Occupationally related lung disease is a significant problem in the United States. This study was undertaken to determine high and low level learning outcomes for adults after receiving various types of multimedia based training presentations. Although there is a need to understand how adults learn from computer delivered training, there have been few investigations of multimedia learning theories using adults as learners.ĭesigners of computer based training have many options, including various types of presentations and interactions. Organisations have been increasingly turning to computer based training as a cost effective means of delivering training programmes, but the study of various instructional design methods to maximise learning and transfer has not kept pace with the development of this technology, 4 leaving instructional designers with little theory based evidence to guide their designs. 3 The goal of intervention effectiveness research is to show the impact of interventions, such as education, in the prevention of workplace illness and injury. 2 The effectiveness of various types of interventions may have a direct effect on the safety of workers, and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has identified intervention effectiveness as one of its priorities in the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA). A 1998 literature review on health and safety training by Cohen et al noted that 80 out of 2000 articles met the standard definition for evidence of effectiveness. US corporations spend $55 to $60 billion per year delivering safety training programmes in the workplace to an estimated 60 million employees, 1 but the effectiveness of many of these programmes, especially computer programs, has not been well studied.
Further study is needed to determine the conditions for the effective use of this technology. There were no significant differences between groups on the multiple choice test.Ĭonclusions: Narration with pictures and text may be a more effective method for training workers about respirator safety than other popular methods of computer based training. Results: Participants receiving the concurrent narration with pictures and animation scored significantly higher on the transfer test than did workers receiving the other two types of instruction. After instruction, participants were given two tests: a multiple choice test measuring low level, rote learning and a transfer test measuring higher level learning. Methods: Three versions of a computer based respirator training module were developed and presented to manufacturing workers: one consisting of text only one with text, pictures, and animation and one with narration, pictures, and animation. Many questions about how adults learn from different types of presentations and which methods best support learning remain unanswered.Īims: To determine if computer based methods, which have been shown to be effective on younger students, can also be an effective method for older workers in occupational health and safety training. Information on a computer can be presented in many different ways and the style of presentation can greatly affect learning outcomes and the effectiveness of the learning intervention.
#Health and safety using computers at work how to#
Background: Computer based methods are increasingly being used for training workers, although our understanding of how to structure this training has not kept pace with the changing abilities of computers.