A systematic approach for the analysis, design and implementation of Telecommunications-Supported Training (TST) systems

Using Bayesian belief networks for reliability management : construction and evaluation: a step by step approach

This doctoral thesis is centered around an Action Research inquiry aimed at revamping the ethics advisory practice at Dealers R’Us Ltd., an automotive management consulting firm located in Ontario, Canada. The inquiry occurred in four phases and over two action cycles. In Phase I, a semi-structured questionnaire administered to eighty automotive dealers and salespeople at four client organizations suggested that the firm’s ethics consulting practice was not adaptive to varied situational contexts and unpredictable changes in the regulatory domain. This resulted in abysmal ethical compliance rates, regulatory fines, and general client dissatisfaction. A thematic analysis of open-ended responses provided by respondents yielded five broad themes - knowledge gaps, organizational structure, interpersonal relationships, internal collaboration, and service design. The objective of this interventive research is to create an agile ethics advisory practice through the generation of actionable knowledge that addresses the aforementioned thematic angles. By leveraging the emancipatory capacity of social constructivism in Phase II, an internal focus group comprising of fifteen stakeholders, utilized Soft System Methodology, an Action Research approach to elucidate the organizational problem. The structured inquiry culminated in the first cycle of remedial actions with implications for the firm’s personnel, internal politics, corporate structure, and go-to-market strategy. In Phase III, organizational outcomes were validated internally and externally through the reflexive analysis of data collected with semi-structured questionnaires and focus group interviews in the post-intervention era. Open-ended responses were explored using thematic analysis. Due to the small size of the firm, a total population sampling strategy was adopted within the organization encompassing all twenty internal stakeholders. Critical case data sampling was carried out at a representative client site in a test case ethical compliance consulting project that involved twenty-eight external stakeholders. In the post-intervention survey, 87% of the external respondents agreed that Dealers R’Us’ ethics and ethical compliance program became responsive to varied and evolving ethical compliance needs in Ontario’s automotive retail industry. In contrast, only 16% of survey respondents agreed with the same statement in the pre-intervention phase. This outcome resulted from a reduction in consultant knowledge gaps; a transition from a hierarchical functional organizational structure to a matrix structure comprised of interdisciplinary teams; a deliberate focus on improving interpersonal relationships between consultants; the equalization of power within the firm and a service redesign effort that entailed the field colocation of interdisciplinary teams. In Phase IV, this outcome informed a second action cycle geared towards an entrenchment of the transformative research agenda. Based on agreements in management literature, I conceptualized agility using ideas from Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) theory including self-organization and spontaneous emergence. Other applied theories include Social Identity Theory and Contingency Theory. The results obtained challenge the traditional approach to ethics consulting. They inspired the development and recommendation of a Conceptual Framework for Agile Ethics Consulting to the firm. This original contribution to ethics advisory practice and consulting literature codifies relevant agility drivers, enablers, capabilities and practices. Foundational recommendations border on data proximity, selective contingency, the establishment of active feedback loops, incremental solution execution; the attainment of a common internal identity and the incentivization of strong interpersonal bonds within the firm. For automotive dealerships, this inquiry provides accessibility to custom-tailored ethical compliance programs, higher compliance rates and the mitigation of risks and liabilities resulting from non-compliance. In a reflective manner, I draw conclusions on the post-intervention status of the ethics practice under review based on CAS theory metrics. In addition to taking stock of my scholar-practitioner experience, I also discuss transitions in my leadership philosophy. The small size of Dealers R’Us translates into a relatively small sample size. This is a research limitation that must be considered when interpreting the outcomes of this research. The collection of data from external sources at different intervals and the utilization of multiple dialectics afforded by Soft System Methodology helped to seek out disconfirming evidence and mitigate this limitation. The infancy of the proposed conceptual framework makes it an appropriate target for future research and validation.

Martifer Solar, in collaboration with the Instituto de Energia Solar of the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid (IES) in Madrid, has developed a new CPV system. The IES provided the optical design and helped to select component suppliers. The scope of the project is to provide a state-of-the-art system with minimal technical risk: i.e. a well-executed rather than novel system that leveraged the capabilities of the current CPV supplier ecosystem. Early on, a choice was made to use all-glass optics: a silicone-on-glass primary lens combined with a molded glass secondary optical element (SOE) as the choice that would combine high performance and reliability. As recent work has shown, when designing concentrator systems with SOG lens their high sensitivity to temperature must be taken into account, and it is shown how an appropriate SOE can reduce this sensitivity. In this paper, we discuss best practices for implementing concentrator systems using SOG primaries and DTIRC SOEs, and show how a range of characterization techniques may be used to optimize them, including the study of their performance sensitivity to focal distance and temperature. We discuss early performance results for the system and show how the final system shows reduced thermal and spectral sensitivity compared to other systems.

