Patent Publication Number: US-2006008788-A1

Title: Method and system for work-embedded learning and group facilitation using a computer-delivery system

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
      1. Field of the Invention  
      The present invention generally relates to a method of conducting group interventions and/or providing work embedded learning. More specifically, computer modules, referred to as Impact Guides, teach group members how to accomplish a group task and guide them up through the completion of the task.  
      2. Description of the Related Art  
      Humans are social beings and human culture is permeated by groups. Regardless of its nature, a group is often expected to perform a specific group task. Often a group task is not well understood or articulated either to the group as a whole or to individuals forming the group.  
      Examples of group tasks abound in military, government, and business units, where group units routinely perform their expected tasks under highly structured settings, but group dynamics occur in other less structured environments such as social circles.  
      In group dynamics, the term “group intervention” refers to a generic process in which guidance is provided in real-time to a group so that its members can go about performing the expected group task as that task is being performed by the group. In many groups, particularly in business environments in which such group tasks are well structured, a specially-trained expert (e.g., a “facilitator”) provides the necessary group intervention skills.  
      Examples of group interventions in a corporate environment might be:  
      a group of managers assembled for the task of rating and ranking a group of employees for the purpose of providing additional employee compensation; or  
      a group of employees assembled to form a team to address a specific or generic problem and having an initial task of defining a mission statement.  
      However, contributing as a group member may often require skills that individual group members may not necessarily bring with them to the group, let alone the specific skills to perform the specific task allocated to the group. Particularly without the structured approach of a trained facilitator, conventional methods of group intervention tend to suffer from a number of problems, including, for example:  
      1. Left to their own devices, individuals generally do not collaborate in the most effective manner, whether in a face-to-face or in an online learning environment. Work groups asked to achieve a common goal also do not instinctively and effectively collaborate. Interactions need to be structured, based on best practices and some way to learn how to adapt them to a group&#39;s own use.  
      2. Groups need access to best practices and a way to learn how to use them that fits within their busy calendars. Finding time to schedule collaborative learning is nearly impossible for work groups. When learning must be scheduled, workers resist, or may not be trained in time to meet the needs of their work group. Groups that leave training to the individual end up with incomplete results, e.g., some trained and some untrained members.  
      3. Most performance support and training programs are designed for individual workers. And while an individual may be trained, a group will not be effective until all members are trained.  
      4. Many performance support tools do not build skills in the worker. Instead they bypass learning by providing a pre-prepared decision or work artifact.  
      5. Transferring newly learned knowledge to the job is an ongoing problem for training programs. If new knowledge is not used, then it is not retained.  
      6. In the name of cost-savings and urgency, employees are asked to be experts in many fields in addition to their specific subject matter expertise. Few employees have all of the required skills, nor do they have the time to build skills at the expense of doing their assigned tasks.  
      Currently, there is no method that effectively addresses all of the above problems. What does exist is automated meeting facilitation or assistance with a single group function tool.  
      For example, Open Text Corporation, with U.S. Head Office in Lincolnshire, Ill., offers a program entitle “Livelink for Collaboration” as a web-based environment for project teams to work together. The technique is understood as based on “Livelink virtualteams” that has seven team-building processes built-in “teamroom”. it has no audio prompting.  
      As a second example,  FIG. 1  shows a partial screen  100  from Facilitate.com, offering real time interaction with a distributed meeting software. It is understood as being an e-meeting conducted in accordance with an agenda that describes a time window for each agenda item  101 . Meeting members can join into the e-meeting by clicking on the prompt  102 . However, this technique offers no learning for the group members relative to a group task.  
      Since these and other conventional methods do not efficiently address all of the above-mentioned six problems and others, a need continues to exist to provide more effective methods for group interventions.  
      Thus, exemplary problems being addressed by the present invention include the following.  
      In the past, high risk situations required an experienced facilitator for each customer situation involving a group task. The skills required for the group task execution were typically non-complex, yet essential to mitigate the risks involved. Usually, there were very limited number of skilled resources available to deploy to a very large audience and a very constrained budget. Often the size of the audience and urgency of need precluded preparatory classes for group members.  
      Moreover, consistency of execution is often important, particularly when executing group work with legal or policy implications or when using certain techniques will affect the outcome.  
