SUMMARY
Information systems (IS) research is found in many diverse communities. This paper explores the human-dimension of human-computer interaction (HCI) to present IS-design practice in the light of courseware development. Assumptions are made that online courseware provides the perfect solution for maintaining a knowledgeable, well skilled workforce. However, empirical investigations into the effectiveness of information technology (IT)-induced training solutions are scarce. Contemporary research concentrates on information communications technology (ICT) training tools without considering their effectiveness. This paper offers a prescriptive IS-design methodology for managing the requirements for efficient and effective courseware development. To develop the methodology, we examined the main instructional design (ID) factors that affect the design of IT-induced training programs. We also examined the tension between maintaining a well-skilled workforce and effective instructional systems design (ISD) practice by probing the current ID models used by courseware developers since 1990. An empirical research project, which utilized this IS-design methodology investigated the effectiveness of using IT to train government employees in introductory ethics; this was a study that operationalized the interactive effect of cognitive preference and instructional format on training performance outcomes. The data was analysed using Rasch item response theory (IRT) that models the discrimination of people’s performance relative to each other’s performance and the test-items’ difficulty relative to each test-item on the same logit scale. The findings revealed that IS training solutions developed using this IS-design methodology can be adapted to provide trainees with their preferred instructional mode and facilitate cost effective eTraining outcomes.Supplementary files: Please note this article has supplementary files accessible via the Article Tools menu to the right.