Najjar, L. J., Ockerman, J. J., Thompson, J. C., & Treanor, C. J. (1996). Building a demonstration multimedia electronic performance support system. In P. Carson & F. Makedon (Eds.), Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia 1996 (p. 794). Charlottesville, VA: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education.
Lawrence J. Najjar, Jennifer J. Ockerman, J. Christopher Thompson, and Christopher J. Treanor
Multimedia in Manufacturing Education Laboratory
Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Tech Research Institute MARC/ATRP
Atlanta, GA 30332-0823 USA
gt4708d@prism.gatech.edu
An electronic performance support system (EPSS) is customized software that integrates information, tools, and procedures to help users as they actually perform a task. A typical performance support system provides a combination of the following capabilities:
Our team created a simple multimedia EPSS to teach users how to fold a Japanese paper jumping frog. The media we used included text, drawings, audio narration, and videos. To free the user's hands while folding the paper, we provided a voice recognition interface to the EPSS.
We organized the information into sections that provided the step-by-step procedure for folding the paper jumping frog, assistance with correcting problems, and background information on origami.
We estimate that it took 150 labor hours to build our origami EPSS. We used 15 different software packages, 13 significant hardware items, and skills that included computer programming, graphics design, hardware maintenance, user interface design, and writing. Along the way, we learned several lessons. They were:
Here is the complete version of this paper.
Lawrence J. Najjar, Jennifer J. Ockerman, J. Christopher Thompson, and Christopher J. Treanor
Multimedia in Manufacturing Education Laboratory
Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Tech Research Institute MARC/ATRP
Atlanta, GA 30332-0823 USA
gt4708d@prism.gatech.edu
An electronic performance support system (EPSS) uses technology to integrate procedures, information, and tools to help users perform a task. An EPSS gives its users the information the users need to perform a task as they actually perform the task. This paper describes the process, hardware, and software that our team used to create a simple origami EPSS. This paper also describes the rationale behind our design decisions and lists the lessons that we learned from this experience.
This paper describes how our team developed a simple EPSS. An EPSS integrates procedures, information, and tools to help users as they perform a task (Gery, 1991). A typical training system trains a person away from the job before the person needs the training. An EPSS gives people the information they need when and where they need it -- on the job.
Our EPSS had two purposes:
We wanted our demonstration EPSS to teach an unfamiliar, fun, slightly complex task. We decided to build a demonstration EPSS to help teach users how to do origami, the ancient Japanese art of paper-folding. The goal of our system was to allow users to learn to fold a simple jumping frog.
After selecting the task that we wanted our EPSS to teach, we used paper and pencil to sketch out the main menu and options that we wanted to include. The main menu included selections for learning which skill the system taught ("What do I do?"), the steps for performing the skill ("How do I do it?"), support for de-bugging the user's performance ("Is this right?"), and a library of background information on origami ("Origami library"). Paper and pencil allowed us to show our ideas to other team members and to quickly, easily, and cheaply make changes to the general design.
Our next step was to create a computer-based skeleton of our design. Since we (1) planned to use our system for educational (rather than presentation) purposes, (2) wanted to include multimedia, and (3) wanted our system to run on both Apple Macintosh and IBM-compatible personal computers, we selected Macromedia Authorware for Macintosh as our authoring software. Using Authorware on an Apple Power Macintosh 8100/80AV, we laid out our main menu and some of the more obvious sub-menus. The main menu is shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Origami main menu.
Since the heart of the EPSS was the steps for folding the jumping frog, we began assembling the material that we wanted to include in this section. In our first attempt, we used Claris MacDraw Pro and Aldus SuperPaint to begin drawing each of the steps in the jumping frog paper-folding process. We believed that by having complete control over each drawing, we could simplify the drawings (origami uses unusual, special instructional arrows) and add new drawings that might be helpful.
However, this technique proved to be painfully slow, and we soon decided to simply scan in the drawings that we needed rather than re-create each drawing ourselves. We scanned the black and white drawings from our origami book into an Apple Power Macintosh 7100/66AV using a Hewlett-Packard ScanJet IIc and Adobe PhotoShop software. After we scanned in the drawings, we rotated each drawing to the proper angle, removed stray marks, improved the contrast, and increased the image size. We saved each image as a pict file and used our network to import the images into our Authorware application. We also added controls to allow the user to move sequentially between drawings ("Next," "Previous"), to return to the main menu ("Main Menu"), and to exit the application ("Quit").
It became clear, though, that we needed to supplement the drawings with verbal instructions. However, adding text to the display did not make sense because the displayed text would not allow users to look at the drawing while reading the verbal instructions. So, we used Motion Works International SoundMate, VideoFusion QuickFlix, and an Apple Macintosh microphone to record auditory verbal instructions for making the fold shown in each drawing. Then we used Authorware to attach the auditory instructions to each drawing. When the user moved to each drawing in the jumping frog paper-folding process, the audio instructions played automatically. These media allowed the user to look at the drawing while simultaneously hearing the verbal instructions. Figure 2 shows the drawing for making the fold for step 1. The figure includes the "Show Video" button that was added later.
Figure 2. Drawing for making a fold.
We soon realized, however, that we were using static drawings to show a motion-based procedure. The static drawings allowed a user to dwell on a drawing of a fold until the user understood it. However, we thought that there might be some learning advantages to providing to the user a video of someone actually making the fold that the user had to make. So, we used QuickFlix and a VideoLabs FlexCam NTSC camera to record a three minute video of one of us using office paper to fold the paper jumping frog. We also used QuickFlix to copy in the auditory instructions for each step of the paper-folding process.
