Background Information
Context: The Office of Disability Services alternate format operation will be undergoing a change in process delivery from a PDF process to Daisy process. It will require new software and new processing procedures.
The Developer: The developer will be the overseer of the transformation from PDF to Daisy. He will have to present to the staff as well prepare the staff and production workers for the change. Objectivity will be a concern due to the dual role.
The Intended Audience for the report (formal) will be the Office of Disability Services Staff as major changes need to be approved by the whole staff. The instructional part will be for the production workers
Analysis and Design
Rationale for ID: The rationale for ID is to have the production staff to be able to create searchable alternate format (Daisy). Activities of the developer for each step.
i) Second step is Persuasion step! This is presenting the plan to the production staff. There are two individuals that will run with it once they understand what needs to be accomplished. They will bring the rest of the production staff into the program.
ii) The next step is the decision/Implementation. Creating a clear image of what you are going to do will help the production staff to grasp and adopt. This is where creating the Reusable Information Objectives are created. Some steps are used for more than one process and we will still have to make accessible PDF while we are going through the transition. With the Reusable Information Objectives, I can quickly check to see who has mastery of what steps. I can also focus on the area that seems to be having problems without having to do all the training over again. This also allows me to see which workers are grasping what steps well so I can use worker “A” for scanning and worker “C” for Daisy production. Individual Learning Objectives will be created for each objective module. This will create a basis for the evaluation. With RIO system, if a piece of equipment is changed, I only need to rewrite the RIO for that section and not the whole operation. This is similar to assembly line production. All workers are familiar with the whole process but most will be assigned to a specific objective/ task.
iii) Evaluation will be checking the final product created to see if it is searchable, readable and clean of smudges and scan lines. I will also evaluate the instruction itself to see where improvement can be made.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
Management of Instruction
Sorry for the delay!
Goals and Objectives
The implementation of the production of Daisy format in the Alternate format department. Daisy is a form of searchable accessible alternate format.
The goals of the supra- system is to provide accessible alternate format for students with print disabilities. The goal of this model is within the larger goal of the Office of Disability Services and Syracuse University.
The training is going to concentrate on the student workers and /or staff who are involved with the production of alternate format. The method will be a combination of small group and individual instruction. Most of the instruction will be hands on instruction/ interactive with the equipment, software, and the worker. Flow charts will be created to explain the steps and process at each step. I will conduct the training.
I am looking at the Reusable Information Object as some of the steps are used in other processes.
This will also be helpful if I am training a person for just one very specific part of the job.
For the group learning, I will bring the five workers together do a lecture. Giving an over view of the process. Then a demonstration in the production room of how each step is cared out.
Space is the determining factor as the production room only allows three people at a time in there.
I am going to create a flow chart to explain the model. It will have the following:
Design
Introduction
Preparation
Scanning
Saving /transferring
Editing PDF
Editing Daisy
Convert
Saving transferring
CD creation
Summary
Implement
Test
Evaluate and adjust
Evaluate overall (feed back from students as end-users)
The turn over rate in production is but evry two years we have a totally new staff so training is always on going.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Model Status Report #1
First I want to thank Yanqui and Andrew for their "clarifing" questions especially in the area of objectivity. As I develop my model, you will see a system of "checks and balances" which will keep my objectivity in place. Much of this is on the front end but before approval is given some a means to "clearly evaluate" has to put in place. Yes, I did not address this very well at this time but it is a concern and as you follow it will be addressed.
Here is the report!
Background Information
Context: The Office of Disability Services alternate format operation will be undergoing a relocation and change in process delivery from a PDF process to Daisy process. It will require new software and new processing procedures.
The Developer: The developer will be the overseer of the transformation from PDF to Daisy. He will have to present to the staff as well prepare the staff and production workers for the change. Objectivity will be a concern due to the dual role.
The Intended Audience for the report (formal) will be the Office of Disability Services Staff as major changes need to be approved by the whole staff. Informally, will be the production workers and the funding source.
Analysis and Design
Rationale for ID: The rationale for ID is that the whole office has to know what we are doing and why. They also need to be able to explain to end users (students). Because there is a change in process not only are manuals required but a fair amount of training (hands-on) will be required.
Activities of the developer for each step.
i) First step is gather information concerning Daisy. Why is it better? What is the cost? How much more work is involved if any? Who is using it? How long to put it in place? What does the end product look like? Can it be easily taught to students? Can it contracted out to do? These and other questions need to be addressed before the Persuasion step can begin. Can be information from professional trainings, software manufactures information, information from other colleges. The result will be reducing the information to a simple written proposal.
ii) Second step is Persuasion step! This is presenting your idea to the whole staff. Any body can ask a question or present an alternative plan to yours. You need to anticipate those types of questions by either asking those parties in advance of the meeting for their opinion or ask colleagues from other colleges what obstacles did they encounter in getting it approved. The staff is looking at this for the benefit to the whole Office of Disability Services program, not just a stand alone service. You have put some effort into how this is going to implemented and how you are going to evaluate it. I may not have every manual written or purchased any equipment but I am presenting the plan. The result be answering all the questions and getting a vote.
iii) The next step is the decision. Creating a clear image of what you are going to do and addressing the staff’s concerns will help move the project to a positive decision. The majority of the staff must approve the project. If there is a major expenditure, the funding source needs to approve the project, hence for a will written proposal. The result will be project approval and funding.
iv) Implementation: This will require a change in process. The student workers are good with change if they understand why we are doing it. They even help finding ways to improve the process once they understand the beginning and the end product as most are graduate engineering students and have access to different information than I have. Training and manuals are written and done while equipment arrives.
v) Confirmation: Is it working or do we need to adjust something? Is the end product satisfactory? (readable, searchable and complete). Checking the first conversions closely will let me know if there are problems. Find source of problems and correct.
