What are the skill sets in the project or in the position?
Your assessment of the project or of the office duties is crucial. It is strongly suggested that you devise a clear list of the duties that appear to be within the student’s immediate abilities (can be taught within a few repetitions or practices) vs. duties that will require more training. Consider initially presenting the graphic organizer to show the student the various tasks in the job. Creating this dual list of strengths vs. teachable jobs can assist the success of the project or job match. The list can also be used as a starting point to negotiate the responsibilities that fit the project or supervisor’s needs for a specific quantity and quality of work while also fitting the student.
Look at the general sequence of tasks in the project or office setting. Look at the distances traveled in transitions and the spaces through which transitions occur. Are there distractions? Are materials and space well organized? Sometimes negotiating a different sequence of tasks or minor adjustments to the space and materials will be quite acceptable to the supervisor if she knows that these adjustments will lead to better work quality.
After listing the skills in the proposed job description, what are the steps that comprise each skill? How can you break each skill down?
Do your best to list the steps involved in the various tasks. Listing the steps of a task allows you to identify the potential trouble spots and to develop visual supports that will support student independence. Doing this before expecting the student to perform the skill or task will prevent student, supervisor and instructor frustration and potential failure.
The instructor may feel like she does not have time to do this. Not doing so leads to failed job sites. If your goal is positive post-school outcomes, find a way to make the task analysis before expecting the student to perform it.
For instance, the student may perform well at data entry and using office-based software, but is limited in comprehensive navigation of multiple operating systems. If the student is most familiar with Apple products which use their operating system, how can you breakdown instruction to teach navigating Microsoft Windows? You may begin by identifying the differences between the systems using a graphic organizer to explain icons specific to Windows as well as icons and links with similar functions between the systems. This type of tool could also define Windows-specific terminology (e.g. the “Start” button, “Explorer,” etc.). It is important that the student has a firm understanding of how to navigate whatever operating system is used at a specific job, so it will also be necessary to address the student’s rigidity around learning a new system. Opportunities will need to be setup where the student can follow a checklist or thought map to locate specific files on the computer, providing generalization to promote true success. Remember to stay focused: if you are targeting operating system navigation, be careful not to overflow into navigating specific software, conducting internet searches, or checking email.
An advanced student seeking employment doing network management for a small office will need competence in many areas beyond ensuring all the users are connected to the internet. For example, the router firmware used to interact with the network settings differs between generations, types, and makes and models of hardware. Navigating the interfaces for different brands of routers sometimes requires generalizing the terms and settings from one model to another; a concept that may prove difficult. Therefore, how can you break down the concepts of applying the student’s current network management knowledge to an unfamiliar router or set-up? Screenshots of the user interface, graphic organizers of terms and link layouts, and simplified instructions may all be necessary to support instruction. Similar to operating system navigation, practice opportunities should help the student develop skills using a variety of interfaces to complete a variety of tasks such as setting up security, sharing connected printers, and troubleshooting errors. Each administration function will need to be evaluated to assure the student’s general comprehension, a process that will also allow you to target the specific challenges (such as determining to use WEP or WPA encryption, making changes to ports and forwarding options, keeping up with login credentials, etc.). As this is an advanced skill, the student should have a pretty well-established comprehension of these concepts (as is also absolutely necessary for the instructor!).
Consider the steps that the student will follow when faced with unexpected errors? As the network administrator or if conducting troubleshooting, how can the student with concrete IT knowledge be supported in preparing for these unstructured situations?
Review the task analysis and assure that the student can perform approximately 80% of the tasks. Consider whether there are steps that will be very difficult and whether these steps can be carried out by others in the setting. Think about whether you can adjust the sequence to assure that the student produces a high quality and quantity of work according to the standards of the supervisor.
What sub-skill should you target first for the student to initiate? Given what the student can do presently, how will you present the task so that the student can perform steps within his capacity while learning a new step?
In general, after you complete a task analysis of a task or skill, consider how many of the steps the student can perform independently. If the student can perform most (preferably 80%) of the steps without direct assistance, you have a good task for the student in the job. You will want to identify the visual supports that will assist him with the difficult steps as well as the sequence of steps. Generally, teach the steps of the task in sequence to build a routine while prompting the student to the visual supports that will assist those difficult steps.
For instance, if working with a student who wants to do data entry and has proficiency at typing and general computer navigation, it may be necessary to target using a calculation or spreadsheet program. In this situation, you are not targeting typing skills, operating system navigation, or general computer use, but the concepts of using a specific program. The student may need to first be introduced to the program through visual instructions and your support to explain the purpose of the software. Perhaps you then move to modeling how to create and save a new file, creating visual supports for the student’s independent practice of this single skill before the next step of selecting cells for entering data.
