Episode description

This is the first in the ‘L&D’s Pivot To Performance’ series, in which David James and Guy Wallace speak with Dr. Kenneth Yates about Cognitive Task Analysis (CTA). 

The aim of this series is to highlight the important shift that some L&D leaders and practitioners have made in order to more predictably and reliably affect individual and organisational performance, achieving much more as a consequence. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• L&D needs to pivot from being learning-focused to being performance-focused.
• In the modern workplace, most tasks involve decision-making. How those decisions are to be made is hard to capture and turn into meaningful training.
• Experts omit up to 70% of the critical information when describing what they do.
• Using the CTA approach to conduct interviews with 3 or 4 experts fills in much of the missing information.
• Knowledge, motivational, cultural, and organisational factors all influence human performance in the workplace.
• Identifying the actual problem you are trying to address is essential. Yet, frequently this step is rushed.
• Asking if a problem was solved what would be achieved focuses everyone´s attention and motivates them.
• Dr. Yates uses gap analysis to diagnose problems. He explains why and how in the podcast.
• The gap analysis framework can be used for problem centred issues and to improve processes.
• Culture influences our performance and how we learn. As well as the language that needs to be used.
• The Human Performance Framework can be done surprisingly quickly when people buy into the process.
• Conducting CTA is time-consuming, but because it is highly effective you get good ROI.

BEST MOMENTS

'Experts actually omit up to 70% of the critical information the novice needs.'

'When we find a procedural gap in human performance we need to conduct CTA.'

'Ask – if this problem were solved, what goal would be achieved.'

'Motivation accounts for up to 40 and 50% variance when it comes to learning achievement.'

VALUABLE RESOURCES

The Learning And Development Podcast - https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-learning-development-podcast/id1466927523 

SUPPORTING RESOURCES

Clark, R. E., Pugh, C. M., Yates, K.A., Inaba, K., Green, D., & Sullivan, M. (2012) The use of cognitive task analysis to improve instructional descriptions of procedures.  Journal for Surgical Research. https://hpttreasures.files.wordpress.com/2020/07/journal-for-surgical-research-clark-sullivanedit.pdf

Clark, R.E., Feldon, D., & Yates, K. (2011, April) Using Cognitive Task Analysis to capture expert knowledge and skills for research and instructional design. Workshop presented at the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA. https://hpttreasures.files.wordpress.com/2018/11/aera_cta_workshop_2011_04_11.pdf

Yates, K. A., Sullivan, M., and Clark, R. E. (2011).  Integrated studies in the use of Cognitive Task Analysis to capture surgical expertise for Central Venous Catheter Placement and Open Cricothyrotomy. American Journal of Surgery. 203(1). 76-80. https://hpttreasures.files.wordpress.com/2020/07/yates_sullivan_clark_2011_integrated-studies-on-the-use-of-cta.pdf

Sullivan, M. E., Yates, K. A., Baker, C. J., & Clark, R. E. (2010). Cognitive task analysis and its role in teaching technical skills. In Tsueda, S., Scott, D. and Jones. D. (Eds.). Textbook of Simulation, Skills and Team Training. Woodbury, CT: Cine-Med. https://hpttreasures.files.wordpress.com/2020/07/chapter-in-textbook-of-simulation-cognitive-task-analysis-and-its-role-in-teaching-technical-skills-sullivan-yates-baker-clark.pdf

ABOUT THE GUEST

Dr. Kenneth Yates Bio

Ken is a Professor of Clinical Education in the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California. He is also Co-Director of the Center for Human Applied Reasoning and IOT, a joint center of the Rossier School of Education and the Viterbi School of Engineering to combine cutting-edge cognitive science and education research with the emerging Internet of Things technologies to revolutionise personalised learning.

His research focuses on the use of Cognitive Task Analysis methods to capture the underlying knowledge and skills that experts use to solve complex problems and the design of instruction to effectively teach this expertise to others. He is also interested in how information communication technologies can be used to deliver instruction more efficiently to a wider audience.

ABOUT THE HOST

David James 

David has been a People Development professional for more than 20 years, most notably as Director of Talent, Learning & OD for The Walt Disney Company across Europe, the Middle East & Africa. 

As well as being the Chief Learning Officer at Looop by 360Learning, David is a prominent writer and speaker on topics around modern and digital L&D as well as an active member of the CIPD L&D Advisory Board. 

CONTACT METHOD 

• Twitter:  https://twitter.com/davidinlearning/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjameslinkedin/ 
• Website: https://www.looop.co/