Supply chain partners for local organic food face uncertainties such as poor collaboration and communication that cannot be reduced through the application of traditional supply chain design and management techniques. Such techniques are known to improve supply chain coordination, but they do not adequately consider major aspects of local organic food supply chains such as ethics, sustainability and human values. Supply chain design and management approaches suitable to small-scale, local organic food enterprises are lacking and need to be developed. The aim of this paper is to suggest Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) as a new and suitable approach to design and manage local organic food supply chains. We illustrate how SSM can be used to reduce uncertainties within local organic food supply chains based on a German case. This illustration serves to identify the benefits of using SSM, compared with ad hoc, pragmatic and less structured approaches. The major benefits are of thought, intervention and change, as well as action-oriented, meaningful and participatory decision making.

Performance ImprovementVolume 42, Issue 2 p. 16-18 Article Visibility into the work TQM work process analysis with HPT and ISD Charles A. Beagles, Charles A. Beagles Charles A. Beagles is the Director, Technical Training and Evaluation Office, Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA). Prior to joining VBA, Charles served as Deputy Program Director, Marine Corps Programs, and as Division Head, Training Plans and Analysis Division, Naval Air Warfare Systems Training Systems Division. Prior to that, he worked at the Center for Needs Assessment and Planning, Florida State University. In addition to 22 years experience in training analysis and design, Charles is a former Marine Corps Captain and served as a Rifle Company Commander in Vietnam. He holds a PhD in educational psychology, from Florida State University. Charles may be reached at vrccbeag@vba.va.gov.Search for more papers by this authorSteven L. Griffin, Steven L. Griffin Steven L. Griffin, an Instructional Systems Specialist, is Program Manager of Training and Performance Support Systems for the Technical Training and Evaluation Office, Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA). He holds a MEd from the University of Louisville. Steven has 32 years of government and industry experience in training system and courseware design and development, with VBA, the Department of Defense, Science Applications International Corporation, and General Electric. He may be reached at vsdsgrif@vba.va.gov.Search for more papers by this author Charles A. Beagles, Charles A. Beagles Charles A. Beagles is the Director, Technical Training and Evaluation Office, Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA). Prior to joining VBA, Charles served as Deputy Program Director, Marine Corps Programs, and as Division Head, Training Plans and Analysis Division, Naval Air Warfare Systems Training Systems Division. Prior to that, he worked at the Center for Needs Assessment and Planning, Florida State University. In addition to 22 years experience in training analysis and design, Charles is a former Marine Corps Captain and served as a Rifle Company Commander in Vietnam. He holds a PhD in educational psychology, from Florida State University. Charles may be reached at vrccbeag@vba.va.gov.Search for more papers by this authorSteven L. Griffin, Steven L. Griffin Steven L. Griffin, an Instructional Systems Specialist, is Program Manager of Training and Performance Support Systems for the Technical Training and Evaluation Office, Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA). He holds a MEd from the University of Louisville. Steven has 32 years of government and industry experience in training system and courseware design and development, with VBA, the Department of Defense, Science Applications International Corporation, and General Electric. He may be reached at vsdsgrif@vba.va.gov.Search for more papers by this author First published: 08 February 2007 https://doi.org/10.1002/pfi.4930420208 AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume42, Issue2February 2003Pages 16-18 RelatedInformation

