System Specification

Hi folks. I'm feeling better, so I thought I'd put together some thoughts on the systems specification. I like what we have so far (WBT or CBT, allowing broad access and easy updates, along with printable maps), but I thought we'd get a bit more specific. I created some screen captures and some notes for each:

Screen:

Advantages of WBT or CBT system

• Opportunities for interactivity and active learning

Supporting text: a WBT or CBT system allows the developer to use a variety of tools for building interactive exercises, such as dynamic HTML, Flash, Captivate, etc. Instructional designers can create interactions to simulate the tasks involved in the course's map-reading objectives.

Screen:

Advantages of WBT or CBT System, cont.

• Allows for remedial assistance, as determined by learner

Supporting text: such interactive exercises allow the learner to request help, as needed. Given the number of hints requested by the learner, the training could provide simpler or more difficult examples (viz. simpler or more complex maps and simpler or more complex street scenes)

Screen:

Advantages of WBT or CBT System, cont.

• Learner success can be easily quantified, tracked and reported
  

Supporting text: Success criteria can be quantified, in terms of how many times the learner asked for help, or how many times the learner misidentified their location. Based on requests for help and correct answers, learners can self-check using these interactions to determine whether they have accomplished the objective. Further, scores can be saved in the LMS, by individual interactions and requests for help, allowing the delivery company to gather reports on their learners in order to determine the overall success of the training program.

I'm interested to hear what ya'll think.

Thanks,

Joe

Integrate Goals with Modules

When I post my last post, I haven’t found Katie’s latest post. To combine both our messages together, I made adjustment on the diagram.

Suggestion for working on product specification

Hi, Teams,

Jeff’s PPT is great. Thanks Anne and Jeff for putting things together. Look like we are almost there!

Our next step seems to be, identify objectives and work toward Design Concept document. My concern is what is our common consensus about product specification? I read from sample Design Concepts for PPT for Military and Word Style, both of the documents said that they are based on a specific Module (1 and 3) from their SS.


I suggest that we walk a little lower to product level specification instead of just a macro view as shown on slide 9. With the product specification, when we describe detailed design in our individual Concept Design document, we’ll sound like we are talking about the same product. To help explain my opinion, I drafted this system diagram. If we had something like this, we could each choose 1 module to work on without worrying about overlapping each other too much or conflicting with each other in next design document.


The diagram is only a draft to explain my meaning, it should be refined further. I used Joe’s three major goals plus Jeff’s Map Basic to form the Modules. We could also replace it with Jeff’s idea that stated in one of his email to us (as shown below). They have different approaches but will cover similar goals and objectives.

Hope I didn’t make things more confused!


Susan

Slide revisions

I thought maybe I'd create a posting where we can start to collect potential revisions to the slides. Please add your revisions as comments to this posting. gracias señores...

More goal/objective refinement

Hey team,

I haven't felt great about the ability to really split up the goals based on previous team meetings. Also based on tonight's team meeting, sounds like those present agreed that the goals as we have them stated now are a bit too specific.

Thus I have taken a stab at re-writing our goals such that they cover the content that we previously identified as important, but offer less redundancy and specificity.

Take a look, and let me know what you think. I have included Jeff's goal/objective as well as my own. If the remaining team members want to claim one of the three that remains that would work. Or we can trash the remaining three, and rewrite them using your own goals/objectives.... whatever the team decides. I don't want to step on toes here, I was just hoping to gain and/or offer more clarity.

Here goes...

1. Goal 1. The driver will be able to identify the different parts of a map. (This is a new basic goal that I stole from something that Jeff sent out.... I think we need to make sure these very basic objectives are met at the start of our training.)

• Objective (?developer?): Given a map, the student will be able to locate the legend.
• Objective (?developer?): Given a map, the student will be able to locate the scale.
• Objective (?developer?): Given a map, the student will be able to locate the street index.
• Objective (?developer?): Given a map, the student will be able to locate the cardinal/ordinal directions

2. Goal 2. The driver will be able to find an address on a map.

• Objective (Jeff): Given a street address of a building and a map, with one or more standard addresss indicators, the student will accurately locate the block and the side of the street of the address on the map.

