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2) Introducing E-learning with PD and evolutionary design

techniques

• Research question:– How can participatory design be useful

for E-learning?

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Participatory Design

• Techniques for involving workers in the design of systems that will affect their work

• Originated in Scandinavia• Roots in trade union activities in Norway in the

1970s and some pioneering projects in Denmark, Norway and Sweden in the 1980s,

• A goal has been to make user participation design-oriented and to leverage actual users’ domain expertise and skills

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User interface in cardboard and paper

Laser printer made from cardboard box

Mock-ups developed in Utopia project in the 1980s

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Why PD and e-learning?

• “One size doesn’t fit all”• Complex problem domains (both in

education and workplaces) may require tailor-made E-learning

• Workplaces and schools that can leverage domain-expert users (“super users”) to maintain their e-learning systems may gain advantages

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LAP project

• Learning and Knowledge Building at Work (LAP is the acronym in Norwegian)

• 3 year project among researchers and service industry companies in Norway

• Goal: Introduce e-learning in two large corporations in Scandinavia (Statoil Detaljhandel and Visma Services)

• Empirical studies of the adoption process• Analyze empirical and technical innovation

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Statoil – The gas station division• Goal: develop an e-learning system for gas

station attendants and identify new learning opportunities to supplement traditional training

• The work at the gas stations is until now mostly manual labor; serving customers is the main task of the employees

• Young staff with average 12 months on the job

• Knowledge demand is high, ranging from how to prepare hot food to knowing the automobile products

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Techniques employed

• Design workshop: involving employees at multiple levels in the organisation

• Intermediate abstractions: creating a smooth transition from user representations to software systems

• Evolutionary design: transfer knowledge and code from one system to another in incremental steps

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Design workshop

• Focus groups• Learning scenarios• Role playing• Mock-ups• Breakdown

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Identifying work situations that can be improved (focus group)

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Learning scenarios

• Create– Collaborative design in groups of 4– Including station attendants and regional managers– Recorded on video

• Act (demonstrated in 3 video clips)1. Illustrate current work situation (and learn role playing

technique)2. Simulate a future situation that improves upon current

work practice3. Breakdowns and creative work-around (with drama

instructor) to invent new ways of working and learning

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Role playing

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Mock-up information display created by one of the employee groups

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Video clip 1

• Illustrate current work situation(identifying an opportunity for learning)

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Video clip 2

• Simulating a future situation(incorporating electronic information display)

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Video clip 3

• Breakdown and creative work-around(Breakdown: computer stops working)

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Intermediate abstractions

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Evolutionary design

• Transforming a mock-up to a computer prototype

• Intermediate abstractions aided the process, bridging informal and formal systems

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System prototype v.1

• First prototype crated by IT in Statoil based on one of the intermediate abstractions

• Installed at pilot station for 3 months

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System prototype v.2

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Third prototype: Laptop interface

• Third prototype has more functionality than its predecessors, but turned out to be less user friendly

• Company profile alignment became as important as local engagement

• System integrates well with the company’s advanced information and communication infrastructure

• Deployed at 25 gas stations as of 7/2004• Mixed results, since less active use• Plans for roll-out to more stations during Dec/2004

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System prototype v.3

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System prototype v.4

• The prototype has been intregartedb into the cash register, during 2005

• It has been deployed to many gas stations

• We have not yet made any follow-up studies of current use

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References• Mørch, A.I., Engen, B.K. and Åsand, H-R. H. (2004). The

Workplace as a Learning Laboratory: The Winding Road to E-learning in a Norwegian Service Company. Proceedings of the Eighth Conference on Participatory Design (PDC 2004). New York, NY, USA: ACM Press, pp. 142-151.

• Mørch, A., Engen, B., Åsand, H., Brynhildsen, C., Tødenes, I. (2004). Introducing E-learning in a Norwegian Service Company with Participatory Design and Evolutionary Prototyping Techniques. Paper presented at Workplace Learning- From the learner’s perspective (WL-2004). Copenhagen. Nov. 25-27 2004.