Then we imported the file into Authorware and broke the file into 11 audio-video segments that matched each of the 11 steps shown in the static drawings. Using Authorware, we connected the audio-video segments to the screen that showed each drawing. On each screen, we also added a "Show Video" button to allow the user to see the video for that drawing. So, the user could (1) look at the static drawing for a fold while hearing the audio instructions, and (2) look at a video showing the fold actually being made while hearing the audio instructions. To allow the user to stop the video, we also added a "Clear Video" button to the screen whenever the user played a video.
However, we were not satisfied with our video. We wanted to replace it with a video showing someone folding brightly-colored, traditional origami paper rather than plain white office paper. Origami paper is differently colored on the front and back of the paper, so we thought that it might be easier to understand a fold that was shown using origami paper rather than a fold that was shown using office paper. We also wanted to insert pauses into the video so that the user could hear part of the instructions for making a fold before the video began showing the fold. So, we used QuickFlix and the VideoLabs camera to re-shoot the video using origami paper. We imported the file into Adobe Premiere because it has more advanced video editing features than QuickFlix. Then we inserted short (e.g., two second) pauses where needed to allow the audio instructions for a fold to start before the video began showing the fold. Figure 3 shows an image from a video.
After reviewing the improved video, we realized that there were many long periods of boring, slightly eerie silence between audio instructions. To be consistent with our origami theme, we decided to add to the video a background audio track of traditional Japanese music. We used Optical Media International's Disc-to-Disk to transfer a song from a compact disk of traditional Japanese music to our computer. Then we imported the song into Premiere, set it up to play simultaneously with our narrated audio track, adjusted its volume so that it could be heard without drowning out the audio instructions, and trimmed its length to match that of our video. When we demonstrated our work to our colleagues, most people thought the song was too slow and sleepy. This was not surprising since the song was a traditional Japanese lullaby. So, we repeated the procedure and replaced the song with a more upbeat tune.
Next we added a section to help users correct their performance. On our system main menu, we called this section "Is this right?" and added material that helped users de-bug their folding frogs. On the main menu for this section, we displayed drawings from four different stages of the 11 step jumping frog folding procedure. We added textual instructions that asked the user to first unfold the frog until it looked like one of the drawings, then to click on the appropriate drawing. Figure 4 shows the "Is this right?" screen. When the user clicked on a drawing, we programmed Authorware to present the jumping frog tutorial at that step in the paper-folding procedure. This technique provided debugging support to our users while re-using our previous work on the jumping frog tutorial.
Figure 4. The "Is this right?" screen.
To provide background reference material for the jumping frog paper-folding task, we also developed an on-line origami library. On our system main menu, we called this section "Origami Library" and added textual information about the history of origami, types of paper that are used, symbols for paper-folding instructions, and ways to preserve origami creations. Figure 5 shows the "Origami Library" menu screen. We supplemented the textual information with illustrations from Corel Gallery and Microsoft PowerPoint clip art. We also added a background image from a World Wide Web page on origami. To change illustration colors and to add textual labels, we imported the illustrations into Adobe PhotoShop, made the changes, saved the illustrations as pict files, and used our network to import the changed illustrations into Authorware. Figure 6 shows one of the Origami Library History screens.
Figure 5. Origami Library menu.
Figure 6. Origami Library History screen.
Our next development step was to port our completed EPSS from Authorware for Macintosh to Authorware for Microsoft Windows. This allowed us to run our system on both Macintosh and IBM-compatible computers. We ran into several technical problems here. For example, we had to change the Macintosh file names to match the eight character prefix, three character suffix syntax required by Windows. We also had to put the sounds into QuickTime movie files.
We thought it would be helpful if the user could operate the EPSS while folding the paper. That way, the user could match what the user saw on the video with what the user was folding. So, we used Verbex voice recognition software to create a voice interface to our EPSS. Since Verbex had trouble differentiating some of our commands (for example, "What do I do?" and "How do I do it?") we had to change some of our commands to phrases that were more different (for example, "Give assignment" and "Provide steps").
We estimate that it took 150 labor hours to build our demonstration multimedia EPSS. To develop the system, we needed to use a wide variety of skills that included computer programming, graphics design, hardware maintenance, user interface design, and writing. We used 15 different software packages and 14 significant hardware items (see Table 1). Along the way, we learned several lessons. They were:
Our system showed customers and visitors what a multimedia EPSS was and how it could help meet their human performance needs. Users enjoyed the system and seemed to think that we effectively utilized multimedia to improve learning. In addition, our team got valuable experience with the complex task of designing and developing multimedia EPSSs.
We plan to perform objective and subjective evaluations of our demonstration EPSSs. The objective measurements may include the speed and accuracy with which study participants learn to fold paper jumping frogs using the multimedia EPSS versus the origami book. The subjective measurements may include ratings for how much the participants liked using the learning system, how effectively they thought the learning system helped them to learn, and how likely they would be to use the learning system in the future. We will use the results of this study to improve the proof-of-concept EPSS that we plan to build for quality control inspectors in poultry plants.
Software packages used:
Hardware used:
Table 1. Software and hardware used to develop the multimedia electronic performance support system.
Gery, G. J. (1991). Electronic performance support systems. Boston: Weingarten Publications.