HUMAN PERFORMANCE TECHNOLOGY
Performance improvement interventions
The project below is the result of Human Performance Technology (HPT) class that followed Instructional System Design (ISD) class. During this course, I had to determine the performance issues that my previous learners had in different areas through the Performance Needs Assessment. Furthermore, I created a High Level Design of at least 8 interventions that will tackle the main objectives that my performers had to achieve. Following that, I chose one particular intervention and created a Detailed Design for it, as well as a promotional video in order to allow viewers to have a better idea of the intervention.
DISCLAIMER: Please note that the project's is strictly fictional and was used for the purpose of the assignment only.
DISCLAIMER: Please note that the project's is strictly fictional and was used for the purpose of the assignment only.
Performance Needs Assessment
Previous to this project, was a learning one where I had to create a training program. Based on that, I determined the performance issues and gaps that my performers had while trying to conduct their work-related tasks. The document starts with a background study of the issue, the business objective targeted as well as the performance goals. I also did a thorough research of my performers and defined the project's context and constraints. There is also a section about the cause analysis where I tackled different categories that may be the cause of the performance issue.
High Level Design
Based on the performance objectives mentioned in the Performance Needs Assessment, I created the draft of eight different interventions that target those goals. This High Level Design only contains suggestions of interventions that the company may use in order to solve the issue at hand.
Promotional video
This video aims to promote the intervention that I chose for my Detailed Design, which is Digital Storytelling. I decided to produce a short and concise video in order to grab the viewer's interest rather than giving all the information contained in the Detailed Design.
The video targets the performance issue, the performers, and suggests a possible solution at the end.
The video targets the performance issue, the performers, and suggests a possible solution at the end.
Detailed Design
This file revolves around one of the eight interventions presented in the High Level Design above. The intervention chosen is Digital Storytelling. The document presents a definition and a rationale of the intervention, the performers involved, the steps followed in order to implement it, mockups, the constraints and the effects, as well as formative assessment in the form of technical, editorial and usability evaluations.
Reflection
Upon learning that I was required to create a Performance Improvement Campaign, I must admit I was quite frightened. As it is the first time I am asked to create a project like this, I was fortunately assisted by a professor who would always assure me and my classmates that the anxiety and apprehension we had were entirely normal and that she has been through the exact same experience. Writing this reflection seems unrealistic as I have been working on the ISD project and followed it with this one for eight months straight. I can see how much I learned, thanks to the course material, but also due to self-teaching. We were presented with broad guidelines, but each project was personalized and proper to each student, therefore we had to do a lot of research as well as watch tutorials, dig for old examples, and read a lot. However, I can see that I have a long way to fully capture and maneuver the art of creating performance improvement interventions.
One of the most rewarding tasks we had to do for this course is giving feedback to our peers and receiving it. It is an immense contribution and help to the improvement of our instructional skills, our project, but also gives us new perspectives and diverse point of views.
Thanks to this project, I had to think critically, creatively, and logically in order to find the right solutions to the performance issue. I believe the most challenging part of the project was the Performance Needs Assessment. I am not one of the performers, therefore judging their work and establishing the objectives that they need to achieve was quite demanding. Moreover, thanks to the professor and peers’ feedback, I was able to understand that what I deem problematic can be seen under different lights and can sometimes be very hard to fix as I was confronted with a lot of whys and hows.
Moreover, the other assignment were not as complicated as the Needs Assessment, however they were challenging nonetheless. The High level Design required me to do a lot of research on different interventions that can be used for my topic. Unfortunately, there is not always enough information provided either in paper format or digitally, therefore I found myself sometimes putting myself in the shoes of my performers and thinking of ways to fulfill their needs. I also had to conduct interviews and ask SMEs questions without telling them what kind of information I was trying to retrieve in order to avoid limiting their stream of ideas. Furthermore, I had the choice to do an oral presentation or a video in order to promote my intervention. Since I wanted to challenge myself, I opted for the video in order to attempt to convey my thoughts in 30 seconds with very little clarification. Finally, the High Level Design was more challenging than I thought since I had to dig deeper to understand what Storytelling was, whether to do it face-to-face or digitally and most importantly, explain the rationale behind that choice and how it relates to my performers and their objectives.
All in all, I ended up with not only some experience related to Human Performance Technology, but also soft skills such as critical thinking, feedback sharing, and open mindedness.
One of the most rewarding tasks we had to do for this course is giving feedback to our peers and receiving it. It is an immense contribution and help to the improvement of our instructional skills, our project, but also gives us new perspectives and diverse point of views.
Thanks to this project, I had to think critically, creatively, and logically in order to find the right solutions to the performance issue. I believe the most challenging part of the project was the Performance Needs Assessment. I am not one of the performers, therefore judging their work and establishing the objectives that they need to achieve was quite demanding. Moreover, thanks to the professor and peers’ feedback, I was able to understand that what I deem problematic can be seen under different lights and can sometimes be very hard to fix as I was confronted with a lot of whys and hows.
Moreover, the other assignment were not as complicated as the Needs Assessment, however they were challenging nonetheless. The High level Design required me to do a lot of research on different interventions that can be used for my topic. Unfortunately, there is not always enough information provided either in paper format or digitally, therefore I found myself sometimes putting myself in the shoes of my performers and thinking of ways to fulfill their needs. I also had to conduct interviews and ask SMEs questions without telling them what kind of information I was trying to retrieve in order to avoid limiting their stream of ideas. Furthermore, I had the choice to do an oral presentation or a video in order to promote my intervention. Since I wanted to challenge myself, I opted for the video in order to attempt to convey my thoughts in 30 seconds with very little clarification. Finally, the High Level Design was more challenging than I thought since I had to dig deeper to understand what Storytelling was, whether to do it face-to-face or digitally and most importantly, explain the rationale behind that choice and how it relates to my performers and their objectives.
All in all, I ended up with not only some experience related to Human Performance Technology, but also soft skills such as critical thinking, feedback sharing, and open mindedness.