Performance technology—not a one‐size‐fits‐all profession

Note: This commentary is part of an ongoing dialogue that began in the October 2011 Performance Improvement special issue entitled Exploring a Universal Performance Model for HPT: Notes From the Field.     

Transition and technology—Evaluation of blended learning delivered by university staff to 6th form students

This paper tackles two issues which are closely related: transition from pre‐entry learning to studying at university and the role blended learning strategies might have in supporting this transition. It draws on the pilot delivery of two credit‐bearing modules which were delivered in two pre‐entry institutions. The modules followed two different models in terms of their alignment to the pre‐entry curriculum and in their mode of delivery. They were evaluated through questionnaires and focus groups with students. Both university tutors and coordinators at the schools were also interviewed in order to identify barriers in the process from their perspectives. This paper contributes to research in this field by identifying, from the key stakeholders of students' and deliverers' vantage points, factors that are specific to the blended learning process and contribute to a more structured and positive transition experience for the students. It looks at how blended methodologies can enhance the transition process, as well as what some of the barriers might be. As a consequence, the paper will provide some suggestions as to how institutions may overcome some of those issues identified in order to replicate the practice successfully.     

The seductive details effect in technology‐delivered instruction

Seductive details are highly interesting information tangential to course objectives. The inclusion of seductive details generally harms performance on recall tests, but few studies have used multimedia training or investigated effects on performance on recognition tests or transfer tasks. We conducted two studies using computer‐based training, instructing college students to use either Excel or Word mail merge. Contrary to most prior results, we found no negative effect for seductive details on recognition tests, and we found a facilitative effect on transfer performance. We discuss implications for theories of learning and transfer, and practical implications for instructional design and delivery.     

Teachers' learning while constructing technology‐based instructional resources

Grounded in a constructionist paradigm, this study examined elementary school teachers' learning while creating technology‐rich instructional materials. Sixteen teachers at an elementary school were interviewed about their experience. Using the components of Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge as an analytical framework, inductive qualitative analysis indicated that these professional learning activities led to teachers' growth primarily in technological knowledge, technological pedagogical knowledge and content knowledge. These findings as well as implications for designing professional learning activities for teachers are also shared.