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
      In view of the foregoing, and other, exemplary problems, drawbacks, and disadvantages of the conventional system, it is an exemplary feature of the present invention to provide a framework into which can be placed any kind of group intervention, which framework is referred to in the present invention as an “Impact Guide”.  
      It is another exemplary feature of the present invention to provide a technique in which facilitators conventionally used for group interventions can be replaced by a computerized tool.  
      It is another exemplary feature of the present invention to provide a computer-assisted method of embedded learning.  
      It is another exemplary feature of the present invention to provide a method that incorporates effective learning principles into group interventions.  
      To achieve the above exemplary features and others, in a first exemplary aspect of the present invention, described herein is a method (and structure) of conducting a group intervention, including executing a group intervention module including a set of instructions to guide the group through a completion of a group task as the group task is being executed by the group.  
      In a second exemplary aspect of the present invention, described herein is a computerized method of work embedded learning, including executing a group intervention module that includes a set of instructions to guide a group through a completion of a group task as the group task is being executed by the group.  
      In a third exemplary aspect of the present invention, described herein is an e-leaming module including a set of instructions to guide a group through a completion of a group task as the group task is being executed by the group.  
      In a fourth exemplary aspect of the present invention, described herein is an apparatus including a memory storing an e-learning module including a set of instructions to guide a group through a completion of a group task as the group task is being executed by the group.  
      In a fifth exemplary aspect of the present invention, described herein is a system including a processor for executing an e-learning module that includes a set of instructions to guide a group through a completion of a group task as the group task is being executed by the group.  
      In a sixth exemplary aspect of the present invention, described herein is a computerized tool to prepare an e-leaming module, including a graphical user interface to allow entry of inputs from an input device and to provide a display on a display device, a memory containing at least one template for information to be presented in the e-learning module, and an editor to receive the inputs and place the inputs into a format for template, wherein at least one of the templates provides a set of instructions to guide a group through a completion of a group task as the group task is being executed by the group.  
      In a seventh exemplary aspect of the present invention, described herein is a signal-bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to perform a method of conducting a group intervention, the method including presenting a set of instructions to guide a group through a completion of a group task as the group task is being executed by the group.  
      In an eighth exemplary aspect of the present invention, described herein is a signal-bearing medium tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital processing apparatus to execute a computerized tool to prepare an e-leaming module, the tool including a graphical user interface to allow entry of inputs from an input device and to provide a display on a display device, a memory containing at least one template for information to be presented in the e-leaming module, and an editor to receive the inputs and place the inputs into a format for the template, wherein at least one of the templates provides a set of instructions to guide a group through a completion of a group task as the group task is being executed by the group.  
      With the above and other features, the present invention allows an untrained group of individuals to achieve a group task, including, if appropriate, providing training to the group members for that task as an integral feature of the group meeting that is set up to execute the completion of that task.  
      As will be better understood after taking the following discussion into account, the present invention, therefore, offers a number of benefits over conventional methods.  
      For example, it provides an embodiment of “just-in-time” learning. It also provides a work-embedded learning approach for groups that inherently maximizes value from the time spent. It is a process that can be driven by a single group member, leader, or manager. Its flexible design concept can support customized learning paths for all levels of experience and knowledge.  
      Moreover, the inventive method&#39;s e-facilitation can produce scaleable and repeatable learning and reduces duplication of effort. Its format as being available electronically via a network or diskette modules provides a low delivery cost. Additionally, since the facilitation comes in electronic form, it is available via download from the internet and does not impact the scheduling of the group meeting. In other words, the present invention is ready when its user is ready.  
      Thus, the present invention provides an improved method of conducting group interventions and work embedded learning.  
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THIE DRAWINGS  
      The foregoing and other exemplary features, aspects and advantages will be better understood from the following detailed description of an exemplary embodiment of the invention with reference to the drawings, in which:  
       FIG. 1  shows a partial screen display  100  of a conventional on-line group meeting;  
       FIG. 2  exemplarily shows a group meeting  200  using the Impact Guides concept of the present invention;  
       FIG. 3  exemplarily illustrates a method  3   00  for conducting a group meeting held in accordance with the present invention;  
       FIG. 4  exemplarily illustrates an Instruction Screen  400 ;  
       FIG. 5  illustrates the Instruction Screen in an exemplary schematic format  500 ;  
       FIG. 6  exemplarily illustrates an Interaction Screen  600 ;  
       FIG. 7  illustrates the Interaction Screen in an exemplary schematic format  700 ;  
       FIG. 8  illustrates an exemplary block diagram  800  of a computerized tool in accordance with the present invention;  
       FIG. 9  illustrates an exemplary hardware/information handling system  900  for incorporating the present invention therein; and  
       FIG. 10  illustrates a signal bearing medium  1000  (e.g., storage medium) for storing steps of a program of a method according to the present invention.  