Objective To design web-based simulated training system for skills and clinical nursing thinking for the independent training of vocational nursing students, and analyze the training effect. Methods Nursing students from five sections in Suzhou Vocationul Health College were chosen randomly as the research object from October to November 2015, and a web-based training program which involved three categories and eight skills was designed and was employed to train the students, then a questionnaire was distributed to them and the results were analyzed. Results Nursing students′ recognition degree to the 14 kinds of ability that should be paid attention in the adults nursing was 24.4%-74.7%, and their recognition degree to the 14 kinds of ability in this training system was 17.3%-69.3%. More than 90% of the nursing students thought that the design of this training system was creative, the design of training questions was rational, and the contents were scientific and advanced with high quality. However, 37.3% of nursing students thought that the number of training programs was general/too small. About 90% of nursing students thought that this training system was helpfull in improving their ability and their study. The average scores of 223 nursing students in inquiry, physical examination, and nursing for patients with heart failure, coronary heart disease and diabetics were (84.4±17.9), (84.7±15.9), (84.7±13.5), (85.3±12.9) and (86.1±12.4). Conclusions The web-based simulated training system for skill and clinical nursing thinking has a good assist-teaching functiom, and it provides an access for nursing students to practice in their spare time. It was an innovative teaching practice with advancement and scientificity and it can help to improve students′ skills and ability in clinical thinking. Key words: Clinical ability; Web; Clinical nursing thinking; Simulative training

Nowadays the massive improvement in Information Technology, which integrates computer technology and telecommunication, has lead to revolution in the field of Information System. The positive momentum in the world of information technology that is indicated by the rapid growth of Internet usage should become a positive enablement in the development of tourism industry. The implementation of information technology could help the tourist in finding the information about tourist attractions, its facilities, route, distance, cost required to get there. Soft Systems Management (SSM) is one of the best options that can be used to support and define the tourism information system (e-tourism). The SSM defined system is expected to meet the system stakeholder requirements, such that give optimum value to the tourist and help the country to attract more tourists visiting the Indonesia.

This paper developed a kind of virtual training system for coal mine workers and technicians by using virtual reality (Virtual reality, VR) technology. The basis of this system is virtual reality and 3D game engine, in the virtual environment, trainees realize the operation of the device and the training of data by manipulate the control device such as mouse, keyboard and so on. Different trainees can in different roles to interact in the same scene, which make trainees to be personally on the scene, and to achieve human-computer interaction. The system provides a more effective means for safe production of coal mines and technical training of miners. This paper introduces the design and implementation of mine simulation virtual training system and describes the realization process.

A modification of soft systems methodology (SSM) especially suitable for tackling problematic situations under the Eastern cultural influence is proposed. It emerged when we tried to apply SSM to a cultural conflict problem caused by the introduction of new technologies into an R&D institute in Indonesia. Our modification, the main constituent of which is the replacement of the debate stage by what we call indirect debate, is inevitable for dealing with this problem to satisfy the kernel of SSM, since the philosophy of SSM requires communicative competence. We believe that our modified SSM, combined with the descriptive analysis of Davies and with the cultural analysis of Checkland and Scholes, provides a powerful way of improving problematic situations where Eastern cultural factors play dominant roles.

Scale-dependent procedures for seismic risk assessment and management of industrial building portfolios

The research activity carried out during the PhD course in Electrical Engineering belongs to the branch of electric and electronic measurements. The main subject of the present thesis is a distributed measurement system to be installed in Medium Voltage power networks, as well as the method developed to analyze data acquired by the measurement system itself and to monitor power quality. In chapter 2 the increasing interest towards power quality in electrical systems is illustrated, by reporting the international research activity inherent to the problem and the relevant standards and guidelines emitted. The aspect of the quality of voltage provided by utilities and influenced by customers in the various points of a network came out only in recent years, in particular as a consequence of the energy market liberalization. Usually, the concept of quality of the delivered energy has been associated mostly to its continuity. Hence the reliability was the main characteristic to be ensured for power systems. Nowadays, the number and duration of interruptions are the “quality indicators” commonly perceived by most customers; for this reason, a short section is dedicated also to network reliability and its regulation. In this contest it should be noted that although the measurement system developed during the research activity belongs to the field of power quality evaluation systems, the information registered in real time by its remote stations can be used to improve the system reliability too. Given the vast scenario of power quality degrading phenomena that usually can occur in distribution networks, the study has been focused on electromagnetic transients affecting line voltages. The outcome of such a study has been the design and realization of a distributed measurement system which continuously monitor the phase signals in different points of a network, detect the occurrence of transients superposed to the fundamental steady state component and register the time of occurrence of such events. The data set is finally used to locate the source of the transient disturbance propagating along the network lines. Most of the oscillatory transients affecting line voltages are due to faults occurring in any point of the distribution system and have to be seen before protection equipment intervention. An important conclusion is that the method can improve the monitored network reliability, since the knowledge of the location of a fault allows the energy manager to reduce as much as possible both the area of the network to be disconnected for protection purposes and the time spent by technical staff to recover the abnormal condition and/or the damage. The part of the thesis presenting the results of such a study and activity is structured as follows: chapter 3 deals with the propagation of electromagnetic transients in power systems by defining characteristics and causes of the phenomena and briefly reporting the theory and approaches used to study transients propagation. Then the state of the art concerning methods to detect and locate faults in distribution networks is presented. Finally the attention is paid on the particular technique adopted for the same purpose during the thesis, and the methods developed on the basis of such approach. Chapter 4 reports the configuration of the distribution networks on which the fault location method has been applied by means of simulations as well as the results obtained case by case. In this way the performance featured by the location procedure firstly in ideal then in realistic operating conditions are tested. In chapter 5 the measurement system designed to implement the transients detection and fault location method is presented. The hardware belonging to the measurement chain of every acquisition channel in remote stations is described. Then, the global measurement system is characterized by considering the non ideal aspects of each device that can concur to the final combined uncertainty on the estimated position of the fault in the network under test. Finally, such parameter is computed according to the Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurements, by means of a numeric procedure. In the last chapter a device is described that has been designed and realized during the PhD activity aiming at substituting the commercial capacitive voltage divider belonging to the conditioning block of the measurement chain. Such a study has been carried out aiming at providing an alternative to the used transducer that could feature equivalent performance and lower cost. In this way, the economical impact of the investment associated to the whole measurement system would be significantly reduced, making the method application much more feasible.

