Distance education courses from a Brazillian financial company:
a qualitative analysys of the instructional material
University of Brasília - Brazil
Authors:
Isabela Velasques
Presenter:
Institute of Psychology
Rafaella Andrade
Renata Noleto
Vanessa Brixi
Impacto: Research on Training and Organizatons of Work
Raquel Vilas Boas
Gardênia Abbad
1 - ABSTRACT
4 - RESULTS
This study aims to report the evaluation process of two distance education
Aspects that need improvement
courses, offered on the intranet by the corporative university of a big Brazillian
financial company. Both courses were related to corporative security procedures
Strong aspects
that employees must follow at the company. The strongest aspect of both
The use of adequate, welldesigned
animation
resources.
courses was the use of adequate, well-designed animation resources. The
company received feedback based on the previous results, and was willing to
consider them in order to improve the courses.
Such study points to the
importance of a systematic evaluation of instructional materials, as well as
interest from the organizational environment to improve development programs
like the ones described here.
2 - INTRODUCTION
The rapid and constant technological, economical and social changing has
influenced the stuff training area, which has become an important instrument to
Pictures were adequately
used, presenting proper
correspondence with the
content (text).
Alternative
sources
of
information
about
the
topics are displayed to the
learners (web sites, internal
manuals, and so on).
guarantee organizations of work with acquiring new abilities, knowledge and
Both courses presented written objectives, most of which were
inadequate: they described non-observable behaviors, and
presented imprecise verbs that did not focus on the learners'
needs.
Exercises were considered incompatible in complexity to the
learning goals of the courses.
Feedback was not informative; it only showed the correct answer,
without guidance about where to find more information about the
topic.
In regards to navigability, the graphic interface was unfavorable
to learning, since learners had difficulties in shifting from one
section to another.
There was no use of the strategies employed to stimulate
interaction (chats, discussion forums).
attitude.
Given the vigorous requirement for constant learning, evaluating training
programs efficiently justifies the effort spent from researchers to understand
better the evaluation of training programs adapted to the Brazilian reality.
Evaluating instructional design it important because a well-planned course tends
to allow higher degrees of retention and transfer of training at work (Pozo, 2001;
5 – DISCUSSION
6 – RECOMMENDATIONS
In: Abbad, 2004).
In order to evaluate the adequacy of the instructional design of two
The
present
study
indicates
that
a
courses, researchers based their analyses on Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational
 Results have shown that the graphic interface
Objectives (In: Abbad & Borges-Andrade, 2004) and on Gagné’s Instructional
from both courses should be improved, as well as
systematic evaluation of instructional materials is
Approach (1985 e 1988).
interaction strategies and instructional objectives;
a key to improve development programs like the
 Learning evaluation should be re-thought, once
ones described here.
3 - METHOD
What was studied?
 Courses: Basic Security Procedures and Advanced Security Procedures;
 Modality: both courses were completely at distance; self-instructional;
 Amount of hours estimated to complete: 10 hours;
 Participants: every single employee in the company.
it is necessary to establish criteria for failure, come
Such type of evaluation my also provide
up with more informative feedback and integrate
researchers with information about why results
more adequate exercises;
like the ones described here are found. Therefore,
 The company received feedback based on the
it is clear that systematic evaluation procedures
previous results, and was willing to consider them
should be applied to other levels of evaluation
in order to improve the courses.
(impact, for example).
Instrument
 The Analysis of the Didactic Material Checklist (38 items).
 Such tool guides researchers' examination of adequacy of instructional
objectives, instructional strategies, evaluation strategies, planning, sequence
of content, and information sources.
7 – REFERENCES
Abbad, G.S. & Borges-Andrade, J.E. (2004). Aprendizagem Humana em Organizações e Trabalho. In:
Zanelli, Borges-Andrade & Bastos (Orgs) Psicologia, Organizações e Trabalho no Brasil, p. 237-
Procedures
275. Artmed: Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
 Didactic Material Reading;
 Going through all the lessons and exercises;
Gagné, R. M. (1988). Essencials of learning for instrucion. 2 ed. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall.
 Taking notes on ascpects that should be improved (storyboard);
Gagné, R. M. (1985). The conditions of learning and theory of instrucion. 4ed. Nova Iorque:
 Following the Analysis of the Didactic Material Checklist.
PRONEX
Rinehart and Wiston.
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