End User Training

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End User Training

• Assessment, Methods, and Evaluation
• Sandra Poindexter with
• Ben DePew, Erin Jensen,
• Jen Perry, Eric VandenAkker
• from Northern Michigan University

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Why train end users?

• To make them aware of new systems or hardware
• To prevent errors
• To get the best use out of a system
• To reduce number of support calls to help desk
• To let users do simple repairs and maintenance

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Stages of adoption

• Become aware
• Form opinion
• Decide to try
• Actually use
• Continue to use
• Stickiness
• Sustainability
• Institutionalized

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Diffusion Theory
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Innovator (Pioneer)

• Likes adventure
• Seeks the new
• Daring
• Risk-taker
• Can cope withfailure
• Spends time alone or other innovators

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Early adopter

• Part of local social system
• Opinion is valued
• Systematic decisions on innovations
• Reasonable risk tolerance

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Early majority

• Frequently interact w/ peers
• Rarely opinion leader, but will follow
• Need some encouragement perceived usefulness
• Moderate risk tolerance - assumes safer in large
  numbers

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Late majority

• Skeptical of anything new
• Needs peer pressure and economic incentive to
  adopt perceived value
• Does not like any risk

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Non-adopters

• Will not adopt unless mandated
• Will give all kinds of excuses to defend staying
  w/ old
• Traditionalist prefers to interact w/ other
  traditionalists

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General population v. tech people
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Needs Assessment

• When to train?
• How much to train?

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Diverse users

• Some want to volunteer to pilot new technology
• Some want to understand the details of a new
  technology
• Some think new technology is interesting, but
  maybe too complicated for them
• Some want to be able to do their job and have
  their tools work
• Some dont care about a new technology no matter
  what you say

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What is information tech literacy?
Information and Technological Literacy
Cognitive Proficiency
Technical Proficiency
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What is the state of information and
technological literacy?

• 2006 literacy assessment conducted
• 6300 U.S. students in 63 universities and final
  year secondary students
• 14 short tasks, 1 long task
• Results
• Students earn ½ possible points - average
• Females and males tested same
• Few demonstrated literacy

Source End users ICT Training Preferences Within
the Technology Environment
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Literacy Assessment

• Complete standard tasks
• Find weak areas
• Teach to need, not same for all

http//www.ets.org/Media/Products/ICT_Literacy/dem
o2
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(No Transcript)
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Testing results
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Best time to train end users

• New hardware or software is installed
• Problem has occurred in the company or industry
• Business procedures change
• New employees

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User interest in training on IT systems they use
Source End users ICT Training Preferences Within
the Technology Environment
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Methods of Training

• What are types and preferences?

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Know your audience

• Find the technical skill level of the user
• Use their business vocabulary
• Keep your instructions clear using their examples
• Respect the users business knowledge
• No arrogance
• No ridicule

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Who is doing the training?
Source ASTD State of Industry 2006
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Sources of Training By whom

• Systems analysts from development team
• Peer users (resident experts)
• Self-train
• Product vendors
• Professional trainers
• In-house staff
• External
• University teachers

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What methods are being used?
Source ASTD State of Industry 2006
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Training Methods

• One on one (on the job)
• Instructor led (seminars, classes)
• Printed materials (manuals, textbooks)
• Learning technologies-based
• Web-based (Intranet/Internet)
• CDs videos

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How users learn technology
Source Learning Computer Skills Canadian
Social Trends
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1-on-1 training by peers

• Peers understand the job
• Just in time training (at the point of need)
• May be cost savings if one person can quickly
  answer the question w/o too much disruption
• Can be very costly

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Suggestions

• Security training impact of a past security
  breach
• New software - explain to users how the product
  will help them demonstrate with an example.
• New hardware Dont teach users anything
  complicated or potentially damaging to their
  systems.

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Preferences of corporate end users
Source End users ICT Training Preferences Within
the Technology Environment
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General trends
Source ASTD State of Industry 2006
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Evaluation

• Did training do a good job?

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Effective training

• Customer was satisfied
• Quality improves
• Productivity improves
• Employee was satisfied
• Sales / revenues increased
• Employee retention increased
• Overall business growth

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Efficient training

• Employees
• Overall number trained (output)
• Number trained per trainer (staffing)
• Time to develop new training initiative
• Time employee takes to be competent
• Costs
• Travel expenses
• Development of training
• Cost savings through outsourcing

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Four levels of measurement

• What are learner reactions?
• Did it accomplish immediate learning?
• Did learning transfer to their job?
• Are there business results as evidence of
  improvement because of training?

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Actual assessments
Few deeply assess for effectiveness
Source ASTD State of Industry 2005
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Follow-up Strategies

• Quick reference sheets
• Online FAQ or searchable database
• Trainer availability to answer questions
• Tip of the Week e-mails to the user base to
  keep the training in mind

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References and Sources

• 2006 ASTD State of the Industry in Leading
  Enterprises www.astd.com
• Educating End Users, www.techrepublic.com
• ICT Literacy Assessment, www.etc.org/ictliteracy
• Dryburgh, H. Learning Computer Skills Canadian
  Social Trends, Spring 2002
• Dazinger, J. E. Lee, End Users ICT Training
  Preferences Within the Technology Environment,
  2000 repositories.cdlib.org/crito/business/74
• Rogers, E. Diffusion of Innovation.