Research has shown that community college and other low income students have the most need regarding the financial aid process. Community college students are less likely to complete the free application for federal student aid (FAFSA) than students at public and private four-year and for-profit institutions. Surveys have shown that the complexity…

Many, if not most, of my colleagues believe that human performance technology (HPT) can never become a science; they do not even believe that it should be. I cannot come to that conclusion. If not a full-fledged science, then we should strive for at least a soft science that is more consistent and accepted in business than is certainly the case…

Through vision, leadership, and creativity, Salisbury University's Blackwell Library transformed its access services department structurally and philosophically to better position itself to meet, and strive to exceed, today's user needs and expectations. Restructuring and the introduction of new leadership and new ideas provided the foundation for…

Over the past few years a growing body of research has highlighted the potential for educational video games to foster highly engaged, effective learning in the classroom. These research reports from organizations such as the Federation of American Scientists, the National Science Foundation, and the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop…

It is easy to lament the shortcomings of traditional online public access catalogs (OPACs) in the Google Age. Users cannot, for example, usually input a snippet of a long-forgotten pop song's chorus into an online library catalog and almost instantly retrieve a relevant result along with hundreds of other options. On the other hand, should OPACs…

The capability of organizations to operate on the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) framework is reliant on ITIL process measurements. Appropriate ITIL process measurements help ensure desired outcomes, enable corrective actions to take place prior to process failure, and direct process activities towards continuous improvement.…

Growing concerns about low awareness and take-up rates for government support programs like financial aid for college have recently spurred calls to simplify the application process and enhance visibility. However, little research has been done to determine whether such reforms would truly improve college access and in what form…

The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) is an independent, not-for-profit corporation designated as the administrator of the federal Universal Service Fund (USF) by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). USAC administers the Universal Service Fund and the four Universal Service programs: High Cost, Low Income, Rural Health Care,…

This paper presents the activities of the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) for 2009. The past year was one of accomplishment for USAC. USAC implemented a host of advances in operations, infrastructure, and outreach in an effort to continue to improve collection and disbursement of the Universal Service Fund (USF) support and to…

Provides an overview of the electronic business (e-business) revolution and suggests ways it will affect human performance improvement professionals. Highlights include customer reliance on the Web; use of the Internet and associated software to link employees, applications, and companies; information access and sharing; business-to-consumer and…

Discusses knowledge management and considers how the profession has developed from job aids and documentation. Topics include organizational culture and policies; access to information; enabling technologies; customer focus; training for knowledge management; and leadership roles played by knowledge management and performance professionals.…

The University of Chicago's Joseph Regenstein Library Bookstacks Department has used process mapping and continuous improvement to successfully improve its overall operations. The most recent efforts focus on Lean manufacturing, an initiative centered on eliminating waste in manufacturing processes. The conversion of the Bookstacks Department from…

How many times have you attended a marathon training class only to return to your job and promptly forget what you learned? How many times have you programmed your VCR, only to find yourself searching for the manual six months later? The reality is that humans accumulate a vast amount of life experience and knowledge. Adult learning theory…

Many school districts (SDs) use the World Wide Web (WWW or Web) to disseminate a wide variety of information about things such as district events, policies, and a wide variety of student information. On-line barriers limit the accessibility of the WWW for persons and students with disabilities and thus can limit their access to vital information.…

In 1991, the University Libraries of Northern Illinois University implemented a revised policy for renewals of library materials. Various system, staff, and patron-related concerns required the access services department to adapt to immediate demands, then to seek longterm solutions. This case study examines the initial impact of the new policy,…