Learning from Simple Systems: The Case of JPL 101 13Copyright © 2005, Idea Group Inc. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without writtenfeedback mechanisms were provided through pull-down menus. After the 12-week
deployment period, the entry page provided a direct link to the list of previous quizzes
as well as the menu-accessible items.
Design Considerations
JPL 101 was designed based on the assumptions that the general JPL population
had access to a computer, was able to effectively use a Web interface, and would find
the use of a quiz-based model for the knowledge acceptable. The first two are reasonable
assumptions given the proliferation of Web-based institutional applications for general
exchange of information, support of business and administrative functions, and organi-
zational communications. The third assumption was validated during preliminary beta
testing of the concept.
Based on the assessment of the organization and with guidance from the Ethics,
Human Resources, and Internal Communications offices, several constraints were
incorporated into the design process. First, the overall set of quizzes were made
representative of concerns across the wide range of disciplines in the Laboratory so that
no group would feel “ignored” in the process and to ensure that the thought-world issues
were addressed. Second, in order to avoid potential problems with time-keeping rules,
the quizzes were kept short. Third, we had to ensure that people could participate at their
convenience, and that pragmatics, such as individuals being on travel, would not limit
participation. Fourth, since participation would be voluntary, there had to be motivations
to use the system. Fifth, the goal of the system was learning, therefore it was critical that
there were mechanisms for assessing whether people actually benefited from the system.
Finally, it was important that people not feel that they were being graded or assessed in
any way. Therefore it was necessary to ensure that participants could take the quizzes
without fear of violating their privacy. This limited the type of performance and
participation data that could be collected.
Content
The heart of JPL 101 is the content. The content categories were carefully chosen
to emphasize areas important to the Laboratory, essentially representing the different
thought worlds. Table 1 provides a description of the different categories, the rationale
for including them, and an example of each.
Over the course of the 12 weeks, a total of 66 questions were presented. Each
question went through a rigorous quality check to ensure accuracy and that it met the
standards for a well-formulated question. The distribution of questions across catego-
ries is also provided in Table 1.
Two areas received special attention in developing the questions: JPL Basics and
Stakeholders. The 21 questions in the Basics category covered material ranging from how
to get help with computer problems to knowledge on new institutional resources and local
restaurants available after hours. This is the type of knowledge that generally does not
receive high visibility, but contributes to the overall work environment. The Stakeholder
category consisted of 10 questions that covered the multiple constituencies to which JPL
is responsible. Because JPL is a National Laboratory operated for NASA by the Caltech,
there is a wide spectrum of stakeholders who influence the operations of the Laboratory.
Understanding the nature of these stakeholder relationships and the various legal,