Application of SECTIONS Model
Introduction
The company that I work at, Pragmatics, Inc., would like to continually improve the training and education of its employees. The Founder and CEO, Dr. Long Nguyen, states in his Company Message, “We focus on employee development to provide staff who are proficient in the latest technologies.” According to the Pragmatics Intranet site, “The Pragmatics Training Program provides training in support of the goals of the Pragmatics organization, its projects, and individual employees.” Organization education goals would apply to the entire company. Project training goals benefit both the current and potential needs of company projects. Individual education goals deal with the personal interests and career advancement skills of the company’s employees and contractors.
This variety of educational needs would require an educational technology that is flexible and multi-functional. Pragmatics, although based in the Washington, D.C. area, has employees located at several sites, and in several states. The fact that many employees may be unable to attend courses held at the headquarters makes it important to utilize a technology that supports learning at a distance, at least for certain educational needs.
Furthermore, since a wide variety of subjects, such as new employee training, security training, software development and IT education, proposal writing skills training, project management certification, and more are needed, the technology must be capable of handling a variety of content that may come in differing formats.
Due to these requirements, Pragmatics would best be served by implementing an online document-management system (DMS) that incorporates a SCORM-based learning management system (LMS). Such a DMS/LMS system would allow for the storage and tracking of various educational materials, the launching and tracking of e-learning programs, and the creation and hosting of courses of study, all in a password-protected, Internet-accessible platform.
Analysis Overview
The SECTIONS model, as described by Bates & Poole (2003) was used to determine the best technology for the educational goals of Pragmatics, Inc., by taking into account: who the Students will be, if the technology will be Easy to use and support, how much the technology will Cost the company and what the return on investment will be, what will best support the courses to be Taught, what types of Interaction may be needed, how the technology will affect the Organization as a whole, whether the technology is Novel, and if the Speed of loading or updating content is acceptable (pp. 78-80).
Students
The students that will be using the DMS/LMS will be professionals who develop or support the development of enterprise software programs. The overwhelming majority of students will have had extensive computer experience, as well as online application proficiency. The existing software development processes make use of a variety of software utilities, so most will be quite comfortable utilizing another tool with common features such as login, navigation, and search.
Ease of use and reliability
Even though the students are highly computer literate, this does not mean that just any computer-based technology will do. The students will expect a professional looking, clean graphic user interface, for that is what they strive to develop for their customers. The students will also expect the software to be intuitive and to not “lock up” or “crash” – if one designs easy to use and bug-free software for a living, it makes sense that one would demand the same from the applications one would be asked to use, whether it be a DMS/LMS, a software code depository, an Internet browser, a project management tool, or a word processor.
Costs
Pragmatics is a very cost conscious company. The employees pride themselves in finding shareware, 30-day trials, or open-source software in place of expensive, name-brand applications. But when it makes the most sense, a software license will be purchased for a program that will make the employees more efficient and/or more proficient, or that will meet a customer’s requirements or expectations. In the case of a DMS/LMS, the company already utilizes the Knowledge Tree DMS, but as this program does not incorporate LMS functionality, it is not the best candidate. The company has a license to Microsoft Windows server, so another cost-conscious choice would be Windows SharePoint Services, which does include support for content, document, and learning management; group collaboration; discussion boards and wikis; room reservations (as in reserving rooms for leader-led training); and calendaring (of training dates and locations). Ongoing costs would be the time it takes to update and maintain the DMS/LMS, which is covered in more detail in the Organization section.
Teaching and learning
Teaching will cover a broad spectrum, including employee instructor-led, outside trainer instructor-led, e-learning, PowerPoint and paper-based learning interventions, and group-based teaching. Instructor-led teaching can make use of the scheduling features and document repository features of an online DMS/LMS. The e-learning can be launched and tracked in the LMS. PowerPoint, PDF, and Word documents can stored in the password-protected content management system. Group-based teaching, where the group explores a topic, such as Java programming, together, can make use of the blog, wiki, and discussion board features for asynchronous communication.
Interactivity
Although most DMS/LMS applications do not come with a synchronous communication feature, this could be desirable for instructor-led and group-led training at a distance. Many DMS/LMS programs do allow for chat, although that can also be accomplished using a separate application, such as the Spark instant messenger application, which is already in use at Pragmatics. The company has teleconferencing services, which can be useful when conducting a distance training program, but they need not be integrated within the DMS/LMS technology. A more sophisticated synchronous technology, such as video conferencing, would be cost-prohibitive and largely unnecessary due to the nature of the education and training courses. Ultimately, a flexible platform, like a DMS/LMS, allows the instructor to weigh the pros and cons of the various technologies outlined by Moore & Kearsley (2005) -- print, audio and video recordings, phone or web conferencing, e-learning -- and implement those he or she feels most capable of providing (pp. 90-95).
