YOU'VE FINISHED YOUR PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS or needs assessment and have determined that there is a lack of skills and/or knowledge. Your learners' time is limited as is your budget. If they don't need to store the information in long-term memory consider.....JOB AIDS!

"A job aid is a repository for information, processes, or perspective that is external to the individual and that supports work and activity by directing, guiding and enlightening performance" (Rossett and Gautier-Downes, 1991). 

Job Aid in Space

Referencing information such as process, procedure, or perspective from job aids allow us to free up long-term memory for more important information. Job aids are presented on media such as laminated cards, audiotapes, and web sites. Some formats are checklists, flow charts, and steps. Job aids may be used before, during or after a task.

Common job aids are:

the steps to set up voice mail
a checklist of supplies for new employees
questions to consider before buying a house
business cards

Use a job aid when:                                                               Examples

The task is infrequent                                                             Running annual financial reports 
                                                                                             A supervisor preparing for an exit interview 
                                                                                             Enrolling a new child in your medical benefits

The task is complex                                                              Scanning an image 
                                                                                            Installing an operating system on a computer

There is no room for error                                                    Launching a satellite from the space shuttle
                                                                                           Conducting safety procedures in a nuclear power plant

Performing the task depends on large                                   Buying a home 
amounts of information                                                        Preparing taxes

The procedures, knowledge, or approach                           Using frequently updated software 
needed to perform the task changes frequently                     Preparing taxes

The person who performs the task changes                         Temporary worker sorting mail 
frequently and the task is simple                                          Ballot collectors

Resources for training are limited                                        Using multi-lingual job aids instead of additional training 

                                                    Examples

Using a job aid will damage the credibility of the user           Performing surgery
                                                                                          Piloting an airplane in a storm

When task speed is important                                             Producing hardware in a high-production manufacturing environment

New, unpredictable situations are involved                         Mediating during a confrontation
                                                                                         Driving a car

Automatic, seamless task performance is required             Playing basketball or other sports

Browser safe color value 

 Decision Making and Coaching job aids support questions such as "why is this important" and "what might I consider before I make this decision." Heuristic in style, decision-making and coaching job aids support performance in ambiguous tasks such as supervisory strategies for motivating employees.

 Informational job aids quickly organize concepts and facts one needs to perform a task. What web browser safe colors should I use? Who do I call? When is the meeting? This information may be accessed from something as simple as a business card or a company-wide intranet. External and easily accessed, such job aids allow us to bypass the effort needed to store the information in long-term memory. Example 

Procedural job aids support the user with the "how" and "when" to perform a task. Typical procedural job aids are flow charts for making a copy on the copier, paying for gas at the pump, or launching a business application. Users depend on job aids at first, but reduce reliance on them over time when the task becomes automatic. 

This article is based on readings from The Handbook of Job Aids by Allison Rossett and Jeannette Gautier-Downes.

Photograph courtesy of NASA
Information Job Aid example courtesy of Doug Lucas, Qualcomm

Renee Lucas, Graduate Student in Educational Technology
San Diego State University