Problems and Needs Analysis
Introduction
Advanced Systems Technology (AST) has just finished building the
HITS CBT Player. The HITS CBT player is a model for building computer
and web-based training courses. The reason for this new model
is so that the content, the course interface, and the delivery
method can work independently. That means that content experts
can input content, graphic designers can create animations and
graphics, and programmers can create functionality with the same
course and it can all be done simultaneously. Figure 1.1 will
give an example of how the model is being used.
Figure 1.1
Brief Context
The following is a list of all the stakeholders that are involved
in the problem:
a. Middle and upper-level management
With this new model, middle and upper-level management will want
to know how much time and money this new CBT player is saving
the company. They will be the key factor in determining whether
this model will be implemented in all of the courses.
b. Content experts and instructional designers
With content now a separate entity of the development process,
content experts and instructional designers will now have to change
their old way of content development and follow the new model.
They can now plug-in instructional content, test items, and other
text independently from the entire course development.
c. Marketing and sales team
As this new model is integrated in future courses, more courses
will be build in a shorter time. Marketing and sales team will
now have to change their way of selling the new products.
The following is groups that exist that my design must consider:
a. Programmers
Programmers are now required to develop future CBT courses using
this new model. There will be new software and programming languages
that the programmers must learn in order to develop with this
model.
b. Content experts and instructional designers
Instructional designers and content experts will be exposed to
a different kind of method of content development. There will
be some standards and conformance they will have to know in order
to implement content with the new model.
c. Graphic artists
Graphic artists will also have to change their way of creating
and designing graphics and animations. This model will require
some graphic artist to learn new software for creating graphics
and animations.
Discrepancy-Based Needs Assessment
The goal of the HITS CBT player is to be able to create training
in a much faster pace and be able to deliver that training on
the web or a CD-ROM. This new model will hopefully speed up time
and lower Development costs.
These goals are currently not being achieved yet. The model is
fairly complex and not everyone is familiar with it. Of the six
programmers at the company, only two can operate and program efficiently
with it. The main software that will be used for programming and
designing with this new model is Macromedia Flash MX. Programmers
will have to learn actionScript, flash MX’s scripting language,
that is part of flash MX and be able to build functionality that
conforms with the HITS CBT player. Graphic artists will have to
learn how to create graphics and animations with flash MX. Content
experts and instructional designers will have to become familiar
with database tools for implementing the content.
The following are gaps that exist:
a. The majority of programmers are not familiar
with the programming aspects of Flash MX.
b. The majority of programmers are not familiar
with object-oriented programming, which is the programming style
that Flash MX uses.
c. Graphic artists are not familiar with using
Flash MX.
d. Graphic artists are not familiar with creating
graphics and animation using Flash MX.
e. Content experts and instructional designers
are not familiar with implementing content in a database structure
setting.
The following are the gaps in which are ranked in priority:
a. The majority of programmers are not familiar
with object-oriented
programming, which is the style of programming that Flash MX uses.
b. The majority are not familiar with the programming
aspects of Flash MX.
c. Graphic Artists are not familiar with using
Flash MX.
d. Graphic Artists are not familiar with creating
graphics and animation using Flash MX.
e. Content experts and instructional designers
are not familiar with implementing content in a database structure
setting.
All of the gaps are educational gaps. Having all of the programmers
understand the basic concepts
of object-oriented programming and how it relates to programming
with flash MX.
Problem Solving
The problem is that most of the programmers at AST are not familiar
with object-oriented programming. This will be a huge problem
because most of the course development will be using Flash MX,
which is based on the object-oriented programming structure. In
order to program with Flash MX, the programmers will have learning
object-oriented programming and how it relates to programming
with Flash MX.
The main reason that most programmer at AST are not familiar
with object-oriented programming is because they are use to a
traditional type of programming style, procedural programming.
Many new programming languages, such as actionScript, java, C++,
and visual basic, are all based on the object-oriented structure.
To be able to program with Flash MX, programmers will have to
know the basics concepts of object-oriented programming and how
it relates to Flash MX and actionScript.
Instructional training will most likely be the solution to the
problem that exists. The best way for the programmers to learn
the concept of object-oriented programming and how it relates
to Flash MX is have instructional training.
There is a great need to design this instruction. If the HITS
CBT model is every to be implemented in future training courses,
programmers at AST will need instructions.
Resource and Assessment
Listed below are ways for gaining further information about the
need and possible intervention strategies.
a. Object Oriented Programming in ActionScript
by Branden Hall and Samuel Wan
b. Foundation ActionScript
c. www.quantumwave.com Dave Wang OOP site
The primary goal is for all the programmers to get a grasp of
object-
oriented programming and how it relates to Flash MX. This will
then
give them a starting point for creating future training courses
using the
HITS CBT model.
Listed below are two ways to evaluate the effectiveness of the
intervention.
a. One way to evaluate the effectiveness of the
training is to let the
programmers to develop a course on their own using the CBT model.
b. Another way is to give them an exam.