Here is the report!
Background Information
Context: The Office of Disability Services alternate format operation will be undergoing a relocation and change in process delivery from a PDF process to Daisy process. It will require new software and new processing procedures.
The Developer: The developer will be the overseer of the transformation from PDF to Daisy. He will have to present to the staff as well prepare the staff and production workers for the change. Objectivity will be a concern due to the dual role.
The Intended Audience for the report (formal) will be the Office of Disability Services Staff as major changes need to be approved by the whole staff. Informally, will be the production workers and the funding source.
Analysis and Design
Rationale for ID: The rationale for ID is that the whole office has to know what we are doing and why. They also need to be able to explain to end users (students). Because there is a change in process not only are manuals required but a fair amount of training (hands-on) will be required.
Activities of the developer for each step.
i) First step is gather information concerning Daisy. Why is it better? What is the cost? How much more work is involved if any? Who is using it? How long to put it in place? What does the end product look like? Can it be easily taught to students? Can it contracted out to do? These and other questions need to be addressed before the Persuasion step can begin. Can be information from professional trainings, software manufactures information, information from other colleges. The result will be reducing the information to a simple written proposal.
ii) Second step is Persuasion step! This is presenting your idea to the whole staff. Any body can ask a question or present an alternative plan to yours. You need to anticipate those types of questions by either asking those parties in advance of the meeting for their opinion or ask colleagues from other colleges what obstacles did they encounter in getting it approved. The staff is looking at this for the benefit to the whole Office of Disability Services program, not just a stand alone service. You have put some effort into how this is going to implemented and how you are going to evaluate it. I may not have every manual written or purchased any equipment but I am presenting the plan. The result be answering all the questions and getting a vote.
iii) The next step is the decision. Creating a clear image of what you are going to do and addressing the staff’s concerns will help move the project to a positive decision. The majority of the staff must approve the project. If there is a major expenditure, the funding source needs to approve the project, hence for a will written proposal. The result will be project approval and funding.
iv) Implementation: This will require a change in process. The student workers are good with change if they understand why we are doing it. They even help finding ways to improve the process once they understand the beginning and the end product as most are graduate engineering students and have access to different information than I have. Training and manuals are written and done while equipment arrives.
v) Confirmation: Is it working or do we need to adjust something? Is the end product satisfactory? (readable, searchable and complete). Checking the first conversions closely will let me know if there are problems. Find source of problems and correct.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Module # 3 Diffusion
This is going to get complicated because of the differnt levels that are involved.
1) Communication Channels to consider for change.
1) Communication Channels to consider for change.
- The first line of communication is the student workers. If they don't understand and buy into the change this whole project is dead.
- The Office of Disability Services Staff. They are important because they are my co-workers and interact with students. Any major changes to a process must be approved by this group. The director is the lead person who will say and fund any changes.
- Students who use alternate format as the end users of our work. Their requests are simple, quality work and quick. Explaination of the process or a hold-up in the process maybe required.
2) Innovation-Decision Process- Knowledge Step
- Very first question asked by the staff "What are other colleges doing?" Research needs to be done to see what other colleges are doing, especially colleges and universities "like" Syracuse University. I would also check with colleges who are doing a high volume of alternate format (not necessarily like Syracuse University). It will be important to look at the new technology that is coming out to do this.
- Getting feedback from the student workers. The majority of our student workers are Graduate Enginneer students (very detail oriented). We always look at their suggestions to improve work-flow and process. They are also up to date on some technology that I do not have access to.
- Vendors of products. A number of vendors understand what we are trying to accomplish and will send us information of products that may improve our process.
- Book Vendors and publishers. In New York there are laws requiring publishers to provide textbooks in alternate format. The key term here is textbook because every book used in a class room is not nesscerarily a "textbook". So publisher are trying to do the right thing and provide as many titles as they can. Other publishers do not. The thing is to get a notification from the publisher that they are going to provide a text in accessible form or not.
- Faculty. It is had to obtain textbooks when faculty wait to the start of class to determine what text they are going to use. We notify instructors (if we know who is teaching) requesting the titles, authors, and ISBN numbers of the text they going to use. Many are good to let us know but there are a number of courses that do not.
Innovation-Decision Process- Persuastion Step
- Once the information has been gathered from the different sources, it needs to be reduced to lowest possible terms for presenation at a staff meeting (remember the ODS staff has to approve major changes). The areas that have to addressed time to implement, cost both money and manpower, how is this going to improve services to the students we serve? In short how is going to affect our
Innovation- Decision Process- Implementation
- The implementation will consist of training for the production workers to demonstrat any new equipment and/or programs. Process meetings for the administrative staff to explain/show new or modified process procedures. Checking to see if the process is being followed by all. Status reports to the staff.
Innovation-Decision Process- Confirmation
- To montior the process to see if there are problems or difficulties and where. May need to reenforce key topics from training. Look to improve the whole process as this is some what like an assembly line which one person or function can hold up the whole process. May have to adjust personel to fit the new work process.
Other Factors.
We can only improve what we do to a certain degree. In the future, seeking the cooperation of faculty to get titles of texts to us in a timely manner will improve our overall process (less rushing and distruction of books). This is going to be a change that is going to evolve over time but as we continue to ask for the faculty's cooperation in doing the "Right Thing to Do!"
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