Today DBS is an ideal medium for Interactive television. Interactive Television (INJ is a satellite based one-way, point-to-multipoint live video broadcast service. It transmits a television quality signal to any number of remote classroom locations. Classrooms can be equipped with keypads connected to dedicated phone lines. Participants view the program on standard TV sets at remote classroom sites, equipped with individual keypads, allowing participants to ask and respond to questions and offer comments during live broadcast.
Over the course of the next 12 months the technology will evolve such that ITV be delivered to the desktop PC. in this implementation a satellite dish connects to the PC via a standard coaxial cable. The cable in tum powers the dish. The cable connects to the PC through a standard PC TV tuner card that can be purchased at the local computer store for under $100. The student will interact with the broadcast facility through keypad emulation software residing on the intemet.
TELETRAINING
Teletraining is an integrated system for the planning, design and delivery of live and stored audio/video to a student. An’on demand” system interacts with and queries a database of video indexes on a server and plays back stored video broadcasts as opposed to live broadcasts.
For example, Joe, our new hire can dial into an intemet server populated with corporate videos of sales orientations, stockholders meetings, company archives, and more. Joe requests the server to transmit the sales orientation video to the small satellite dish connected to his PC.
IMPLICATIONS TO TRAINING COSTS
A small dish satellite solution will significantly reduce training and travel time; and travel, hotel, instructor, postage, printing, and other expenses associated with live 1:1 instruction are practically eliminated. For example, instead of sending an army of marketeers on the road to demonstrate the company’s latest products, the product demo can be taped or broadcast live to a number of remote classrooms, hotel sites, or corporate networks connected to PCs and equipped with a DBS dish. There is only the one time development cost, and the cost of deployment decreases the cost per recipient with each broadcast of the same marketing material.
IMPLICATIONS TO IT ORGANIZATIONS
satellite services can supplement or even extend our terrestrial-based services to give companies a competitive edge. Because it reduces cost, while increasing system availability satellite technology is a valuable business tool.
In future articles we’ll thoroughly examine small dish interactive television implementations, its purpose, its service, architecture, technical specifications and key benefits. The intention is not only to examine the solution architecture but elicit some forethought and insight as to the many possible benefits derived from integrating small dish satellite into current training activities. The aim is to demonstrate a correlation between the small dish business model and the requirements to deliver communication, training, and information through it – anytime, anywheRe!
For further reference check out ATT’s homepage at http://www.att.com
Learning Systems
Future-state designs now must encompass learning systems at a number of different levels. The corporate level or the centralized learning center is only one version. Workplace learning systems of various varieties are equally as important, and networked learning systems via networked information technology are a must.
The Role of Technology
No modern T&D strategy is complete if the future-state design does not create a specific role for information technology and training delivery technology. Most training organizations today do not have consistent information technology linking them together across an organization, nor do they have common delivery technology platforms that enable easy transit of learningware across the business.
Benchmarking
Benchmarking or best practices visits can be a very powerful tool in developing a T&D strategy, particularly if executive sponsors are personally involved. It can be particularly powerful if executive sponsors lack a rudimentary understanding of what the role of T&D is in a modern corporation and what a world-class training system looks like. The drawback to including benchmarking or best practices visits in a strategy project is the lengthening effect that it typically has on the project schedule, since getting executives calendars together in both the host company and the company doing the strategy project can be a logistical nightmare. Our general recommendation is to conduct benchmarking and best practices visits as a matter of routine, and then incorporate the results of those into the strategy project when that strategy project is done.
Communications
Planning to spend the time to do the necessary communications during and after the strategy formulation is a very important issue for the strategy project. If a T&D strategy results in a significant departure from the way T&D is organized or conducted today, a great many people will require communications regarding the proposed future state. Many of these will be important stakeholders that must be briefed in person and should not be briefed via memos, E-mail, company news articles, and so forth.
