and the emergent structure of social action can be studied. We begin by positioning AST among competing theoretical perspectives of technology and change. Next, we describe the theoretical roots and scope of the theory as it is applied to GDSS use and state the essential assumptions, concepts, and propositions of AST. We outline an analytic strategy for applying AST principles and provide an illustration of how our analytic approach can shed light on the impacts of advanced technologies on organizations. A major strength of AST is that it expounds the nature of social structures within advanced information technologies and the key interaction processes that figure in their use. By capturing these processes and tracing their impacts, we can reveal the complexity of technology-organization relationships. We can attain a better understanding of how to implement technologies, and we may also be able to develop improved designs or educational programs that promote productive adaptations.
Article
This article reports research on the use of cooperative learning strategies in a computer skills lab course at the college level. An experimental design was used to compare the difference in learning performance and student retention in the course between a section taught using cooperative teams and one taught in the traditional individual learning format. Both sections were taught by the regular full-time professor. The results showed that both performance and retention were significantly improved with the use of cooperative learning. The study also included a measure of computer anxiety the analysis of which resulted in a significant interaction between section and anxiety for overall course grade percentage, the high anxiety students doing much better in the cooperative learning section than in the individual learning section. The high anxiety students all experienced a reduction in anxiety regardless of treatment. However, the change in anxiety was most dramatic for the high anxiety students in the cooperative learning treatment, their group mean fell within the low anxiety range at the end of the course.
Article
The effects of within-class grouping on student achievement and other outcomes were quantitatively integrated using two sets of study findings. The first set included 145 effect sizes and explored the effects of grouping versus no grouping on several outcomes. Overall, the average achievement effect size was +0.17, favoring small-group learning. The second set included 20 effect sizes which directly compared the achievement effects of homogeneous versus heterogeneous ability grouping. Overall, the results favored homogeneous grouping; the average effect size was +0.12. The variability in both sets of study findings was heterogeneous, and the effects were explored further. To be maximally effective, within-class grouping practices require the adaptation of instruction methods and materials for small-group learning.
Article
The importance of effective training in ensuring the success of end-user computing (EUC) has been emphasized by several researchers in information systems. A vast amount of evidence from research in related areas such as educational psychology suggests that individual differences, such as learning style, may affect users learning about a new EUC software package. This article reports the findings of a series of studies that examine the influence of a novice's learning style in learning typical EUC tools such as spreadsheets and electronic mail. A consistent pattern of findings emerges that indicates that learning modes is an important predictor of learning performance, both by itself and in interaction with training methods. The findings suggest that in the design of training, it is essential to match training methods to individual difference variables. Based on these findings, guidelines are recommended for IS professionals involved in EUC training and further research directions are discussed.
Article
Training in information technology (IT) tools has traditionally been defined in terms of skills. Consequently, training methods and approaches have focused almost exclusively on ensuring that a trainee acquire the skills required to use an IT tool, and in a specific domain. With the advent and increasing use of enterprise-wide IT architectures, such as client/server, integrated processes such as workflow systems and integrated packages such as SAP, this narrow view of training will prove to be inadequate in preparing the workforce of the future. To train such a workforce, we propose a re-conceptualization of training based on a hierarchy of knowledge levels that a trainee will need. We then use this hierarchy to propose an integrated framework that can be used to develop a comprehensive training strategy. We offer directions for research that is needed to use our model to develop effective training strategies.
Article
Although there is a strong theoretical basis for concluding that conceptual models are effective in aiding users build mental models of computer systems, very little empirical evidence exists to support such a conclusion. Frequently, the effect has been weak. Subjects trained with a conceptual model often perform better than control group subjects in learning tests, but seldom at a statistically significant level. One possible reason for this is the influence of individual differences such as basic cognitive abilities. This study examined the influence of two cognitive variables - visual ability and learning mode - in the mental model formation process of novice users of an electronic mail filing system. We compared the effectiveness of two types of conceptual models-analogical and abstract. It was found that high-visual subjects performed significantly better than low-visual subjects. Abstract learners also performed better than concrete learners.
