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Aviculture Ergonomics Training: Design Project Report

James Cook, Julia Heatherwick, George Martinez, and Susan McCoy

Instructional Science and Technology, California State University, Monterey Bay

IST 626: Advanced Instructional Design

Dr. Jeanne Farrington

July 27, 2021

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Aviculture Ergonomics Training: Design Project Report

The job of the Aviculture team is to care for the avian collection at the Monterey Bay

Aquarium. While maintaining exhibits, the team conducts numerous repetitive physical activities

that can lead to injuries. In addition, the tasks are time-sensitive as cleaning needs to be

completed before the aquarium opens to the public each day. The proposed training solution is to

create a tutorial that shows the Aviculture team how to conduct their tasks in a way that is in line

with proper ergonomics. The outcome we are expecting is for the Aviculture team to use

ergonomically sound techniques while they maintain their exhibits. We will be able to recognize

success by a decrease in physical injuries and the observations of Aimee Greenbaum (Curator of

Aviculture).

Client and Organizational Goals

Monterey Bay Aquarium, specifically the Aviculture team's primary goal is to prevent

injury by following best ergonomic practices 100% of the time when cleaning and working

around exhibits.

Learner Analysis

The learners for this project are new and current Aviculture team employees and

volunteers. The Aviculture employee team consists of six individuals and a supervisor.

Currently, they are all female ranging in age from 20 - 50 years. The level of experience ranges

from new graduates to those who have been in the field for a while. Additionally, approximately

twelve volunteers consist of a mix of age ranges and genders. The primary focus of the training

will be on the employees, although volunteers are encouraged to participate in the training as

well. In addition, employees are required to take a mandatory safety course yearly. 
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Aviculture employees are motivated by doing what is best for the well-being of the birds,

creating a clean and safe environment, and ensuring the exhibit is open to the public. Employees

must lift bags of sand, push heavy-load wheelbarrows, and clean exhibits at odd angles to

complete their duties. Due to the heavy workload, employees often feel pressured to complete

their tasks quickly. It is important to note some employees have sustained on-the-job injuries due

to repetitive work. Injuries cited include tendonitis, shoulder pain, and back pain.

Project Description

We created the learning module using the authoring tool available through the client's

learning management system (LMS). We delivered it through MBALearns, the online learning

resource used by the Monterey Bay Aquarium. The module begins with a learner questionnaire.

The learner questionnaire gathers information about the Aviculture team's reactions to

participating in the training and their motivations. Next is an overview of ergonomics that

discusses why practicing proper ergonomics helps the birds and team members—followed by a

brief review of the specific injuries that have occurred on-site and ending with the values that the

Monterey Bay Aquarium hopes to establish. Finally, the training covers the learning objectives.

Next, there is a submodule focusing on one particular task related to the everyday duties

of aviary employees and volunteers. Initially, there were three submodules: moving sand, foot

bath use, and exhibit cleaning. However, due to time constraints and the project's scope, we

decided only fully to develop the submodule about moving sand. The client will have the ability

to add additional submodules as needed. In addition, the ten principles of ergonomics were

incorporated into the learning activities to encourage employees and volunteers to actively

protect their bodies as they go about their daily work routine.

According to Adhikari (2018), the ten principles of ergonomics are:

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1. Work in neutral postures

2. Reduce excessive force

3. Keep everything in reach

4. Work at a proper height

5. Reduce excessive motions

6. Minimize fatigue and static load

7. Minimize pressure points

8. Provide clearance in work areas

9. Move, exercise and stretch

10. Maintain a comfortable environment

A job aid, a knowledge check, and an in-person task assessment follow the learning

activity. The job aid provides details about the 10 Principles of Ergonomics and their relation to

the day-to-day tasks of the Aviculture team. The knowledge check gives the learner a quick

refresher before they attempt the in-person task assessment. The in-person task assessment will

need an experienced aviary employee to be present so that proper evaluation can occur. An

assessment checklist will be available after completing the submodule and the knowledge check.

The in-person task assessment allows the learner to demonstrate knowledge transfer through

participation in the submodule.

Our team created a leadership guide that provides insight into the learning module and

offers ideas on how to continue the learning process after the learning module has been

completed. The leadership guide is located in the additional references section of the LMS.
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Design Decisions

Initially, our team planned to create three submodules (moving sand, foot bath use, and

exhibit cleaning) within the training, with each being accompanied by an in-person task

assessment. However, due to time constraints, the overall scope of the project, and discussions

we had with our client and subject matter expert (SME), we determined that it would be best to

develop only one of the submodules fully. Therefore, we selected the submodule on moving sand

for full development.

Additionally, our team's design decision was to utilize our client's authoring tool, located

within the client's LMS, rather than developing the project using Adobe Captivate. Although we

had concerns about our client losing access to the training program if we did not create it inside

their LMS, we have assured that the client will have access to the training indefinitely. And as

mentioned earlier, this will also allow the client to build upon the training as needed.

Evaluation

Because of the time constraints, our team conducted informal developmental testing for

this project. Our team did not have access to the aquarium's employees or volunteers, so we

enlisted co-workers and acquaintances to review the training. Due to the navigation of the

training being self-explanatory, the tester's stated that it was straightforward to follow. One tester

commented that the videos were focused and concise. The tester noted that our direct approach

coupled nicely with the in-person task assessment. In addition, another tester commented on how

quickly getting to the hands-on portion of the training allows for the knowledge gained during

the learning activities to be transferred more successfully. The training went over well with our

testers.
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The training contains a learner questionnaire. The learner questionnaire will gather

information about the Aviculture team's reactions to participating in the training and their

motivations.