Appendix A
Case Study: Intel Corporation
Abstract
Intel designs, manufactures and markets microprocessors. The Logistics Systems training group previously offered traditional classroom instruction for learning new applications. The group decided to begin providing embedded training in the applications themselves, thus eliminating the need for training. Comparison of hours off the job for training on the LEUCIE Project at Intel Corporation showed traditional classroom training would have required up to 12 hours, while embedded CBT training required up to 2 hours.
Background of the Company
Intel Corporation is the world’s largest supplier of microprocessors for use in personal computers. The logistics department at Intel consists of 800 people worldwide responsible for coordinating the movement of materials and supplies in and out of the company.
Purpose of the Training Project
The Logistics Education and Performance Support Team at Intel is responsible for providing training on new software applications. While the group historically provided traditional classroom training for new programs, the group now provides embedded training in the applications themselves. Users of the new applications can click on an icon to bring up a training module which provides instruction that is designed as just-in-time and just-enough for the task at hand. Rod Ibieta, manager of the Logistics Education and Performance Support Team, reported that development required working closely with the software programmers to have the training modules appear seamless to the user.
The LEUCIE project (Logistics End User Computing Information Enabler) is a new report generating application. Development involved three instructional designers working with the software development team to provide ideas for the user interface design and content. The resulting Electronic Performance Support System (EPSS) included traditional online help, Step-by-Step Cards (on-screen instruction windows that stay resident on top of the application while enabling the user to still interact with the software), and simulations of the software (mini-training modules).
Hardware and Software
The program runs on Intel-based PCs. The training program / electronic performance support system (EPSS) was developed using Macromedia’s Authorware Professional.
Results
Intel has replaced the estimated 8 to 12 hours of classroom training typical for such an application with 1 to 2 hours needed to complete the embedded training modules. The program managers report that in addition to the time savings, there has been an increase in accuracy. Their project report quotes Gloria Gery as saying research shows classroom training on software results in 78% average accuracy, versus 98% average accuracy with embedded training built into an electronic performance support system. The project report (Smiley, 1994) provided the following information:
“Providing a comprehensive performance support system eliminated the need for any classroom training. A course on how to use LEUCIE would have been 8 to 12 hours, so the team estimated saving a day of the users’ time. In addition, the users benefit from having the simulations and other PSS elements available at their desktop, and can access these tools whenever necessary. Since the LEUCIE application is being implemented worldwide, users have 24-hour access to the training and support information regardless of their location or work schedule. Use of the LEUCIE PSS is being tracked automatically through the networks it is installed on. Markers in the LEUCIE software count whenever a user accesses one of the PSS tools. User reaction to the PSS is being tracked via a survey following their initial use (1).”
http://www.gise.org/JIGE/Voll-5/CORPORAT.htm, Corporate Multimedia and the MIS Course.
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~visible/papers/CBT.html#Prices, CBT Prices.
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/content/pcwk/1435/pcwk0108.htm, Training Companies.
http://itta.org/news.htm/trainingnet.com, Trends in Training & Development.
http://www.brandonhall.com/newsletter.html, Brandonhall Training Home Page.
http://www.newbridge.com, Interactive Distance Learning.
Additional Information
ISP: The Internet Connection (TICNET), Dallas, TX.
Hardware Configuration: Compaq Presario 5020 System, Compaq MV500 17? Monitor with Compaq IJ700 Printer.
References
Breskin, Ira. (1995). Why satellites will grow in info delivery. Investors Business Daily. October 3.
Cole, Jeff. (1995) Star Wars, In new space race companies are seeking dollars from heaven. Wall Street Journal October ?O.
Gagne, Robert M., Leslie J. Briggs and Waiter W. Wager. (1992). Principles of instructional design. Orlando, Fa, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich College Publishers.
Gery, G. (1995). Electronic Performance Support Systems. Boston : Weingarten Publications, Inc. JSB Computer Systems. (1996).
Malcome, Stanley, (1993) Reengineering Corporate Training. Training. 29(8). 57-61.
Toffler, Alvin. (1970). Future Shock. New York. Random House.
Anderson, David L. and Post, Gerald V. (1997), Management Information Systems: Solving Business Problems With Information Technology, Irwin McGraw-Hill, (1997).