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION  
      Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to  FIGS. 2-10 , exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described.  
      It is noted that one of ordinary skill in the art, after having read the details described herein, would readily be able to apply the present invention as a generalized concept adaptable in almost any group intervention and in various embodiments similar to those described herein.  
      The present invention provides a method and system for learning interventions and group facilitation using a computer delivery system. The inventors refer to the modules of the present invention as ‘Impact Guides’. The purpose of Impact Guides is to guide groups and their leaders to adopt practices that optimize their performance through appropriate use of new behaviors. When used successfully, groups change their behavior, which results in improved performance.  
      For example, assume that a group is assembled for the task of generating a mission statement. The Impact Guide in accordance with the present invention would, for example, first define the task to the group (e.g., to generate a mission statement).  
      The Impact Guide might then teach the group something about the task, such as explaining what a mission statement is, the significance of a mission statement, why an effective mission statement is important, and some characteristics of a good mission statement.  
      The Impact Guide would then instruct the group to perform a task related to the generation of the mission statement and provide the means to record the task development and accomplishment.  
      The Impact Guide approach of the present invention is readily adapted to “embedded into work” learning. These are learning environments in which the primary focus is on completing work as part of an assigned role, in which, however, learning is necessary, in the moment, to accomplish the work effectively and efficiently.  
      An example of embedded into work learning might be that of a team member learning how to run an effective e-meeting by using an e-meeting tool having good meeting practice built into the tool. For example, the meeting purpose and agenda might be required fields in the invitation form. A second example might be a sales team that learns the key elements of a good account plan as they conduct their account planning session.  
      As will be apparent after understanding the following discussion, the Impact Guide concept of the present invention can provide a better way to learn when:  
      concepts are simple or familiar;  
      learner responses and questions are predictable;  
      learning is situation dependent;  
      learning supports performance; and/or  
      the participant population is large and the time to prepare is short.  
      The Impact Guides of the present invention provide a work-based, multi-disciplinary approach that incorporates work process methodology, instructional design, graphic design, and, in an exemplary embodiment, readily available FLASH™ technology.  
      It is noted that the Impact Guide concept of the present invention is more than a learning module or a training module. That is, training happens in a single direction. This means that the learner takes in the information and, possibly, subsequently undergoes a proficiency test to demonstrate that the information is understood.  
      In contrast, the Impact Guide modules of the present invention, include more than training related to the task, since it further guides the group through the completion of the actual task itself. It is, therefore, a form of “embedded learning” in which the participants receive the training as the task is being completed. Impact Guides might be designed to implement a single task in one module, or there could be several tasks to be accomplished in the same module. If an Impact Guide is used several times by a group, the user can skip over various steps, since its teaching aspect would have been accomplished during the first time that the module is used.  
      By the same token, if the group needs “refresher” training or it is important to ensure that all members are performing the group task under the same understanding or that new group members are quickly brought “on board”, the Impact Guide provides a condensed learning section related to the task.  
      The Impact Guides of the present invention automate group interventions and group facilitation. They embody expertise and proven best practices. They apply this expertise in an automated fashion within the context of a group&#39;s real work by facilitating dialogue and group interaction.  
      These Guides can be designed to anchor their purpose around a business object, such as a project or a business process. A more subtle, implicit purpose is to use best practices for improved productivity. Moreover, the Impact Guides inherently provide an environment in which the user is largely unaware of this implicit purpose, so that participants learn without expecting or intending to learn.  
      Thus, the Impact Guide concept described herein can appropriately be described as a framework into which can be adapted almost any kind of group intervention.  