Organizational issues
The largest barrier in the organization is time. Since most employee hours are billed to the customer, training and education, although important, is secondary to billable work. The speed of using and updating the technology (which will be discussed further in the Speed section), from both the student and instructor perspectives, must be fast to ensure that everyone involved can get back to billable work as quickly as possible. It is also imperative that the Founder & CEO buys into the technology, since his blessing is highly useful when implementing company-wide changes. This means thoroughly documenting the arguments for using the software and how it will produce a return on the time and/or money that will be involved in implementing the DMS/LMS. Finally, one or more employees must take ownership of this software – if it is not kept up-to-date, then it will quickly become abandoned. This person or persons may find that in order to administrate the DMS/LMS properly, they may have to spend time after work updating the content, without compensation.
Novelty
Pragmatics prides itself in its willingness to implement software that others may have never heard of before. Finding these “diamonds in the rough”, especially if the software programs are free or come with well-documented source code, pleases many in the company. Of course if the free software is buggy or slows down the network greatly, many in the company will be upset with the technology. A well-known DMS/LMS program, such as Microsoft SharePoint, would be a good fit because it would be novel to many at the company, but it is not a brand new software program that needs to be updated and fixed by its maker.
Speed
A typical DMS/LMS application must excel at being able to update, as well as track, the learning objects that it stores. Moore and Kearsley (2005) define learning objects as “self-contained, portable learning objects” (p. 97). A hosted DMS/LMS such as SharePoint will be slowed only by the Internet bandwidth available to it, since it does not take up any client system resources. Learning objects can be quickly checked out, modified, and checked back in to the DMS. If the e-learning content is bandwidth-friendly, an LMS can serve it up quickly and pass back the necessary SCORM tracking information when a module is completed. It is always best to test the SCORM launching and tracking of an LMS, since SCORM can be implemented by an LMS in many ways, some more reliable than others.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a low-cost of purchase and ownership DMS/LMS technology, such as Microsoft’s Windows SharePoint Services, would be a good choice for implementing a comprehensive education and training platform for Pragmatics. Although several hurdles would need to be cleared, including getting the necessary buy-in from senior decision makers and allocating resources to maintain and facilitate the DMS/LMS, the return on the investment in a better trained workforce outweighs the manpower effort. The outcome is a platform that allows for: a variety of teaching methods and content subjects, access from any location nationwide, and secure access that is limited to those who need access.
References
Bates, A., & Poole, G. (2003). Effective teaching with technology in higher education: Foundations for success. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Nyugen, L. (2009). Message from the CEO & Founder. Retrieved November 23, 2009 from http://www.pragmatics.com/about-us/message-from-ceo
Moore, M., & Kearsley, G. (2005). Distance education: A systems view. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.
TRAINING. Retrieved November 23, 2009 from Pragmatics Intranet (password-protected).
The company that I work at, Pragmatics, Inc., would like to continually improve the training and education of its employees. The Founder and CEO, Dr. Long Nguyen, states in his Company Message, “We focus on employee development to provide staff who are proficient in the latest technologies.” According to the Pragmatics Intranet site, “The Pragmatics Training Program provides training in support of the goals of the Pragmatics organization, its projects, and individual employees.” Organization education goals would apply to the entire company. Project training goals benefit both the current and potential needs of company projects. Individual education goals deal with the personal interests and career advancement skills of the company’s employees and contractors.
This variety of educational needs would require an educational technology that is flexible and multi-functional. Pragmatics, although based in the Washington, D.C. area, has employees located at several sites, and in several states. The fact that many employees may be unable to attend courses held at the headquarters makes it important to utilize a technology that supports learning at a distance, at least for certain educational needs.
Furthermore, since a wide variety of subjects, such as new employee training, security training, software development and IT education, proposal writing skills training, project management certification, and more are needed, the technology must be capable of handling a variety of content that may come in differing formats.
Due to these requirements, Pragmatics would best be served by implementing an online document-management system (DMS) that incorporates a SCORM-based learning management system (LMS). Such a DMS/LMS system would allow for the storage and tracking of various educational materials, the launching and tracking of e-learning programs, and the creation and hosting of courses of study, all in a password-protected, Internet-accessible platform.
Analysis Overview
The SECTIONS model, as described by Bates & Poole (2003) was used to determine the best technology for the educational goals of Pragmatics, Inc., by taking into account: who the Students will be, if the technology will be Easy to use and support, how much the technology will Cost the company and what the return on investment will be, what will best support the courses to be Taught, what types of Interaction may be needed, how the technology will affect the Organization as a whole, whether the technology is Novel, and if the Speed of loading or updating content is acceptable (pp. 78-80).
Students
The students that will be using the DMS/LMS will be professionals who develop or support the development of enterprise software programs. The overwhelming majority of students will have had extensive computer experience, as well as online application proficiency. The existing software development processes make use of a variety of software utilities, so most will be quite comfortable utilizing another tool with common features such as login, navigation, and search.
Ease of use and reliability
Even though the students are highly computer literate, this does not mean that just any computer-based technology will do. The students will expect a professional looking, clean graphic user interface, for that is what they strive to develop for their customers. The students will also expect the software to be intuitive and to not “lock up” or “crash” – if one designs easy to use and bug-free software for a living, it makes sense that one would demand the same from the applications one would be asked to use, whether it be a DMS/LMS, a software code depository, an Internet browser, a project management tool, or a word processor.