Article
Prior research into the question of how to train end users reveals an important lesson. To provide useful insights, researchers must study alternative training methods that are based on rich distinctions between realistic training methods. The experiment reported here illustrates this lesson. Lecture-based and computer-based training are experimentally compared for end users with different learning styles (as measured by the Kolb Learning Style Inventory). The end user training outcomes measured were achievement, efficiency, and satisfaction. The end users who participated in the study were college students learning to use a word processing package. The results suggest that computer-based training is more effective than lecture based training except for Assimilators, who appear to learn equally well under either method. Given the limitations of the study and taking into account suggested cautions, these results should be replicated before being widely accepted.
Article
This book examines cooperation, competition, and individualization in the classroom. Although the authors admit to a preference for cooperation among students in learning situations, they also believe that there are times when competition and individualization may be more beneficial. These three goal structures are examined in terms of: (a) definition, (b) research, (c) myths, (d) selection, (e) implementation, (f) skills, (g) monitoring, (h) evaluation, (i) teacher role, and (j) classroom management. Appendixes include a review of research and diagnostic and instructional exercises. An extensive bibliography is included. (PB)
Article
This book provides the student with an understanding of theories and research on learning and related processes and demonstrates their application in educational contexts. The text is intended for graduate students in schools of education or related disciplines, as well as for advanced undergraduates interested in education. It is assumed that most students using this text are pursuing educationally relevant careers and that they possess minimal familiarity with psychological concepts and research methods. Important historical theories are initially discussed, followed by accounts of current research. Differing views are presented, as well as criticism when warranted. A chapter is devoted to problem solving and learning in reading, writing, mathematics, and science. The chapters on motivation, self-regulation, and instructional processes address topics relevant to learning theories. These topics traditionally have shown little overlap with learning theories, but fortunately this situation is changing. Researchers are addressing such topics as how motivation can influence quantity and quality of learning, how instructional practices impact information processing, and how learning principles can be applied to develop self-regulated learners. The applications of learning principles focus on school-aged students, both because of personal preference and because most students are interested in working with children and teenagers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Article
This experiment examined the influence of training method and trainee age on performance during training in the acquisition of computer software skills. A behavioral modeling training method yielded consistently superior computer software mastery compared with a nonmodeling approach. Older trainees exhibited significantly lower performance than did younger trainees in both the modeling and the nonmodeling training conditions. Findings are discussed in terms of strategies for overcoming older worker technological obsolescence.
Article
A field experiment of 68 full-time employees studied the effects of performance feedback and cognitive playfulness (that is, cognitive spontaneity in human-computer interactions) on microcomputer training performance. In addition, this research examined the impacts of performance feedback and cognitive playfulness on software efficacy perceptions and on a variety of affective outcomes, including satisfaction with feedback, satisfaction with training, and positive mood. The findings suggest that positive feedback generally results in higher test performance and more positive affective outcomes, than does negative feedback. Similarly, employees higher in cognitive playfulness demonstrated higher test performance and more positive affective outcomes than those lower in cognitive playfulness. Finally, a significant feedback × playfulness interaction on test performance was found. Specifically, employees lower in cognitive playfulness benefited more from the positive feedback than did those higher in cognitive playfulness. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.
Article
End User Computing (EUC) is experiencing a resurgence of importance as managers realize it is tied to the new knowledge economy through knowledge-worker productivity. Assessing individual's capabilities with respect to end user technologies is central to both research on EUC and management of EUC in organizations. For this reason, we advance a new construct, User Competence, which is multi-faceted. It is composed of an individual's breadth and depth of knowledge of end user technologies, and his or her ability to creatively apply these technologies (finesse). Several issues are explored, including what User Competence means, how users differ in their capability, and how these differences relate to other individual characteristics. The experimental study of 100 subjects shows that the dimensions of competence relate differently to individual factors, such as gender, education, self-efficacy, and specific software-syntax skills. Reasons for and implications of these observed relationships are discussed.
Article
This study compares Pairs of subjects with Single subjects in a task of discovering scientific laws with the aid of experiments. Subjects solved a molecular genetics task in a computer micro-world (Dunbar, 1993). Pairs were more successful in discovery than Singles and participated more actively in explanatory activities (i.e., entertaining hypotheses and considering alternative ideas and justifications). Explanatory activities were effective for discovery only when the subjects also conducted crucial experiments. Explanatory activities were facilitated when paired subjects made requests of each other for explanation and focused on them. The study extends from individual to collaborative discovery activities the importance to the discovery process of setting goals to find hypotheses and evidence (Dunbar, 1993) and to construct explanations of phenomena and processes encountered in examples (Chi, Bassok, Lewis, & Glaser, 1989).