      As a brief introductory summary, the Impact Guides of the present invention provide guidance to a group for the specific task to be accomplished, provide a method similar to a “whiteboard” upon which the group can use for developing and documenting the assigned task, provide a method that allows the work product of the group&#39;s efforts to be saved and/or imported into a subsequent task Impact Guide (e.g., without having to “re-key” the information developed during a session) or an application program that will use the group&#39;s effort as an input, and can even alert the group when it is time to move on to the next portion of the group task.  
      To explain the concept of the Impact Guide,  FIG. 2  exemplarily illustrates a scenario  200  in which a first group, which exemplarily comprises a small number of managers or team leaders  201 ,  202 ,  203  as members of the first group. The first group has the group task of developing a plan for a future meeting that is intended to achieve a task involving a larger team effort. The larger team is a second group, and the larger team effort is the group task of the second group.  
      Therefore, in this scenario  200 , group members  201 ,  202 ,  203  are led through a proven team development process for effective technology-supported collaboration, as guided by the Impact Guides of the present invention. This scenario also demonstrates a key feature of the Impact Guides in which data or work product generated during one group meeting can be stored on the users&#39; memory device (e.g., computer hard drive, portable memory, etc.) and, from the users&#39; point of view, “appears to be” transferred between the Guides to become the Impact Guide for the second group meeting. It could also be transferred to some other electronic application. For example, in the example of a management team working to allocate bonus funds among employees, the Impact Guide could send the group&#39;s decisions to a compensation system for processing and distribution.  
      In this scenario  200 , the first Impact Guide (e.g., in this scenario, a so-called  Planning Impact Guide ) exemplarily takes the first group members  201 ,  202 ,  203  (who might become group leaders for the subsequent team effort) through a working session to plan the team project initial launch meeting, to develop a collaborative work process for the team project, and to collaboratively incorporate technology into their process (e.g., the first group&#39;s tasks are these three tasks).  
      The three group members receive information in Instruction screens, as displayed on a user&#39;s computer screen, typically additionally projected on an overhead projection device  205  for convenience of viewing by the entire group. The group members use this information to interact with each other, supported by the Guide&#39;s Interaction screens and exercises, to achieve the group tasks. The outcomes of their interactions are materials that are saved on the PC  204  memory (e.g., hard drive) to be later accessed by another Impact Guide (e.g., the so-called Launch Impact Guide).  
      The second Impact Guide, the  Launch Impact Guide , provides a framework for the second team&#39;s launch meeting (e.g., the second group&#39;s initial task) and co-facilitates the session. The second Guide delivers information, facilitates group discussions, and captures key interactions. Outcomes are saved by the Guide as team resource materials. The team leaders control the Guide and perform the role of team leader.  
      Thus, in this exemplary scenario, two Impact Guides have separately guided two groups through their respective group tasks (e.g., first a planning group task and, second, a team to implement the first group&#39;s plan). It should be apparent that additional levels of group tasks can be similarly sequenced to use outputs of one group as inputs into another group task or as inputs into an Impact Guide.  
       FIG. 3  shows a typical Impact Guide scenario in flowchart format  300 , along with  FIG. 2 . For the session, there might be exemplarily eight or ten people assembled in a conference room for a group working session.  
      One group member  201 , typically the person who will serve as the meeting moderator/facilitator, would bring a laptop  204  upon which is stored the Impact Guide designed for the specific task to be performed in that session and connects the laptop to an overhead projector  205 . This person might typically also operate, during the session, the keyboard and controls of the computer to move through the pre-programmed steps of the Impact Guide.  
      In step  301  of  FIG. 3 , the operator starts the Impact Guide module to begin the session.  
      As shown in step  302 , a typical Impact Guide would first provide an introductory description of the task to be achieved, perhaps including comments about the significance of the task and a description of characteristics of an optimal task result. This introductory description would typically include one or more visual presentations on the overhead  205 , similar to a PowerPoint™ presentation, along with an accompanying audio. The computer operator (e.g., facilitator) might use a mouse pointer or other input device to move through the “slides” of the presentation, again, similar to the technique of a PowerPoint™ presentation.  
      In step  303 , the Impact Guide then moves forward into a pre-programmed set of “guidelines” for the specific task at hand, again, exemplarily using audio and visual presentations and with the facilitator moving (e.g., clicking a prompt with a mouse) through the presentation slides.  