Costs
Pragmatics is a very cost conscious company. The employees pride themselves in finding shareware, 30-day trials, or open-source software in place of expensive, name-brand applications. But when it makes the most sense, a software license will be purchased for a program that will make the employees more efficient and/or more proficient, or that will meet a customer’s requirements or expectations. In the case of a DMS/LMS, the company already utilizes the Knowledge Tree DMS, but as this program does not incorporate LMS functionality, it is not the best candidate. The company has a license to Microsoft Windows server, so another cost-conscious choice would be Windows SharePoint Services, which does include support for content, document, and learning management; group collaboration; discussion boards and wikis; room reservations (as in reserving rooms for leader-led training); and calendaring (of training dates and locations). Ongoing costs would be the time it takes to update and maintain the DMS/LMS, which is covered in more detail in the Organization section.
Teaching and learning
Teaching will cover a broad spectrum, including employee instructor-led, outside trainer instructor-led, e-learning, PowerPoint and paper-based learning interventions, and group-based teaching. Instructor-led teaching can make use of the scheduling features and document repository features of an online DMS/LMS. The e-learning can be launched and tracked in the LMS. PowerPoint, PDF, and Word documents can stored in the password-protected content management system. Group-based teaching, where the group explores a topic, such as Java programming, together, can make use of the blog, wiki, and discussion board features for asynchronous communication.
Interactivity
Although most DMS/LMS applications do not come with a synchronous communication feature, this could be desirable for instructor-led and group-led training at a distance. Many DMS/LMS programs do allow for chat, although that can also be accomplished using a separate application, such as the Spark instant messenger application, which is already in use at Pragmatics. The company has teleconferencing services, which can be useful when conducting a distance training program, but they need not be integrated within the DMS/LMS technology. A more sophisticated synchronous technology, such as video conferencing, would be cost-prohibitive and largely unnecessary due to the nature of the education and training courses. Ultimately, a flexible platform, like a DMS/LMS, allows the instructor to weigh the pros and cons of the various technologies outlined by Moore & Kearsley (2005) -- print, audio and video recordings, phone or web conferencing, e-learning -- and implement those he or she feels most capable of providing (pp. 90-95).
Organizational issues
The largest barrier in the organization is time. Since most employee hours are billed to the customer, training and education, although important, is secondary to billable work. The speed of using and updating the technology (which will be discussed further in the Speed section), from both the student and instructor perspectives, must be fast to ensure that everyone involved can get back to billable work as quickly as possible. It is also imperative that the Founder & CEO buys into the technology, since his blessing is highly useful when implementing company-wide changes. This means thoroughly documenting the arguments for using the software and how it will produce a return on the time and/or money that will be involved in implementing the DMS/LMS. Finally, one or more employees must take ownership of this software – if it is not kept up-to-date, then it will quickly become abandoned. This person or persons may find that in order to administrate the DMS/LMS properly, they may have to spend time after work updating the content, without compensation.
Novelty
Pragmatics prides itself in its willingness to implement software that others may have never heard of before. Finding these “diamonds in the rough”, especially if the software programs are free or come with well-documented source code, pleases many in the company. Of course if the free software is buggy or slows down the network greatly, many in the company will be upset with the technology. A well-known DMS/LMS program, such as Microsoft SharePoint, would be a good fit because it would be novel to many at the company, but it is not a brand new software program that needs to be updated and fixed by its maker.
Speed
A typical DMS/LMS application must excel at being able to update, as well as track, the learning objects that it stores. Moore and Kearsley (2005) define learning objects as “self-contained, portable learning objects” (p. 97). A hosted DMS/LMS such as SharePoint will be slowed only by the Internet bandwidth available to it, since it does not take up any client system resources. Learning objects can be quickly checked out, modified, and checked back in to the DMS. If the e-learning content is bandwidth-friendly, an LMS can serve it up quickly and pass back the necessary SCORM tracking information when a module is completed. It is always best to test the SCORM launching and tracking of an LMS, since SCORM can be implemented by an LMS in many ways, some more reliable than others.
Conclusion
In conclusion, a low-cost of purchase and ownership DMS/LMS technology, such as Microsoft’s Windows SharePoint Services, would be a good choice for implementing a comprehensive education and training platform for Pragmatics. Although several hurdles would need to be cleared, including getting the necessary buy-in from senior decision makers and allocating resources to maintain and facilitate the DMS/LMS, the return on the investment in a better trained workforce outweighs the manpower effort. The outcome is a platform that allows for: a variety of teaching methods and content subjects, access from any location nationwide, and secure access that is limited to those who need access.
References
Bates, A., & Poole, G. (2003). Effective teaching with technology in higher education: Foundations for success. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Nyugen, L. (2009). Message from the CEO & Founder. Retrieved November 23, 2009 from http://www.pragmatics.com/about-us/message-from-ceo
Moore, M., & Kearsley, G. (2005). Distance education: A systems view. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.
TRAINING. Retrieved November 23, 2009 from Pragmatics Intranet (password-protected).