El-Tech: A Performance Support System with Embedded Training for Electronics Technicians

The integration of modern computer-based inferencing, networking, computer-mediated training and multimedia technology hold the promise of improved training and performance support for personnel in industry and government. This paper reports an effort to develop a network-enabled knowledge editing and modeling environment that offers just-in-time training and performance support, anytime, anywhere. The instructional component of the system is based upon a knowledge model elicited from a domain expert and represented in a pedagogicallymotivated multimedia browser. The expert's diagnostic processes are mapped into an integrated rule-based advisory system that assists the user in task performance. The advisory system is tightly coupled with the knowledge model in a fashion that provides context-dependent explanations of the diagnostic process. The distributed, network-based design allows the system to be accessed any time, on demand, running seamlessly over the Internet or similar networks. El-Tech (Electronic Technician) is a first prototype of this approach to next-generation, just-in-time performance support systems with embedded training. El-Tech is being developed as a joint project with the Navy's Chief of Naval Education and Training (CNET).