      As shown in step  304 , eventually, the Impact Guide instructs the group to perform a task or subtask, and, if appropriate, in step  305  presents a “whiteboard” area (e.g., via the overhead  205 ) to be used as a workspace. In achieving the task, the group develops one or more results, and the facilitator documents the development. The work is presented as it happens on the overhead by typing via a keyboard or the like.  
      A timer module  306  might provide a time limitation for a task/subtask, such that the group is given a pre-set amount of time to perform that step. This timer feature allows the Impact Guide to move the group forward so that the expected task is completed within a predetermined time interval. This timing feature is similar to conventional facilitated meetings in which a meeting facilitator is expected to conduct the work session to end, for example, in one hour and uses a watch to monitor when each stage&#39;s time has expired.  
      To move forward to the next task/subtask, in step  307 , the operator clicks on a “NEXT” command.  
      In step  308 , the work product of the session (e.g., the contents of the various whiteboards) can be stored for future use or, possibly, automatically moved forward into an application that requires the results of the task. For example, in a meeting in which managers have the group task of ranking employees, the ranked listing might be automatically forwarded into an application related to the payroll function by saving the session work product.  
       FIGS. 4 and 6  show examples of how the Impact Guides are designed to provide the above-described group task guidance and interaction. There are exemplarily two types of screens in an Impact Guide: Instruction Screens (e.g.,  400  in  FIG. 4 ) and Interaction Screens (e.g.,  600  in  FIG. 6 ).  
      An exemplary Instruction Screen  400  in  FIG. 4  has a presentation window  401  to be the main stage for visual content for the meeting, dedicated to the instructions or other learning information. This information or instructions would appear similar to conventional PowerPoint™ presentations. These screens are designed to set up content and teach a group task. The user would move forward through the screens using, for example, a mouse click or keyboard spacebar or other input device.  
      The Section Navigator  402  displays the main topics in the module, exemplarily across the top of the screen. Each topic is highlighted when pages within it are active. The Section Navigator  402  allows the user to navigate between sections of the Impact Guide module, measure progress through the unit, and serves as an orientation device. The Section Navigator  402  is persistent on all screens.  
      The Deliverables Navigator (“About the Team”)  403  is displayed on the left side of the page and links to data saved by the user. As data is saved, a checkbox (not shown) is displayed as superimposed on the respective icon in the navigator  403  to record progress through the system. This navigator  403  allows users to navigate rapidly to activities and deliverables, and check progress against completion.  
      The Tools Navigator  404  is displayed below the Deliverables Navigator on the left side of the screen, with links to Internet or Intranet pages, or to additional Flash™ modules for additional instructional support.  
       FIG. 5  shows an exemplary schematic  500  of the Instruction Screen page  400  previously shown in  FIG. 4 , including the previously-discussed presentation window  401 , section navigator  402 , deliverables navigator  403 , and tools navigator  404 . This schematic  500  also shows a timer display  501  and main points display  502 . The timer  501  can appear automatically whenever an activity begins. The user can interactively add additional minutes, if desired. The main points display  502  appears as a pop-up window at the end of narration summarizing the learning content.  
      Most of the remaining features of the schematic  500  are self-explanatory The “Replay Page” icon  503  allows the page to be replayed and the “Pause” icon  504  allows the movie being presented in the presentation window  401  to be paused/unpaused. The “Back” and “Next” icons  505 ,  506  allow the user to click between pages, and the page identification icon  507  identifies the current page being viewed in the presentation window  401 . Instruction icon  508  provides instructions to the user.  
      The “Expert Advise” icon  509  is designed to be addressing the facilitator as its target audience. This series of instructions will provide answers to questions that ajunior facilitator might ask a senior facilitator as to the tips and traps that the senior facilitator might provide the junior facilitator going into the group intervention for the first time.  
       FIG. 6  exemplarily shows an Interaction Screen  600  upon which the group will use as an interaction tool. Again, the persistent Section Navigator  601  is exemplarily at the top and the Deliverables Navigator  602  and Tools Navigator  603  on the left.  
      The Guide pane  604  presents directions for the task and instructional support content, plus examples at the bottom. The user “write field”  605  accepts and displays text input and “Clear” and “Save” icons  606 ,  607  control the write field information. The group would use the write field  605  as a visible working surface upon which to develop or record ideas or work product of the group&#39;s efforts, similar to the way a “whiteboard” is often used in group settings.  