An advanced aircrew training system and electronic warfare officer training are discussed. Training system functions include training system management, administration, support, delivery, evaluation, quality assurance, analysis, design, and development. Designing the overall training system architecture to these basic functions and then allocating them to respective training system components ensures that these functions are operational when the total training system is fielded. The use of functional analysis, storyboarding, and process analysis aids in defining the functions and laying out the top level architecture for a given training system. This activity is carried out in the analysis and design phases of the instructional systems development process interfaced with the systems engineering process. >

The field of information systems (IS) has grown dramatically over the past three decades. Recent trends have transformed the IS landscape. These trends include: the evolution of implementation technology from centralized mainframe environments towards distributed client-server architectures, embracing the internet and intranets; changes in user interface technology from character-based to graphical user interfaces, multimedia, and the World Wide Web; changes in applications from transaction processing systems towards systems supporting collaborative work; and the use of information technology as an enabler of business process reengineering and redesign. These technology changes coupled with changes in organizations and their operating environment, such as the growth of the network and virtual organization, internationalization and globalization of many organizations, intensified global competition, changes in values such as customer orientation (service quality) and Quality of Working Life, have imposed new demands on the development of information systems. These changes have led to an increasing discussion about information systems development (ISO), and in particular, the various methods, tools, methodologies, and approaches for ISD. We believe such discussion has opened the door for new, alternative IS development approaches and methodologies. Our paper takes up this theme by describing five alternative ISD approaches, namely the Interactionist approach, the Speech Act-based approach, Soft Systems Methodology, the Trade Unionist approach, and the Professional Work Practices approach. Despite the fact that most of these approaches have a history of over 15 years, their relevance to IS development is not well recognized in the mainstream of IS practice and research, nor is their institutional status comparable to traditional approaches such as structured analysis and design methods. Therefore we characterize the five approaches as 'alternative' in the sense of alternative to the orthodoxy.

This paper describes a design of a training system for a combinational logic design course. The goals of this design are to reduce a cost of the system and to lower the lost and damage of TTL elements used in a digital laboratory currently. The system uses a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) as a processor containing basic logic gates, and uses a microcontroller as a gate selector. The training system consists of a system unit base, 17 basic logic gate models, and 10 lab sheets. The system is evaluated in terms of quality and using suitability of the system by experts and instructors who work with technical schools in Thailand and have been involving and teaching a combinational logic design course for at least 5 years. The results show that the system is rated to have a very good quality and is suitable for being used as a training system in a combinational logic course with inexpensive cost.

This paper presents a portable radar sensor developed in the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid. The system transmits a Linear Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (LFM-CW) with two-antenna configuration for transmission and reception. The radar transmits at millimeter-wave band with a maximum bandwidth of 2 GHz and a transmitted power of 1 W. The system is modular, compact and lightweight. The sensor allows range intervals tuning and sampling the received signals with a constant rate. By this, it is particularly attractive for portable applications. Finally, the system performance has been tested in a traffic surveillance experiment.