Human Performance Technology

Human performance improvement always has an influence in the classroom.  The relationship behaviorism and performance improvement is very close.  In the classroom there are many non-instructional methods that can be offered to improve student performance.  We have many students that perform the majority of the time.  We also have students who need motivation to improve their performance.  Students are rewarded for appropriate and on task behavior.  Students not on task or displaying inappropriate behavior then receive a consequence.  The expectations of performance are teh stimulus for the students.  The students then show their behavioral response to the situation.  The consequence can be either positive or negative depending on their behavior response. 

Electronic performance support systems (EPSS) are defined similarly on many websites.  Many working or training people have experience with EPSS.  Just last week I was assigned an E-Learning that was to be completed by a certain date.  Having an online course allows for flexibility for the learner which is a positive aspect of EPSS.  The training was computer based, offered information to guide my learning, even assessed my learning at the end of the course.  This training was geared for adults and I feel that the EPSS are in generally more appropriate for adults rather than young children.  I feel that these are not and will not become more prevalent in future classrooms because children need to be guided and 'babysat'.  Children need the personal coaching from the teacher and not by a computer alone.  The teachers hold much more responsibilities in the classroom with the children.  I do not feel that our children are ready to be solely responsible for 100% of their learning.  I understand the EPSS can guide, coach, assess, and have many other customized tools but it is not ready to take the place of classroom teachers for our K-12 classrooms.  

There are many ways to aid in knowledge management with the use of computer based programs in the classroom.  Computer based activities allows for tracking of performance by many categories.  These categories range from TEK objectives, content, performance level, and many more that I may not even be aware of.  Another program that transfers information into an accessible file is the use of student response systems.  Performance is easily observable and trackable with the system.

Informal learning is the best kind of learning.  I think that informal learning is more natural learning.  I am exposed to informal learning at all times.  I feel to make the best of the world around me is to continuously learn from our daily lives.  I am constantly learning from my own children as well as my many students at school.  At times teachers forget that we should be learning from our students everyday.  In this situation, I have the role of the active learner and the student has the role of the teacher.  I feel that children are always in a state of informal learning from the world around them.  Children are like sponges are absorbing all the information their minds can hold.