3. Goal 3. The driver will be able to determine distance on a map.

• Objective (Katie): Given two points on a map, the student will accurately approximate the distance between the two points.
• Objective (Katie): Given two points on a map, the student will determine which of multiple possible routes is most likely the fastest route.

4. Goal 4. The driver will be able to identify the best route on a map.

• Objective (?developer?): Given three or more addresses, the student will be able to identify the route with the shortest total driving distance.
• Objective (?developer?): The driver will be able to plot an alternate route if he/she finds the original route is blocked.

5. Goal 5. The driver will be able to locate his/her current actual location on a map.

• Objective (?developer?): Using real-life indicators (street signs, landmarks, etc) the student will be able to locate his/her current location on a map.
  

Refinement of our instructional goals

Here's a restatement of what we had last night with a few additions. I added two goals that we had before but didn't include last night: the 'alternate route' one that I put under the 'best route' goal, and the 'estimate the distance' one that I put in at its own level under our major goal.

I also added a new one that just leaped out at me about shortest route and fastest route, and put it under the 'best route' goal. Let me know what you think.

Major goal: the driver will be able to plot a route from one delivery location to the next delivery location, in a major metropolitan area.

• the driver will be able to determine his/her location on the map at any given time

• the driver will be able to locate any particular address on a map

1. the driver will be able to locate the street in the map index
1. the driver will be able to use block numbers to determine which block the address is on

• the driver will be able to determine the best route between two addresses

1. the driver will be able to use the map legend to distinguish different kind of roads and find nearby landmarks
1. the driver will be able to distinguish between the shortest route and the fastest route
1. the driver will be able to plot an alternate route if he or she finds out that the first choice is blocked

• the driver will be able to estimate the distance between the current location and the target address

A question as you look at this: don't the top level goal and the third major goal now sound a lot alike?

• Goal: the driver will be able to plot a route from one delivery location to the next delivery location, in a major metropolitan area.
  
  
  
  • the driver will be able to determine his/her location on the map at any given time
  
  
  • the driver will be able to locate any paticular address on a map
  
  
  
  
  • the driver will be able to locate the street in the map index
  
  
  • the driver will be able to use block numbers to determine which block the address is on
  
  
  
  
  • the driver will be able to determine the best route between two addresses
  
  
  
  
  • the driver will be able to use the map legend to distinguish different kind of roads and find nearby landmarks
  
  
  
  

Diagram for our temporary conclusion

I tried to layout what we have got till now. Hope this help to focus.

Constraints/Enablers WEB-BASED training

Please add comments to this posting that identify constraints and enablers of the option of WBT given our learners and content.

Constraints/Enablers CD ROM

Please add comments to this posting that identify constraints and enablers of the option of CBT given our learners and content.

Constraint/Enablers INSTRUCTOR LED TRAINING

Please add comments to this posting that identify constraints and enablers of the option of instructor led training given our learners and content.

March 18th Meeting Notes: THE LEARNER

For language and delivery system reasons, the team decided to go with a new learner. The characteristics listed below were identified to describe this learner:

• Newly hired delivery truck driver
• Undergoing training as part of a new hire job training program
• Male, Female
• Age range varies, but at least 18
• Valid driver's license
• 9th grade reading level at least
• English speaking
• Basic computer skills
• Motivated to demonstrate high job performance: fast and accurate package deliveries
  

March 18th Meeting Notes: GOALS

The following goals were identified for these learners:

1. “Where Am I?” - Given “real-world” information regarding immediate surroundings, the learner can identify where they are on a map. (See Joe’s post below regarding this objective.)
2. The learner can map out the best route for a series of delivery addresses.
3. The learner can find an alternate route when faced with construction areas or other detours on their route.
4. The learner can list major indicators that help to identify their present location on the map (street names, numbers, landmarks…) (this was mentioned as a possible near-reaching goal)
5. The learner can determine which way is north, south, east, or west.
6. The learner can estimate the distance between points A and B using the map scale
7. The learner can use the map legend to distinguish different kinds of roads, find the nearest hospital, etc.

