Handbook of human performance technology: Principles,practices, potential (3rd ed.) edited by James A. Pershing

James A. Pershing, CPT, PhD, is a professor of education in instructional systems technology and educational inquiry methodology at Indiana University. He is the former editor of the Performance Improvement journal and TechTrends, past director of the International Society for Performance Improvement, and association manager of the Association for Educational Communications and Technology. He is now a consulting reviewer for TechTrends and is editor of the Asia Pacific Cybereducation Journal. The Handbook of Human Performance Technology: Principles, Practices, Potential (3rd ed.; ISBN: 978‐0‐7879‐6530‐0) is published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. The publisher may be reached online at http://www.pfeiffer.com/WileyCDA/ or contacted at 978–750–8400.     

Performance architecture: The art and science of improving organizations

Performance Architecture: The Art and Science of Improving Organizations is a hands‐on guide to real‐world techniques for improving performance within the workplace. This important book explores the Human Performance Technology Landscape model that was presented in the best‐selling book Handbook of Human Performance Technology (3rd ed.). Framed by the Landscape model and supported by other proven models and tools, the book provides effective structures for anyone who needs to develop their performance improvement skills and knowledge and achieve results. Performance Architecture: The Art and Science of Improving Organizations (ISBN: 978‐0‐470‐19568‐0) is published by John Wiley & Sons and the International Society for Performance Improvement.     

HPT roots and branches: Analyzing over 45 years of the field's own citations. Part 1: Journal citations

This article is the first of a series of three that reviews the citation patterns of references cited in the entire collection of International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) journal articles (1962–2007) and all chapters published in the three editions of Handbook of Human Performance Technology (1992, 1999, and 2006). It includes an analysis of journal articles cited and lists which journals and particular articles are cited most frequently, both overall and by decade. Part 2 in this series will present an analysis of books cited in the entire ISPI literature collection, and part 3 will report on the most cited authors, both overall and by type of reference (e.g., journal articles, books, sections of books, reports, conference papers, dissertations).     

What ISPI and performance improvement mean to me

This year, the International Society for Performance Improvement celebrates its 50th anniversary. Over the past half‐century, our field has moved from programmed learning to programmed instruction to performance improvement. This new column reflects on 50 years of member, industry, and Society memories and what it has meant to each of this column's contributors. If you would like to add to the discussion, please contact the PI journal editor: joandessinger@ispi.org.     

Got tools? Concept map

The International Society for Performance Improvement's journal Performance Improvement has invited readers to submit Human Performance Technology (HPT) tools for publication. These can include ready‐to‐use job aids or tools and templates used to facilitate gap analysis, process flow mapping, performance consulting, instructional design, e‐learning, on‐the‐job training, solution design, and performance measurement and evaluation, to name few. We're looking for a variety of instruments that are consistent with the principles of HPT, have broad appeal, and are applicable to a variety of workplace situations. In all cases, tools should focus on adding value to individual, team, or organizational performance. Our first submission is a Concept Map submitted by Aaron U. Bolin.     

What ISPI and performance improvement mean to me

This year, the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI) celebrates its 50th anniversary. Over the past half century, our field has moved from programmed instruction to performance and instruction to performance improvement. This new column reflects on 50 years of member memories and what the organization and the field have meant to each of this column's contributors. If you would like to add to the dialogue, please contact the PI journal editors: publications@ispi.org     

Book reviews

David Warner and Charles Leonard. The Income Generation Handbook, Second Edition: A Practical Guide for Educational Institutions, Buckingham, UK: The Society for Research into Higher Education (SRHE) and Open University Press, 1997. ISBN 0–335–19858–9 (hard); 0–335–19862–7 (paper)

Henry D.R. Miller. The Management of Change in Universities: Universities, State and Economy in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom, Buckingham, UK: The Society for Research into Higher Education and Open University Press, 1995. ISBN 0–33.5–19089–8 Price £50.00. 183 pp     

Development Of A Consultation Profile Of Interventions Perceived As Successful By Human Performance Technology Consultants

The purpose of this study was to develop a consultation profile of interventions perceived as successful by internal or external Human Performance Technology consultants. Members of the National Society for Performance and Instruction [The National Society for Performance and Instruction is currently known as the International Society for Performance and Instruction] and the American Society for Training and Development were asked to describe in detail a single intervention which they considered successful in terms of outcomes for both themselves and their clients. The results indicate that the scope of these interventions is not limited to training but includes a broader range of performance improvement interventions. This supports the notion that professionals in the field are undertaking more systemic approaches in their practice. An average of 40% of total project time is allocated to front-end analysis. The projects reported by our respondents also emphasize collaborative decision-making, especially during the front-end analysis phase. Factors most commonly reported as responsible for the success of projects were support from the client, collaboration between team members, and clear definition of expectations.     

Concurrent validity of the test of nonverbal intelligence with learning disabled children

Results of the TONI, WISC-R, and WRAT were compared for a sample of 66 learning disabled children: 51 males (32 white, 19 black) and 15 females (9 white, 6 black) whose mean age was 9–5 (SD = 1–10). The mean score of the TONI was significantly different from the Performance IQ. Nonsignificant differences were found between the TONI and Full Scale IQ and between the TONI and Verbal IQ. Correlation coefficients between the TONI and WISC-R ranged from a low of .35 for the Verbal IQ to .44 for both the Full Scale and Performance IQs. The correlation coefficients between the TONI and standard scores of the WRAT were .38, .27, and .23, for Reading, Spelling, and Arithmetic, respectively. Implications of these findings are discussed.     

