USER-DESIGN IN THE CREATION OF HUMAN LEARNING-SYSTEMS

Systems theory and thinking are fundamental for the effective applicat ion of human performance technologies and instructional design to orga nizational and educational change efforts. One of the cornerstones of systemic change is the involvement of all stakeholders in what is term ed participatory-or user-design. While the value of including the user s in the creation of large systems of education and human performance (such as training, computer systems, and curriculum) is apparent, the reality of such inclusive efforts has a history of failure. Meeting th e challenge of shifting power dynamics, empowering stakeholders and ed ucating for design must, at some level,fall to the leaders of any dyna mic organization. This paper describes systemic change as a context fo r user-design and defines user-design in that context. Approaches to u ser-design are explored, including ethnographic field methods, coopera tive design, and action research-based user-design as applied to the c reation and implementation of new technologies. A proposed research pl an for the advancement of user-design practice concludes the work.