SBIR Phase I: Understanding 'Construction/Deconstruction' and the Role of Resistance in Accelerated Learning

Workplace Technologies Research Inc. （WTRI）的这个小企业创新研究第一阶段项目将探索公司一个非常成功的技术实施所揭示的学习的基本原则，其中用户知识和系统性能被发现是至关重要的。所涉及的数据是在3500名车间人员身上收集的，他们接受了一项基于活动的复杂计算机技术培训。WTRI的培训基于一项研究，该研究表明，有经验的成年人在解决工作问题的过程中学习复杂的概念。受训者作为“专家”用户的接受和迅速发展表明，用于设计培训的一套特定原则可能是学习复杂技术的关键因素。此外，高度“抵抗”员工的后期高绩效可能表明抵抗在创新中发挥了重要作用。该项目力求查明重要的学习机制，并设法扩大其应用。特别是，该项目寻求为设计加速学习的方法提供基础，这些方法可以成为实际工作活动的一部分，并且不需要大量的费用和离线培训所造成的生产力损失。与此同时，该模型也有很大的潜力来增强我们对“建构/解构”和抵抗在加速学习中的作用的理解。WRTI已经构思了一个模型，迭代技术实现模型（ITIM(TM)），以增加技术部署的成功率，这是通过工作人员采用和长期保留的时间来衡量的。如果能够从现有的大量丰富的数据集中提炼出使变革和技术采用培训方法如此成功的原则，那么该模型在推广促进技术采用/替代过程方面具有很大的潜力。这种精馏可以反过来促进适当的培训选择和设计，并更快地实现变化，从而使所需的帮助对更广泛的公司更负担得起。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project from Workplace Technologies Research Inc. (WTRI) will explore the basic principles of learning revealed by one of the firm's more highly successful technology implementations in which user knowledge and performance with the system were found to be critical. The data involved were collected on 3500 shopfloor personnel who were given an activity-based training exercise on a complex computer technology. WTRI's training was based on research showing that experienced adults learn complex concepts in the context of solving problems at work. The trainees' acceptance and rapid development as 'expert' users suggest that a particular set of principles used to design the training may be a key element in learning complex technologies. Further, the later high performance of highly 'resistant' workers may indicate an important role of resistance in innovation. The project seeks to identify the important mechanisms of learning and to find ways to broaden their application. In particular, the project seeks to provide the foundation for designing methods of accelerating learning that can be part of the context of the actual work activity and that will not require the considerable expense and lost productivity incurred with off-line training. At the same time, the model also has significant potential for enhancing our understanding of 'construction/deconstruction' and the role of resistance in accelerated learning.WRTI has conceived of a model, Iterative Technology Implementation Model (ITIM(TM)), to increase technology deployment success rates as measured by time to adoption by the workers and long term retention. The model has great potential for generalizing the facilitation of the process of technology adoption/ replacement, if the principles that have made the approach to training for change and technology adoption so successful can be distilled from the large, rich data set at hand. This distillation can in turn facilitate appropriate training selection and design and faster implementation of change, thus making needed assistance more affordable to a broader spectrum of companies.