March 18th Meeting Notes: DELIVERY SYSTEM

Team decided that Web-based delivery system was the most appropriate to this learner and learning context. The characteristics listed below describe this system: (please review and add to the enabler/constraint list- not included in this section

• Maps/Skills could start simple and get more complex as student progresses through the training.
• Learner moves at their own speed through the training (enabler to CBT or WBT)
• Training is completed in the company’s office environment, where learner has access to the hardware necessary for the training (computer, internet, printer…)
• Training includes a timed element where learner is required to make observations and come up with responses within a limited amount of time. This is to mimic the need for drivers to use maps quickly- when they are not actually driving, but rather are stopped at a stoplight, in traffic, or prior to starting the route. (enabler to CBT or WBT)
• Training provides ‘hints’ available to learners who need cues to recognize the visual cues that will help them to locate where they are on a map. (enabler to CBT or WBT)
• Training includes downloadable “map packets” or something accessible by print such that learners are also using a paper map, as they will be on the actual job.
• Make paper map printable from within the training or make have a paper map at each training station that learners will need to use as part of the activities. (constraint for web-based, but we can work around it)
• Some activities learners may have to use a combination of maps to complete the task.
• This training is done in English, but upon successful implementation this training could be developed in other languages, or done as a cross-training where ESL learners could use English/Spanish (e.g) glossary tools to learn to read U.S. city maps.
• Learner identifies their geographic location, and based on that information the training may focus on maps from that geography so learners get used to the maps that they’ll most likely be using. (enabler for web-based)

March 18th Meeting Notes: MISCELLANEOUS

Additional meeting notes (stuff I wrote down that I didn’t want to lose, but didn’t necessarily fit in areas that we had defined:

• We are specifying new hires, and not job applicants. We could call this a pretest for job applicants, but maybe unnecessary to specify this here..
• Monster job search requires job applicants to repair trucks, lift weight, no map skills liste
• Optional training could cover basic computer navigation skills such as click, click and drag, double-click. Optional so that only learners who require this are brought up to speed.
• Website with map training from Susan: http://interactive2.usgs.gov/learningweb/teachers/mapsshow_lesson1.htm
• Keep in mind the redundancy of our goals, so that once it’s time to write objectives, individual group members are not creating training for the same stuff.
  
• Work together if necessary to identify objectives that don’t overlap as much across developers. Also, somewhere Maria says it’s okay if there is overlap as long as developers work together where necessary.
• More than 3 hours worth of instruction?
• Fill out the constraint/enabler matrix more extensively as a team in the blog.
• PLEASE ADD ANYTHING I MISSED AS A COMMENT TO THE BLOG POSTING THAT ADDRESSES THAT TOPIC.
• Our SS will be presented as a PPT on Wed. April 4^th at 6pm pacific.
• Next team meeting is Thursday after Maria’s Breeze session.

Instructional Goals and Objectives - Susan

My opinions:
I like Joe's goal but suggest to broaden the definition from paper map to electronic map.

Instructional Goals and Objectives

OK, I've been thinking about instructional goals and what delivery method might provide the best vehicle for the user achieving these goals. Here are some ideas:

Goal 1: The student should be able to match their immediate surroundings in a major metropolitan area to a location on a map, using landmarks, street names and other visual cues. In other words, the student should be able to answer the question, "where am I?" using a map.

Objective 1: Given a picture of an intersection in a major city, the learner will be able to correctly identify the location of that intersection on a map of that city.

