paper -
22 Teaching the Person, not the Application
Stephanie
Birdsall, Brown University
Eileen Palenchar, Brown University
As the group of technology users grows exponentially
in number, it becomes even more critical to acknowledge and address the
diversity of that group. It is imperative that University Training Departments
continually re-evaluate their approach to and understanding of their target
community. The Computer Education department at Brown University had been
focused on providing training on the campus-wide, officially-supported
applications. This approach became increasingly outdated. We have re-designed
our Training Program by identifying key user groups within the University
community (namely Staff, Students, and Faculty) and recognizing that even
though these groups may be using the same computer applications, their training
needs are significantly different in terms of content, focus, approach, and
timing.
By recognizing these differences, we are better able to identify and address users' specific needs, to work with groups that represent those users, and to design incentives and marketing strategies that appeal to those groups. Additionally, we have been better able to identify and develop outreach for sub-groups within these larger User Groups. In the course of this re-design, we have examined every aspect of our training program, the registration system, our advertising, individual course content and design, our follow-up, and have made significant changes to all of these areas. As a result we have witnessed individuals and groups participating in training that have never participated before as well as a dramatic increase in user satisfaction.