Instructional DesignⅡ

In this session, we will consider concept work. I will introduce the SSM (Soft Systems Methodology) tool that the instructor (Kitamura) uses for concept work.

 First, let's clarify what kind of change the proposal for this project will bring about. Here we will use the "T" (Transform process) of SSM. It's not difficult to do. The point is to identify what inputs should be transformed into what outputs.

　

Input	→　Ｔ　→	Output
(Some individual body)		(individual body in a transformed state)

Source: Checkland & Schools (1994), Soft Systems Methodology, Yuhikaku, p.46(in Japanese)

　

For example, "Our employees are not very motivated. Isn't there anything we can do? " can be expressed as

.And,We can say that T is "activities and systems to turn unmotivated employees into motivated ones".As you may have already noticed, this is exactly the same as the basic idea of ID: input is the "entrance", output is the "exit", and T is training and teaching materials. In other words, educational activities and materials are one of the "T "s related to people.

 When you think about it, the specific means that fit into this "T" category are motivational training, lectures by athletes, coaching and mentoring in the workplace, and in some cases, sermons by superiors and seniors.

 However, we should not start with T as "training for motivation. First of all, it is important to think conceptually about what the activity or system does, or in other words, the essence of what is required of the proposal.

 This is because there can be multiple ways to satisfy the concept. If you decide on the means from the beginning, you may end up considering the means and make a wrong decision.

　

 (References)

• Checkland & Schools (1994), Soft Systems Methodology, Yuhikaku(in Japanese)

Once the "T" has been determined to some extent, it is time to consider what options are available. Let's consider the aforementioned example of "activities and systems to turn unmotivated employees into motivated ones.

 The factors to consider here are the origin and background of the case, as mentioned previously. Depending on the origin and background of the case, the means of action may vary.

 For example, "One day, the president, troubled by the lack of growth in business performance, looked around the office and saw a lack of motivation among the employees, and told the training staff, 'Do something about this lack of motivation through training or something! (This is a case that I actually encountered.) If you receive a request for motivational training, you can say, "Yes, I understand. (This is the case I actually encountered.) It would be dangerous to say, "Okay, let's plan and implement motivational training immediately. This is because you do not know the cause of the lack of motivation.

  If the reason for the lack of motivation is low salary, it is highly likely that training is useless. If the reason for the lack of motivation is low salary, then training is likely to be futile, and there is a great risk that employees will become increasingly dissatisfied, saying, "If you have money for training, raise my salary. If the cause is poor communication in the workplace, you can choose to provide training to facilitate communication (e.g., coaching training for managers, facilitator training for effective meetings, etc.). On the other hand, you could also consider implementing recreational activities or creating an environment where employees can get to know each other using internal e-mail newsletters and social networking services (that can also be considered a type of e-learning).

  If you decide from the start that "T" is "training" and don't consider the background and origin of the project, you won't be able to consider such a variety of options. And deciding and thinking about the means from the beginning will lead to failure.

 Now, in this case, if it is found that the communication within the company, especially between supervisors (managers) and subordinates, is poor and leading to a drop in motivation, which is the cause of poor performance, the T for the countermeasure activity would be as follows.

　

Not smooth "Communication between subordinates and supervisors"

→　Ｔ　→

Smooth "Communication between subordinates and supervisors."

　

You may return to T in this way as you consider your options. In fact, you can consider it as evidence of such a deep examination.

  If, as a result of the examination, education seems to be an appropriate means, the next step is to consider what kind of educational means (system) to use. For more information on how to think about this, please refer to Chapter 7, "Designing an e-Learning System," in the e-Learning Introduction 8th session textbook.

　

 （References）

• Introduction to e-Learning, 8th text, "Chapter 7: Designing e-Learning Systems," p. 7-10(in Japanese)

When I think of a concept, I use the "basic definition" (XYZ formula) of SSM.

The "basic definition" of SSM is expressed in the following form.

Source: Checkland & Schools (1994), Soft Systems Methodology, Yuhikaku p.49 (in Japanese)

 Here, X reflects the aforementioned "T". Y is the means chosen from among the various options. And Z is basically the client's objective (intention). If you chose coaching training for managers as an option, it would look like this:

The next step is to check the assumptions and logic to see if the basic definition is valid. This may sound exaggerated, but it is not that difficult.

 First, check the following points about the assumptions.

Let's apply this in practice.

Z： Stimulating employee motivation is desirable. It is necessary to increase performance.
Y：  It is possible to have the supervisor (manager) level develop coaching skills.
X：  It is possible to facilitate communication between subordinates and supervisors.

  If the answer to this check is all Yes, then check the logic.

(If you do Y, you can do X.)
If we can get the supervisor (manager) level to develop coaching skills, we can facilitate communication between subordinates and supervisors.

 （Doing X can positively benefit/contribute to Z.）
Facilitating communication between subordinates and supervisors can stimulate employee motivation and contribute to improved performance.

  The concept work is to examine these points by yourself. It is important to share this basic definition with the client, so that they can have a better idea of what to expect in the future.

 　

（References）

• Checkland & Schools (1994), "Soft Systems Methodology," Yuhikaku (translated by Kenichiro Seo)

The following is a sample concept and idea for a sample case.
Please use them as a reference for how to derive concepts and ideas based on those concepts.
Please note that this is a "sample" and not a "model," so please be critical of what is written.
Session9: Concepts and Ideas（PDF：116KB）

In order to realize the above concept, let's come up with various ideas.

 I won't go into how to come up with ideas here, because I'm sure everyone has their own way of doing things. Regardless of how you do it, the analysis and concept work mentioned in the previous and current articles should be useful. Please try to combine these with your own approach.

 The "Checklist of ID Perspectives" used in the first block and the various theories and models learned in Introduction to e-Learning and Instructional Design I may also be useful as a starting point for generating ideas. Please give them a try.