Abstract:

In this paper, we consider food safety training in a broader learning context. We explored a Technology-Enhanced Learning (TEL) solution to facilitate knowledge transfer in learning and training.

In the last few decades, learning has been greatly enhanced with advances in technology. Numerous TEL systems have been built for a wide range of application domains to support learning. Learning is generally considered a process for people to develop skills and change behaviours accordingly. Learning can be perceptual, motor or perceptual motor according to what is being learnt such as cognitive insight, physical behaviour or a combination of the two. The learning process takes two major steps, the acquisition and the transfer of knowledge. People first acquire knowledge through education and then transfer the knowledge by using it in practice. TEL systems provide facilitation to specific aspects of the two major learning steps with typical and popular technologies such as multimedia, ontology, web, mobile computing, ubiquitous computing, virtual reality and serious games.

This paper discusses the design and preliminary results of a prototype TEL system within a food safety training context. The design of the TEL system is inspired by research in Item Response Theory, Intelligent Tutoring System and Ubiquitous Computing. The prototype was tested in a number of kitchen workplace environments. Food safety training is selected as a typical example of perceptual motor learning. Cognitive knowledge in food safety training is usually presented as a set of rules. These rules are detailed as operating procedures that specify people’s behaviours in the kitchen workplace. People’s actual behaviour in the workplace reflects their level of understanding of food safety knowledge. An exemplar rule is to understand personal hygiene. Exemplar behaviour includes that staff wear protective clothes before entering the workplace and wash hands before working with food. In the prototype, RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) sensors are deployed in the workplace to observe and record location-related behaviours in the form of sensor data. By comparing the sensor data to the standard operating procedures, people’s mastery of perceptual knowledge and motor performance of training and learning can be evaluated and statistics-based feedback can be provided.

The prototype TEL system has been developed and sensor data has been collected about behaviours. Using this dataset, we are now integrating Virtual Reality to replay people’s actual behaviour during knowledge transfer in the training process. With this approach, we will refine the prototype to provide intelligent feedback and aid to users. In parallel with enhancing the prototype, we will validate the pedagogical effects of the prototype in both teaching and production kitchen workplaces. The TEL system is validated in a food safety context, but we believe that its mechanism is applicable across different domains to facilitate knowledge transfer in perceptual motor learning and training. Since practical behaviours are quantified and measured as sensor data, new learning objects might also be generated with appropriate technologies that supplement our existing TEL system for overall training.

Keywords:

Technology-Enhanced Learning, Knowledge Transfer, Training, RFID, Perceptual Motor Learning, Food Safety.