Having an Impact

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Having an Impact

• Joseph Lamos, Ph.D.
• Assistant Director,
• UCAR/COMET

Keynote Address at CALMet, 1999, Helsinki, Finland
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Having an Impact

• The Web, Performance Technology, and
  Organizational Change

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Transformation and subversion

• A technology is transforming when
• it changes the way we do our normal tasks
• it makes our lives easier
• A technology is subversive when it
• replaces or undercuts the use of older technology
• overturns cultural or organizational traditions

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The impact of a technology

• Depends on its ability to both satisfy and alter
  both personal, organizational and even cultural
  goals

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CAL will have impact

• Because it is part of a larger transforming
  technology

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The Web

• We all know it has already been transforming but
  do we know what, how, and when it will subvert
  those ways of living and doing business we take
  for granted?

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March of Technology
Mentor/Apprentice
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Date Hosts Domains
Jan 99 43,230,000 Jan 98 29,670,000
Jan 97 16,146,000 828,000 Jan 96
9,472,000 240,000 Jan 95
4,852,000 71,000 Jan 94
2,217,000 30,000 Jan 93
1,313,000 21,000
Internet Growthfrom Domain Survey, Network
Wizards, 1997
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Is this the impact of technology, including the
Web?

• More free time than at any other point in the
  last three decades
• However, this free time is available only in
  short bursts scattered throughout the workweek
• People think they are working longer hours, but
  in reality they mistake pace of work for length
  of time spent working.
• (based on Time for Life by John Robinson and
  Geoffrey Godbey as reported in the Denver Post)

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Recreational use of the Web at work
Data taken from May, 1999 CheckNet Survey,
Spyglass Inc. (www.spyglass.com/newsflash/releases
/051199swchecknet.html)
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What does this mean?

• Does a concern over Web surfing reflect the
  traditional concept
• Work Desk Time
• Does it reflect what seems to be the on-going
  merger of work and leisure?
• Does it matter if the focus is on
  accomplishment.

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More statistics
College Closings
Cybercourses at 4-yr. colleges
Sources U.S. Department of Education InterEd
in Forbes, June 16, 1997
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The creation of the virtual classroom

• Will be wherever a person needs to learn
• In the workplace
• At home
• On the road
• Will change the nature of the traditional
  classroom
• Away from information dissemination
• To socialization, motivation, and integration

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Changing paradigms

• Will begin to solidify the role of the computer
  and information technology as a facilitator of
  learning
• Two paradigm shifts
• one encompasses the concept of Human Performance
  Technology (HPT)
• the other is that learning is simply not in the
  head but is also in the environment that permits
  active participation

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Human Performance Technology

• Thomas Gilbert Human Competence Engineering
  Worthy Performance)
• Focus is on performance as the means to
  accomplishments
• Lack of performance does not always equate to a
  lack of training and/or education
• Identify the performance gap
• desired performance versus actual performance
• potential for improving performance

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The notion of leisure

• Time for opportunity and is based on
• Worthy Performance

• Human competence is to increase the value of our
  accomplishments while reducing the energy we put
  into the effort

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Leisure continued
P a persons repertory E the environment
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Learning paradigm shift

• Learning is the result of an entwined interaction
  between what goes on in the head and what goes on
  in the environment
• Cognition and thus learning exists in the context
  of, the larger physical and social context of
  interactions and culturally constructed tools and
  meaning. Light Butterworth, 1992, p.1

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Learning Environment
"Learning environments" describe situations where
the learner assumes more direction and control
over goals, content, and methods. (Wilson, B.
G. (Ed.). (1996). Constructivist learning
environments Case studies in instructional
design. Englewood Cliffs NJ Educational
Technology Publications.)
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Evolving Performance Support
Wilson, B. (1998). Evolving tools of
performance support Empowering workgroups and
individuals. (www.cudenver.edu/bwilson/empower.ht
ml)
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A Professional Development Environment
Professional Development

• Performance Improvement

Training Results
Competent Behavior not courses or topics taught
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Professional Development Concept

• This concept has been accepted as part of the
  United States National Weather Services National
  Strategic Training and Education Plan (NSTEP)

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Training Driven by the Reversed End-to-End
Forecast Process
What does the User Community need to know?
What competencies are needed to support product
and services?
What scientific or technical knowledge is
required?
What performance skills are required?
What local knowledge is required?
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Professional Development Series (PDS)

• Focuses on a specific job responsibility to
  deliver forecast products and services
  (Forecasting Severe Convective Storms)
• Defines a learning path that brings personnel to
  a level of desired competency
• Combines both scientific and technical
  understanding with professional skills
  techniques

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Professional Competency Unit (PCU)

• The building block of a PDS, composed of multiple
  instructional components ( ICs)
• Focused on the development of a specific
  competency (Anticipate Storm Type) toward
  fulfillment of a job responsibility
• Focus of PCUs are driven by the requirements of
  the reversed end-to-end forecast process
• Completion of a PCU demonstrates competency

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Professional Competency Unit (PCU)

• A PCU is composed of Instructional Components
  (ICs) that utilize an integrated suite of
  delivery modes
• Web-based instruction
• Teletraining-based classes and seminars
• CD-ROM multimedia
• Local on-station training
• Residence training for local training officers

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Forecaster Learning Environment
Web-based Modules
On-site Trainer-led Training and Assessment
CD-ROM Modules
Forecaster
Teletraining
Residence Training
Online Conferences and Bulletin Boards
EPSS
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For impact there should be accomplishment

• At a personal level a technology should allow us
  to be successful
• At an organizational level a technology should
  provide adaptability
• At a cultural level a technology should create
  new opportunities

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Strategic versus tactical thinking

• Tactical thinking
• focuses on the near term
• it is objective driven
• it must consider the details
• Strategic thinking
• considers the long term
• it should be goal driven
• it should be systemic and robust

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Robust systems

• Are adaptable
• Can withstand imprecision
• Are accommodating
• Evolve

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Computer-Aided Learning

• Is a tactical component
• it succeeds when it has clear objectives to meet
• it is a tool for accommodating change
• it is a means to and end
• Will have impact when it is part of a robust
  system that has strategic focus

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Computer-Aided Learning

• The need now is to move from a tactical
  perspective to a strategic perspective that
  encompasses the transforming development of
  powerful learning environments based on the Web
  and performance technology

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Putting the concept into practice
You can visit our Meteorology Education Web site
to see how the Professional Series Concept is
being applied. By following the Professional
Development link for Forecasting Convective
Weather you can see how a PDS learning
environment is being shaped.
Visit the Meted Web site
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