This document discusses electronic performance support systems (EPSS) and how they can help address five moments of need that knowledge workers experience: when learning for the first time, wanting to learn more, trying to remember and apply knowledge, when things change, and when something goes wrong. It notes that people now only store 8-10% of job knowledge in their minds compared to 75% in 1986 due to information overload. EPSS aim to provide contextual, role-based support to help workers perform tasks and solve problems by keeping relevant information and guidance at their fingertips. The document contrasts EPSS with traditional training methods and illustrates how EPSS can help improve retention and job performance.
2. Five Moments of Need
When Learning for the First Time
Acquisition of
When Wanting to Learn More Knowledge
Formal Instruction
When Trying to Remember and/or Apply Application &
When Things Change Maintenance
of Knowledge
When Something Goes Wrong Performance Support
Dr. Conrad Gottfredson, BYU
Bob Mosher
3. Addressing the Moment of Need
TRAINING SUPPORT
Content- Application
based of
(One size Knowledge
fits all) Do
Context/
Acquisition
of Role-based
Knowledge
Learn
4. How Do You Know Its Performance Support?
A helper in life and work
Repository for information,
processes, and perspectives
Inform and guide
Planning and action
5. Information Overload
What percentage of job knowledge
do you store in your mind?
1986 1997 2006
75% 15-20% 8-10%
Robert Kelley, Carnegie-Mellon University
20 Year Longitudinal Study of Knowledge Workers
It is often useful not to know things because they are going to be out-of-date or
incorrect in a short time.
It is usually a better strategy not to learn them and simply search and find the
correct information when you need it
Charles Jennings, Reuters
6. Retention and Performance Challenge
The Performance Journey
P
100% IMPACT of PERFORMANCE E
R T
E SUPPORT R
80% R
T F
A PERFORMANCE
E O
60% I
N R
N
T M
40% I CURRENT PERFORMANCE CHALLENGE
I A
N
O N
20% G
N C
RECALL & APPLICATION E
0%
30 48 TIME 3 weeks
Min. Hrs.
Research Institute of America
7. Performance Support vs. Instruction
YOU & YOUR WORK
Performance Support
KEEPS YOU AT WORK, MAKING
YOU MORE PRODUCTIVE
YOU AWAY FROM YOUR WORK
Instruction
8. Find Information When You Need It
IF you could
remember
EVERYTHING
you wouldnt
need PERFORMANCE
support.
9. References
Job Aids & Performance Support, Allison Rossett & Lisa
Schaffer
Electronic Performance Support Systems, Gloria J. Gery
Types of Electronic Performance Support Systems: Their
Characteristics and Range of Designs, Deborah Alpert
Sleight, 1993
Learning from EPSS, Roberta A. Rupel
Single Sourcing: Building Modular Documentation, Kurt
Ament
Managing Enterprise Content: A Unified Content
Strategy, Ann Rockley
So, how do we address the moments of need? Training starts broad and gets narrow. Support starts narrow--with the process or a task--and provides the exact steps that you need to complete that one task, right now.
So, we send people to training to give them information, knowledge and skills, but they dont always remember what they learned. However, when training is combined with performance support, retention and recall become a nonissue and performance soars.