BRowser OnLine
Guide Applet (BROLGA)
BROLGA is
a helper application for call centre consultants.
It sits over the Internet browser
to inform about products and services and
guide through new processes. It
monitors the user's progress and navigation,
assesses learning, evaluates its own usefulness
and feeds back information to system developers.
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We don't
need to keep repeating everything

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The traditional project development
process usually involves some or all
of:
- Project Requirement Brief and Design
Specification
- Processes and
Work Instructions
- Learning
needs analysis and learning strategy
- Facilitator guides, overhead transparencies,
learner notes and handouts
- Job aids and updates.
The
same information is repeated over and
over with ever greater
detail and
complexity. This is way too slow
for web-based projects!
As well, changes are made and the
originating documents have to be
continually updated
at each step. |
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BROGLA
Development

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With BROLGA, we get in early and define
what training or support the project
needs.
Topics are designed
right from the start with integrated
job aids
and evaluation and update path
built in.
If formal training
is required, BROLGA can be used in
demonstration mode.
The same materials can be used to
spread information among team members
as the project progresses so that all
users become participants in development
and maintenance.
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It's all
in the way it's written
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The BROLGA development process is:
- Storyboard
using MS Word and graphics.
- Review
and edit the Word storyboard.
- Export
the storyboard as a text file using
the inbuilt
macro.
- Put the text file and graphics up
on the intra/internet.
- BROLGA automatically downloads and
presents new topics at startup.
Because
BROLGA guides users through the actual
web site, information
can be high level, without having
to spell
out all the details. Insead
of writing something like, "Type
your name in the Login field and click
the Ok button.", we might write "Log
in." Then we see if they can
do it!
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| Useability
and support, not training! |
Web screens (and system screens) should
explain themselves. If not, we need to
know why and fix it. Training should
be minimal and we should catch and
report
problems
quickly. BROLGA provides assessment
and rapid feedback to:
- product development teams
- web page developers
- training materials developers.
Whatever can't be
fixed by them, we change in BROLGA
so the right information
is there next time. |
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Page types


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Brolga uses the following page types:
- Navigation pages are automatically
generated from the text file. They
are the Topic menu, Sub-topic menu
and the individual Sub-topics contents.
All are clickable for navigation
and change colour to show progress.
- On Info pages, text and graphics
are placed and formatted in a
standard
sized window over the top of the
browser. The field and screen
are sized automatically
for graphics and made scrollable
when needed. The small size limits
obscuring
the browser and writers can specify
an alternate position so it's not
in the way of other objects on
screen.
- Job aid pages lead to a clickable
list, flowchart or graphic with
drill-down,
hovertext and hyperlinks.
- FAQ pages contain searchable
information which can be constantly
refreshed.
New issues can be logged on
the spot and automatically sent
to
the development
team.
- Guide pages pages are used
to point out elements of
a web page
or application
screen. They contain interaction
instructions for a guided
walkthrough with hyperlinks
to other web pages, files,
programs or job aids.
- Check pages have multiple-choice
questions to check learning.
The results are
automatically sent to the
BROLGA development team
to feed back
information for further
BROLGA development and
improvement and to suggest changes
to
web site design.
- Evaluation pages have multiple-choice
participant evaluation
questions. These are
automatically sent
to the BROLGA
development team to feed
back information for
further BROLGA
development
and improvement.
The search facility
means you can find things quickly and
jump straight to
the information you need and a Copy
button lets you copy it to the Windows
clipboard.
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The BROLGA
modes


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There are four modes in BROLGA which
give users different views of the topic:
- WalkThrough mode is the basic
learner mode. All page types are
available
and are used for a formal walkthrough
of the whole topic including the
self-check and Topic evaluation.
- Facilitator mode converts all the
page headings to bullets which
a facilitator
can expose individually on a datashow
while talking.
- In UpDate mode Nav, Info and Job
aid pages are available for a
high level
overview. This is useful for
a quick scan of the main features.
- In OnDuty mode all pages area
available through the Sub-topic
contents
list and Search.
For any mode, usage figures can
be periodically reported by e-mail
and
a link is available for new issues
and FAQs reporting. |
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