      The Interaction Screen schematic  700  in  FIG. 7  exemplarily shows schematically the layout of the interaction screen  600 . Similar to the schematic  500  of the instructional page, the schematic  700  additionally shows the timer  701  that can appear automatically whenever an activity begins. The navigator  702  at the screen bottom allows the user to check current position, navigate to the next page, replay a page, or pause. The center prompt  703  cues the user for the next action.  
      In the above scenario, the first two Impact Guides are designed to launch a project team: a Planning Impact Guide and a Launch Impact Guide. This is how they work.  
      The Planning Guide automates the process of preparing for a launch meeting. A leader interacts with the Guide to produce all of the materials needed to work with their team. Now prepared, the leader holds a team meeting using the second Guide (e.g., the Launch Guide). This Guide fulfills the roles of facilitator, presenter and subject matter expert. Transferring stored data from the Planning Guide, specific job-related content is integrated into the session. The Launch Guide facilitates the actual meeting, and orchestrates the leader/group interaction.  
      The Guides are self-paced and user-directed. Once the executable has been downloaded to a PC hard drive, a group leader may re-use the Guides to launch as many teams as he likes.  
      From the above description, it can be seen that Impact Guides provide a unique form of e-Learning that integrate knowledge acquisition, performance support, and e-learning. They are directed at improving human performance in an organization. They increase productivity, reduce re-work, increase quality, and may reduce cost.  
      Impact Guides eliminate the need and cost for a certified expert (e.g., human) in the target tasks and the need for a meeting facilitator. Guides integrate performance support that both reinforces learning and eliminates the need for a specialized meeting facilitator. They use current work as the training activity. Tasks are completed immediately applying new knowledge which eliminates the problem of learning transfer. Then, the Guide facilitates the group&#39;s interaction as they apply what they have to their work. There is no need for a facilitator. The interactive delivery medium is a computing device (processor) whose display screen preferably can be projected for the entire group.  
      The actor James Garner, when asked if he had a theory about acting, responded, “I do. Never let anybody catch you at it.” Similarly, while using no more time than would typically be required for a task (work object, planning session, etc.), the Impact Guides of the present invention allow a learner to increase the odds of success, improve productivity, and build skill. Guides deliver these improvements without requiring training or time consuming pre-work.  
      Impact Guides may be created for any number of topics that are appropriate for work-embedded learning. In other words, they deal with concepts that are simple or familiar, learner responses and questions are predictable, learning is situation dependent, learning supports performance, the learner population is large, and the time to prepare is short.  
      Groups and leaders want to get their job done as quickly and easily as possible. They want to achieve their objectives and engage group members. Users expect the Impact Guide to give them performance support for simple or familiar tasks. In addition, the Guide embeds learning of best practices into the group&#39;s work.  
      After using the Guide several times, leaders and groups have learned best practices and begun to develop the habits of new behavior. The first instances of the Impact Guides take leaders and teams through a proven process for effective technology supported collaboration. In training terms, this is a learning intervention on effective teamwork. The specific learning goal is to inform and to provide performance support for a set of tasks. This is considered “work-embedded” learning.  
      In a preferred embodiment, the Impact Guide method and system are implemented using Flash™ technology and are designed to be downloaded and used on a local PC or laptop. Flash modules run as user-controlled audio-visual support that save and provide access to saved data. However, one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize, after taking this disclosure as a whole, that this exemplary embodiment can be easily expanded so that the Impact Guides are embedded onto other platforms and scenarios.  
       FIG. 8  illustrates an exemplary block diagram  800  of the component modules comprising the present invention.  
      Graphical User Interface  801  permits user interactions, including the movement within the sections and pages of an Impact Guide module and the entry of group inputs into the whiteboard.  
      Memory block  802  stores the information to be presented as learning information, instructions, guidelines, etc., the format and layout ofthe presentations, and, if applicable, the group&#39;s work product from the whiteboard. As noted previously, the memory can also be used to store information developed in one Impact Guide session to become the basis for a subsequent Impact Guide, or to be forwarded to an external application that uses the information developed during a meeting task.  