The training also contains an in-person task assessment that follows the learning activities

submodule concerning moving sand. The in-person task assessment will need an experienced

aviary employee present to evaluate correctly. In addition, the in-person assessment will allow

the learner to demonstrate the transfer of knowledge that has occurred through participation in

the submodule. The in-person assessment will be used to determine if learners are using the

correct ergonomic practices to move sand. In addition, an assessment checklist is available in the

submodule to assist with the in-person task assessment.

Also included with the training is a leadership guide. The leadership guide provides

insight into the learning module and offers ideas on how to continue the learning process after

the learning module has been completed. The leadership guide is located in the additional

references section of the LMS.

Teamwork

Our team worked very well together. We were fortunate enough to find a process that

worked for everyone and allowed us to complete our tasks by the desired deadlines. Susan was

the Instructional Designer for the project. In this role, she was in charge of putting together all of

the content used to create learning modules. In addition, she helped to incorporate the ergonomic

principles within the learning activities. Susan also put together the project's storyboard, which

helped to demonstrate the flow of the project and provided the client insight into the design of

the project before development. Susan also made and edited the videos highlighting how the

learners could complete tasks involving moving sand while using proper ergonomics.
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Julia was the team's Graphic Designer. She created the graphics for the project, including

the penguin character used as the on-screen agent and all master slides. In addition, she worked

on the project's storyboard by providing the images and color scheme. Julia also helped to create

the weekly client and facilitator meeting agendas. She also was responsible for putting together

the leadership guide. The leadership guide provided insight into the learning module and offered

ideas on how to continue the learning process after the learning module has been completed.

George was the team's Facilitator. George produced, edited, and provided the on-screen

narration for the videos used in the learning modules. George also created the knowledge check

questions used in the module and was influential in its overall design. He contributed to the

project in numerous ways. For example, George helped conduct the weekly client meetings, and

he worked on the storyboard. In addition, he helped put together information for the team

assignments (Project Definition, Design Document, and the Design Project Report).

The Project Manager, James, set up weekly meetings with the client and the SME, kept

the team on track during these meetings and ensured we followed each meeting's agenda. In

addition, he provided updates about the proposed timeline and informed all team members about

upcoming deadlines. James also kept the lines of communication open between all participants of

this project and ensured everyone was included when vital information was disseminated. He

also helped gather the information for the team assignments along with the rest of the team.

James also made an on-site visit to the aquarium to obtain images and videos.

Communication was the key to our team being able to work so well together. Discussing

and throwing ideas back and forth between each other was an essential part of our team dynamic.

Additionally, each team member was open to suggestions, and no one felt uneasy about speaking

out. And finally, our team was there for and supported each other when we needed it.
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Challenges

The greatest challenge we faced was time. Or lack thereof. Eight weeks is a short time to

produce high-quality training. Especially when the project is to be delivered to a client, and there

were individual assignments each team member had to complete during project development. As

a team, we overcame time constraints by staying on track with the proposed timeline and

remaining focused on our weekly goals. Weekly meetings with the client and the SME were

critical to our success. The weekly meetings allowed our team to get answers to important

questions we had in real-time, and it was a bonus to have the ear of the client and SME for at

least one hour per week.

Additionally, another challenge that our team encountered was determining which

authoring tool would be most suited for this type of project. Creating the initial deliverables such

as the Project Description, Design Document, and Storyboard Materials was a smooth process.

But upon review and advice from Dr. Farrington and discussions with our client, our team

determined that Adobe Captivate, the original authoring tool of choice, was not feasible given

the desired delivery for the project. This caused a brief bit of concern because our team had been

constructing the initial deliverables preparing to use Adobe Captivate to develop them.

Fortunately, our client provided our team access to their LMS, which allowed us to use the built-

in authoring tool to create the project. In addition, housing the training in the client's LMS

ensured that the client would not lose access to the training and provided the client the ability to

add to the project in the future as they see fit.

Finally, one more challenge that our team encountered was ensuring that our client and

SME were informed of and provided approval of any necessary changes. In contrast to working

on an individual project for oneself, it was vital to run any changes by the client and SME to gain
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approval before continuing development. This additional step created challenges in development

and caused short periods of delay while waiting for feedback and support. As previously

mentioned, our team was lucky to have weekly access to the client and SME during our weekly

meetings. Additionally, our team was fortunate that our client and SME returned prompt

responses to any questions or concerns that came to light during development. This short

turnaround time was vital to our team being able to abide by the proposed timeline and required

deadlines.

Advice for Future Students

After completing this project, the advice that our team would have for future students is

as follows:

1. Quickly establish weekly meeting times with your client and SME. The faster your team

can get the client and the SME to agree to a consistent meeting time, the easier the project

will be.

2. Have all team members present at all meetings. Although your team may have a member

whose role is the client liaison, we found it beneficial to have all members present at any

client and SME meetings. It allowed team members to discuss topics specific to their

team role, which helped ensure that we did not forget to discuss any questions or

concerns.

3. Gather necessary resources as early as possible. For example, we discovered that we had

to take an on-site visit to obtain the necessary resources to develop our project.

Fortunately, we made the on-site visit during the second week of the program, which

quickly started the development process. Getting the necessary resources becomes even

more critical during a summer course because the client and SME will have other
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responsibilities and prior engagements and will not always be available.

4. Communication, Communication, Communication! Like the client and the SME, all of

your team members will have other responsibilities that take their time. Therefore, it is

vital to communicate with each other. Back each other up and help each other out when it

is needed.
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References

Adhikari, S. (2018, August 25). Ergonomics and its 10 principles!. Public Health Notes.

https://www.publichealthnotes.com/ergonomics-and-its-10-principles/