Designing and Developing Electronic Performance Support Systems

Designing and Developing Electronic Support Systems describes the EPSS concept, and provides a systematic process for creating these systems.

An EPSS is a software context that integrates the support needed to perform
a job task - information, software and expert advice - with the actual job task or tasks. EPSSs provide this support at the appropriate time and in the most appropriate format. As corporations cut their training budgets and realize the relevance of on the job support, there is growing acceptance of EPSS as an alternative to classroom-based training. ED4 (EPSS Define, Design, Develop and Deliver), a systematic approach to creating EPSS, is based on instructional systems methodology, and was used at Digital Equipment Corporation to create an EPSS 'workbench' for training consultants. This book describes ED4 and the process that the instructional designers and software engineers used to create the Learning Services Workbench. Interviews with EPSS designers and developers at Digital Equipment Corporation showed that EPSSs created using a systematic approach resulted in a creative, robust and job-relevant software product.

Lesley Brown is an instructional design contractor for the Information Design and Consulting Group at Digital Equipment Corporation.