      Control module  803  performs the administrative tasks such as changing the display in accordance with the above descriptions, moving display information into and out of memory  802 , and creating and controlling the timer function.  
      Editor module  804  can be added for allowing a module developer to enter the contents to be displayed as learning information, guidelines, etc., for new Impact Guide modules. That is, although the present invention can be adapted to be mounted onto existing platforms, such as Flash™ technology upon which the prototypes have been incorporated and that do not incorporate an editor for creating new Impact Guide modules, it is not so constrained. One of ordinary skill in the art would readily recognize, after taking this discussion as a whole, that the present invention could be embedded in an integrated tool for Impact Guide module development that includes an editing module for placing information into Impact Guide templates.  
      To summarize the benefits provided by the present invention, the six problems with group interventions can be revisited in view of the Impact Guides.  
      Response to Problem #1. To maximize productivity, interactions need to be structured based on best practices and some way to learn how to adapt them to a group&#39;s own use. Impact Guides are the first work-embedded e-leaming tool that teaches best practices through interactions that use a group&#39;s own work as the context of the learning. Interactions between the Guide and the users are structured to teach and to create a concrete output which is immediately usable by the group in their work. The experience is of “doing”, rather than “learning.” 
      For example, the first Guide (cited above) takes a group step-by-step through creating a Code of Conduct after first teaching what it is and the best practices for developing and using one. Typically, work-embedded learning or “on the job training” has been procedural, such as learning to use a machine, rather than conceptual, such as understanding and then putting the principles of group dynamics into practice. Moreover, work-embedded learning is typically not customizable to a group&#39;s unique needs.  
      Response to Problem #2. Groups need access to best practices and a way to learn how to use them that fits within their busy calendars. eLearning is a practical alternative for busy individuals who can schedule training to meet their specific schedule, but coordinating training for a group, either traditional or electronic is extremely difficult. As a result, teams generally work inefficiently, and below their potential.  
      Impact Guides embed group interaction best practices without using dedicated training time or pre-work to learn them. In fact, learners may be unaware of the learning that is embedded in the work. When finished, the group has learned and used a proven method.  
      Response to Problem #3. A group will not be effective until all members are trained. All members must use the same tools and agree how they will be used. Impact Guides deliver work-embedded learning for a complete team, so that there is no waiting for individual team member training. The entire group has learned together and therefore all can apply their new knowledge without delay.  
      Response to Problem #4. Many performance support tools bypass learning by providing a pre-prepared decision or work artifact, such as the spellcheck function in MS Word which corrects spelling errors on the fly. Impact Guides do not offer a menu of pre-prepared content. They teach principles based on best practices prompting learners to create unique, group-specific solutions. This hands-on approach supports learning and experimentation.  
      Response to Problem #5. Transferring newly learned knowledge to the job is an ongoing problem for training programs. If new knowledge is not used, then it is not retained.  
      Impact Guides are truly work-based action learning. The first application of learners&#39; new knowledge happens as the learning occurs. Learned principles can be re-applied and adapted over time as the environment or situation changes and skills and experience deepen. Integrating learning and doing removes the learning transfer step from the process of learning.  
      Response to Problem #6. In the name of cost-savings and urgency, employees are asked to be experts in many fields in addition to their specific subject matter expertise. Few employees are skilled in myriad fields, nor do they have the time to build skills at the expense of doing their assigned tasks.  
      Employees must choose to build their own skills, hire the expertise they do not have, or do without. Impact Guides reduce the cost of external experts without sacrificing the level of expertise while accommodating a high level of urgency. Guides assist learners in implementing best practices by augmenting learner skills through information and interactions.  
      In organizations that routinely employ professional facilitators and focus group leaders, this may even eliminate work categories, freeing professionals to deliver value in another way.  
      Another key aspect of the present invention is its potential to be the basis of various types of services or business. In this aspect, the present invention might serve as the basis for a service that actually conducts meetings in accordance with the concept of the Impact Guides described herein or provide and maintain the facilities therefor. Another possible service would be the development of new Impact Guide modules or a consultant for such module development.  
