Section 4: Human Performance Technology

Identify a performance problem in your area of work and identify non-instructional solutions that may help solve the problem.

This year, my school district has given me the new responsibility of “District Librarian.” Besides the responsibility of running my own elementary library, I am also required to supervise the library aides who manage the other three libraries in our district. The library aides have been working at the schools for many years and routines and behaviors were already established before I took on my new role. One of the performance problems I have experienced in my work as district librarian is a lack of clearly stated job duties/descriptions.  I hear the phrase “that is not my job” frequently from one aide in particular, and it has been a challenge to communicate just what is expected from her. According to Figures 14.1 and 14.2, a HPI non-instructional fix for “lack of motives and expectations” would be to provide the library aide with “Environment information”—a description of what is expected of performance, guides for how to do the job and feedback on performance. In order for this to be achieved, I need to give the library aide not only expectations, but also the motives for these expectations and allow for her input for achieving them, especially tasks that are less than gratifying, such as shelving books. Applying Situational Leadership from Ch. 12 (specifically explaining and clarifying goals) will provide intrinsic motivation needed for team members to “buy-in” to the importance of performing certain jobs, and from my experience as teacher I have found that this works better for most situations that extrinsic motivation (i.e. rewards & incentives).

 

Define performance support systems and explain how a performance support system might (or might not) help solve the problem you identified above.

Performance support systems are methods that provide timely support to individuals in a form that they can use. A PSS is an intervention for problems that interfere with performance, and can come in the form of online or offline support. One of the reasons problems occur with my library aides is because I cannot be there physically to help with day-to-day library activities. This week’s reading has motivated me to create a District Library wiki as a solution to my performance problems (clearly defining expectations). This form of Web 2.0 will help increase the timeliness of performance support, provide an outlet for point-of-need instructions and provide support for procedures that are less-frequent/critical such as our once a year inventory. Perhaps the greatest benefit of keeping a library wiki will be enabling the aides to collaborate with each other, share their own ideas and provide feedback for optimizing performance in the library. Since I have not created my library wiki yet, the following is an example of a library wiki that was created as a form of performance support for librarians: http://elementarylibraryroutines.wikispaces.com/

What knowledge would help solve the problem you identified above and how would that knowledge need to be collected and managed to help facilitate problem solving?

This chapter gives insight to how knowledge in the workplace is labeled and categorized.  The types of knowledge that would help solve my identified problem of “identifying library job duties” would be sharing explicit knowledge, with the goal being the ability for the library aides to share tacit knowledge, or undocumented knowledge they have acquired as a result of their own experience rather than through training. I would like for the library wiki to address procedures such as Accelerated Reader management, information literacy links, tech-support info for our library automation system, and FAQ concerning day-to-day activities such as circulation and weeding.

The type of knowledge that this chapter recognizes as the greatest challenge to capture is undiscovered knowledge or the hidden knowledge that may help benefit the organization. A benefit of using a wiki for knowledge management is the fact that it fosters collaboration among colleagues and provides an outlet for undiscovered knowledge. Many issues in organizations stem from only one person having the knowledge to fix a problem-one gatekeeper who has the ability to make a project work or bring it to a screeching halt-and by applying KM an organization can prohibit the gatekeeper mentality. My vision for the library wiki is a knowledge management system that does not look like a dull policy and procedures manual, but one that encourages the library aides to share what they have learned from their own experiences to possibly uncover some hidden knowledge that will benefit the whole district.

 

What informal learning experiences have you participated in at your organization? Could those informal learning experiences be shared with others? Could the knowledge gained in those settings be codified and managed? And should it be managed or should the informal experiences be replicated or broadened to include others?

I use a variety of informal methods to gather information about my job, but I use the Internet the most for answering questions from everything to technology to bulletin board ideas. I also rely on other librarians and colleagues to get input about issues concerning policies, and keep a stack of journals by my computer to read reviews and learn about library trends.

I do agree that informal experiences should be replicated in most cases, but there are some exceptions. For example, information concerning technology that changes so rapidly is difficult to codify, because tomorrow when we Google the same question we asked today, there may be a better solution to the tech problem. Another example pertains to the “museum experience” mentioned on pg.173. From my own experience, this type of informal learning is difficult to manage, and the writers of this chapter are correct when they state that words can’t quite express the magical experience of seeing a real artifact in a museum or seeing a live performance and this type of informal experience is often missing in education. On the other hand, informal experiences are the only way to address problems on our campus, because we do not have time to have formal gatherings otherwise.  One way we manage and document our power lunch/ lounge chat sessions is by using our phones to take notes because it is simple to e-mail our lists to other teachers and our principal.

 

I agree with the statement on pg. 175 that perhaps the biggest role for informal learning environments is that of promoting the love of learning itself, and in the future, lines between formal and informal learning will diminish.  One issue in education is the Bring Your Own Device policy, and many schools are creating Acceptable Use Policies for students to use phones, e-readers, etc. to have learning at their fingertips. Our district does not agree with BYOD for reasons pertaining to internet safety; however, I believe we are not taking advantage of a tremendous tool for informal learning.  After all, students already have access to information outside of school, and by making them “power down” during school hours is a set back to the education of our students.

Another example of informal learning was mentioned in an article we were required to read in my last ETEC course titled Creating a New Culture of Teaching and Learning, in which Alan November makes points about how we acquire/share knowledge, and he described how we as educators need to tell our stories. He states that professionals in education isolate themselves, and do not see anything special about what we do every day; however, he believes in documenting what we do as educators and states that we must share our tacit knowledge—what is working for us in the classroom with others in our field so that what we do makes a difference. One advantage I have as a district librarian is that I have the ability to see what is happening around the district. I would like to apply the principle of supporting informal learning mentioned on pg. 175 because I believe it will make a difference in my district if I observe, share, participate and encourage others to recognize informal learning so that this collective knowledge has an impact.