Performance Management: Changing Behavior That Drives Organizational Effectiveness,Fifth Edition

Performance Management (fifth edition), by Aubrey C. Daniels and Jon S. Bailey, is the latest iteration of a highly successful volume outlining the application of the principles of behavior analysis to, in the words of the subtitle, “drive organizational effectiveness.” This review first considers the book's organization and topical coverage, followed by an analysis of three concepts: (1) feedback, (2) reinforcer effectiveness, and (3) extinction. Several additional topics represented in behavior‐analytic basic research are discussed as complements to the other subjects. The new edition represents the best in applied behavior analysis both in its research foundation and its application to strategies for making businesses better and more profitable. Performance Management: Changing Behavior That Drives Organizational Effectiveness, Fifth Edition (2014; 344 pages; ISBN‐13: 978–0937100257; hardcover $69.95) is published by Performance Management Publications.     

HPT roots and branches: Analyzing over 45 years of the field's own citations. Part 2: Book citations

This article is the second in a series of three that reviews the citation patterns of references cited in the collection of the International Society for Performance Improvement literature (journal articles from 1962–2007 and chapters in all three human performance technology handbooks). An analysis of books and book chapters cited is included, as well as a list of what books and book chapters are cited most frequently. Part 3 will report on the most cited authors, by decade, overall, and by type of reference.     

Gap analysis revisited

Gap analysis is an important part of the performance improvement process that fits into the International Society for Performance Improvement's 10 Standards of Performance Technology, Standard 5. This article discusses the need to set a reasonable goal to motivate people to close the performance gap and provide a milestone for measuring progress as the gap is closed. It also provides insight into the need to identify performance trends that led to the current level of performance as we define the performance gap.     

Primary sources of cognate research in human performance technology

This article is third in a series written to address questions regarding the need for more empirical research in the field of human performance technology (HPT) and the need to determine the future direction of HPT research. The call for more empirical research has been published in journals such as Performance Improvement Quarterly and Performance Improvement (formerly Performance and Instruction) for nearly 20 years.     

HPT roots and branches: Analyzing over 45 years of the field's own citations. Part 3: Author citations

This is the third and final article in a series of three that reviews the citation patterns of references cited in the entire collection of International Society for Performance Improvement journal articles (1962–2007) and all chapters published in the three human performance technology handbooks (Pershing, 2006; Stolovitch & Keeps, 1992, 1999). The first article (Huglin, 2009a) reported on the journal articles cited most frequently in this collection; the second article (Huglin, 2009b) provided an analysis of books and book chapters cited, including which books are cited most frequently, both overall and by decade. This article reports on the most cited authors: overall, by type of reference, and by decade.     

Performance by design: The systematic selection,design, and development of performance technologies that produce useful results

Ryan Watkins is associate professor of educational technology at George Washington University in Washington, DC. He designs and teaches courses on instructional design, systems analysis and design, research methods, and technology management for online and classroom delivery. He has written several books and more than 60 articles and book chapters on strategic planning, return‐on‐investment analysis, and evaluation. Performance by Design (ISBN: 0–87425–949–5) is published by HRD Press and ISPI (price: $19.95). The publisher may be reached online at http://www.hrdpress.com or by phone at 800‐822–2891.     

Discrepancies between IQ and index scores for a clinical sample of students: Useful diagnostic indicators?

Discrepancies between IQ and Index scores on the WISC-111 were investigated for a sample of students with SLD (n = 202), with MR (n = 115), and evaluated but not classified (n=159). Mean Verbal and Performance IQ discrepancies, though significantly different for each sample, were smaller than those reported in the WISC-III manual for the normative sample. Similarly, the Index score comparisons indicated differential functioning for the three samples, with the exception of the Verbal Comprehension and Freedom from Distractibility Index discrepancy. Moreover, the Performance IQ was higher than the Verbal IQ for all three samples. Consistent with the WISC-R literature, discrepancies between Verbal and Performance IQs and higher Performance than Verbal IQs are not diagnostic indicators of abnormalities.     

Editorial Review and Book Reviews

Welch, Evelyn Art and Society in Italy 1350–1500 Craske, Matthew Art in Europe 1700–1830 Woodham, Jonathan M. Twentieth-Century Design Clarke, Graham The Photograph Smith, Peter The History of American Art Education Simpson, Moira G. Making Representations: Museums in the Post-Colonial Era     

Performance analysis: Knowing what to do and how by Dale Brethower,CPT

Dale Brethower, CPT, is professor emeritus of psychology at Western Michigan University and a visiting professor at the Technological Institute of Sonora, Mexico. He has been a consultant more than 30 years with a very impressive client list. In addition, he has served two terms on the board of directors of ISPI and is a former president of ISPI. HRD Press and ISPI publish Performance Analysis (price: $19.95; ISBN: 1–59996–054–0). The publisher may be reached online at http://www.hrdpress.com or by phone at 800‐822–2891.     

What Does It Take to Become a CPT?

Many performance improvement professionals are considering seeking the Certified Performance Technologist (CPT) certification offered by the International Society for Performance Improvement (ISPI). This article provides an overview of factors for potential CPTs to consider: adherence to the standards and ethics code as well as the interrelationships of professional principles and personality traits. Prospective CPTs are encouraged to include a self‐assessment as part of their considerations related to acquiring CPT certification.