Discusses how performance technologists, or trainers, can provide more impact in reducing field performance deficiencies by gathering feedback from the field regarding training matters. A feedback generator is described that is expressed in terms of an algorithm and helps point to solutions to improve productivity. (LRW)

Describes 360-degree feedback that provides performance data from multiple points of reference. Topics include reasons for performance improvement; what needs improvement; how to improve; choosing a reliable 360-degree instrument; and applications of 360-degree feedback, including personal development, team development, change, and needs…

Examines three elements useful for solving problems revealed by data gathering and analysis in the context of performance technology: goals, standards, and feedback. Emphasis is on the need for performers of tasks, their supervisors, and the organization as a whole to have the same goals and expectations, and how this is achieved through…

Considers three variables that can help performance technologists work more effectively with different kinds and different generations of people. Discusses recognizing the impace of position and disposition, assuring that feedback occurs, and thinking beyond old ways of operating and motivating. Suggests that the context of human interaction is…

This article explores the central role that description of experience, on the part of both teacher and students, plays in reflective practice. In particular, it highlights the power of students' description of their own learning as revealed to teachers in dialogue, a process I call "descriptive feedback." Descriptive feedback is neither…

In this monograph, a description is given of the activities of the "An Upper Secondary School For All" (Swedish abbreviation: GFA) program which has been operating in Swedish schools during the 1980s. A discussion is presented on how a number of upper secondary schools are working on the complex problem of giving as many youngsters as…

Two processes have been hypothesized to underlie improvement in perception: attunement and calibration. These processes were examined in a dynamic touch paradigm in which participants were asked to report the lengths of unseen, wielded rods differing in length, diameter, and material. Two experiments addressed whether feedback informs about the…

We examined the effects of in-class writing instruction, practice, peer review, and feedback on writing skills of undergraduates enrolled in a general psychology course. We rated writing for grammar, writing style, mechanics, and American Psychological Association referencing style. Significant differences emerged on the 4 writing skill domains (p…

Presents eight noninstructional strategies for improving employees' performance in any organization. These alternatives to instruction include job redesign and reassignment, recruitment, organizational development, facilities and tool redesign, incentive and feedback systems, and provision of a strong rationale for the desired performance so…

Describes a longitudinal project in which organizational behavior management (OBM) procedures have been applied to improve performance of plant employees, increase sales of contract furniture, accelerate response time to customer inquiries, increase orders processed, and reduce processing errors at Krueger, a contract and institutional furniture…

Universal Precautions (UPs), procedures to reduce the likelihood of accidental exposure to blood-borne pathogens, were observed among seven Certified Nurse Anesthetists and one anesthesia technician during intravenous line procedures. After six weeks of baseline measures, nurses participated in training, goal setting, and feedback targeting hand…

The managerial self-development program described was developed to help managers get a better look at themselves and the environment in which they operate. (Author)

The Higher Education Opportunities/Career Ladder Program is designed to provide opportunities to pursue higher education and thus to insure upward and lateral mobility for residents of the Model Neighborhood area and for eligible staff of the City Demonstration Agency (CDA) and of related agencies and programs serving the Model Cities area.…

The school Assessment Survey (SAS) is a validated instrument that both assesses school conditions and provides useful feedback for staff. The SAS is organized around nine key organizational dimensions identified in the literature: (1) Goal Consensus; (2) Facilitative Leadership; (3) Centralization of Influence: Classroom Instruction; (4)…

The Texarkana model of performance contracting consists of five major elements: (1) turnkeying of cost-effective new technology as a basic program goal, (2) use of a performance contract for instruction, (3) use of a management support contractor, (4) selection of the learning system contractor by formal competition, and (5) use of independent…