Delivery System: web or computer-based training. This training would provide the learner with image-and-text instruction, teaching the student how to identify key information in their vacinity, such as street names and landmarks, and matching that inforamation to a location on the map. A CBT or WBT system could provide sample maps which vary in detail and scope, according to the learner's expertise. Along with the sample map, the training would show a detailed picture of an intersection or other city location with enough information to match location to the map.

The advantage of the CBT or WBT delivery system is that, if a student needs a hint on identifying information in a picture, the instruction may circle or indicate such information, to guide the learner. This dynamic remedial assistance, along with the variability of map scale and detail, could only be practically achieved in a dynamic learning environment, such as that provided by CBT or WBT delivery systems.

OK. I need tea. I'll submit this and come back to bore you with more. :)

--Joe

Rethinking the multi-lingual issue

Hi folks,

I'm inclined to agree with Jeff: the language issue, for recent immigrants who speak little to no English, really constrains our system choices. In fact, it seems to go beyond the use of WBT or CBT for our delivery method. Maps of U.S. metropolitan areas are typically written in English, using (for instance) "river" instead of "rio." I'm wondering if we're making this harder than it has to be, or more ambitious than we need to be. Might we focus on English speakers who can't read maps? Might this provide us with more options and make our task more manageable?

I'm not really suggesting having the medium, or range of medium, dictate our message. I guess I'm just wondering how ambitious we need to be on this. Thoughts?

--Joe

Delivery systems with these learners

You don't consider the question of delivery systems for too long before you start to realize that what we defined as a learner group here is not a good match for the delivery systems that at least I would like to use - something computer based.

As I picture this group they aren't going to be using computers much. It seems this population would more likely match up to some sort of instructor-led and non-QED thing.

We'll talk more soon, but I wanted to put this down. Any reactions?

--Jeff

Minute for 1st Discussion & Things to Do before Next Discussion

If I put something in here that is wrong or that needs restatement or refinement, please correct it. (A wiki might be good for this part so we could refine right on the original instead of doing it through comments. This way we have to jump back and forth between original posts and responses.)

Our audience is people new to an area, but more specifically it is (I think) people who have immigrated, probably don't have good English skills, need to move around in a foreign city, and are not used to using maps.

So our content focus is map reading skills in a metropolitan area.

For the next meeting we should each:

1 - Refine the Instructional Goals with these learners and content in mind, and flesh some out with a few Instructional Objectives. This will start us developing ideas and getting a feeling about which part each of us would choose for more detailed work.

2 - Consider delivery systems for this, along with the constraints and enablers of the alternative systems.

3 - See if we can find learners to help us test/validate this later.


From Jeff

Testing...

I just wanted to make sure that I was able to publish this post. Testing, testing, uno, dos, tres.... :)

Minute for First meeting & Time to meet next time

Please add more information:


Audience: New to a area

Project leader & Central contact with Maria: Anne

Next meeting: Sunday evening, 6pm CST, 5 MST, 4 PST, 7 EST

Presentation

Top 3 choices for presentation:

1st - Wed, 8pm CST, 7pm MST, 6pm PST
2nd - Wed, 8:30 CST, 7:30 MST, 6:30 PST
3rd - Thur, 9 CST, 8 MST, 7 PST

Instructional Goals for Map Reading Skills

Instructional goals:

1. Learner will be able to label the cardinal and ordinal directions on a compass.
2. Learner will be able to use the street index to locate a specified street.
3. Learner will be able to find a location based on its relationship to established landmarks.
4. Learner will be able to distinguish between 5th Street and 5th Avenue.
5. Learner will be able to distinguish between N Main St. and S Main St.
6. Learner will be able to explain what are block ranges.
7. Learner will be able to follow written directions to get from Point A to Point B.
8. Learner will be able to describe the shortest route to get from Point C to Point D.
9. Learner will be able to select the best map to use to plan a trip from San Diego to Los Angeles.

-- Initial Analysis, Anne Gossett (2006)

Posted by Susan

Initial Blog Post

Hello! Welcome to Team 4's blog. This is my first blog I have created. Thanks to Susan for suggesting this idea and helping me set it up.