      Along these lines, the present invention is easily adapted for conducting e-meetings at multiple locations interconnected via a computer network such as an intranet or the Internet. In this scenario, each location would have a display of the active screen and each location would have capability to enter into the whiteboard. Therefore, another service possible with the present invention would be the facilitation of e-meetings using the Impact Guides, the service of conducting such an e-meeting, or the service of providing the infrastructure for such e-meetings.  
      Exemplary Hardware Implementation  
       FIG. 9  illustrates a typical hardware configuration of an information handling/computer system in accordance with the invention and which preferably has at least one processor or central processing unit (CPU)  911 .  
      The CPUs  911  are interconnected via a system bus  912  to a random access memory (RAAM)  914 , read-only memory (ROM)  916 , input/output (IO) adapter  918  (for connecting peripheral devices such as disk units  921  and tape drives  940  to the bus  912 ), user interface adapter  922  (for connecting a keyboard  924 , mouse  926 , speaker  928 , microphone  932 , and/or other user interface device to the bus  912 ), a communication adapter  934  for connecting an information handling system to a data processing network, the Internet, an Intranet, a personal area network (PAN), etc., and a display adapter  936  for connecting the bus  912  to a display device  938  and/or printer  939  (e.g., a digital printer or the like).  
      In addition to the hardware/software environment described above, a different aspect of the invention includes a computer-implemented method for performing the above method. As an example, this method may be implemented in the particular environment discussed above.  
      Such a method may be implemented, for example, by operating a computer, as embodied by a digital data processing apparatus, to execute a sequence of machine-readable instructions. These instructions may reside in various types of signal-bearing media.  
      Thus, this aspect of the present invention is directed to a programmed product, comprising signal-bearing media tangibly embodying a program of machine-readable instructions executable by a digital data processor incorporating the CPU  911  and hardware above, to perform the method of the invention.  
      This signal-bearing media may include, for example, a RAM contained within the CPU  911 , as represented by the fast-access storage for example. Alternatively, the instructions may be contained in another signal-bearing media, such as a magnetic data storage or CD diskette  1000  ( FIG. 10 ), directly or indirectly accessible by the CPU  911 .  
      Whether contained in the diskette  1000 , the computer/CPU  911 , or elsewhere, the instructions may be stored on a variety of machine-readable data storage media, such as DASD storage (e.g., a conventional “hard drive” or a RAID array), electronic read-only memory (e.g., ROM, EPROM, or EEPROM), an optical storage device (e.g. CD-ROM,, DVD, etc.), or other suitable signal-bearing media including transmission media such as digital and analog and communication links and wireless. In an illustrative embodiment of the invention, the machine-readable instructions may comprise software object code.  
      As has been discussed above, the present invention provides a number of benefits, including the capability of “just-in-time” learning. It also provides a work-based learning approach for groups that maximizes value from the time spent as a group. Its flexible design supports customized learning paths for all levels of experience and knowledge.  
      Moreover, the electronic facilitation produces scaleable and repeatable learning, and reduces duplication of effort, and it has a low “delivery” cost. It provides a technology-enabled way to facilitate that can avoid the cost of travel, facilities, etc.  
      It provides the ability to be able to use recommended practices quickly, without traveling or attending a class. It provides the ability to learn-by-doing, thereby embedding action-learning into work. It avoids the problem of knowledge transfer. The present invention can be used without prework, meaning that there is no training to accomplish a group task. It provides a method to learn-while-doing, with lower risk of failure.  
      Non-limiting additional applications and/or environments which would benefit from the present invention might include:  
      any consulting methodology that uses a simple or familiar concept;  
      a process-based decision making;  
      a structured group decision (or activity);  
      business and project planning;  
      situations where sensitive material or words need to be communicated in a way that ensures a consistent message is conveyed and that work is completed consistently;  
      a problem solving technique similar to that developed by General Electric for internal use, sometimes referred to as a “GE Work-Out” type problem solving. It has since become famous in the business world and is widely used in many companies. This is a technique in which a diverse group of people who are affected by a certain problem come together over a short period of time to recommend solutions to the problem. They follow a problem solving process that enables them to fully understand the problem, brainstorm possible solutions, make recommendations and propose action plans; and  
      sales calls where the client needs to customize the offering, especially services products.  
      While the invention has been described in terms of exemplary embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.  
      Further, it is noted that Applicants&#39; intent is to encompass equivalents of all claim elements, even if amended later during prosecution.