Performance Support Systems for Learning

Abstract

Performance support systems (PSSs) provide on-line support to knowledge workers and constitute a growing area of computer usage for learning. This article focuses on what we consider to be the most challenging aspect of such systems, namely their underpinnings in the learning sciences. We consider how PSSs fit within a business training framework with its own ideal training principles and examine what theoretical principles of learning underlie learning with PSSs. In the process, a formal model of learning support is developed to map out current implementations of this class of system, enabling a more disciplined discussion of its role and applicability in practical terms. This analysis of PSSs from the perspective of learning will hopefully lead to a better understanding of the nature of these systems and provide a framework for much-needed R&D.