This survey of design and delivery technologies for the EnterTech Project is generally constrained and delimited by EnterTech's own definition of the EnterTech Project (Introduction to the EnterTech Project, http://www.utexas.edu/depts/ic2/et/intro.html). We may occasionally stray beyond these bounds in order to explore some "what if?" or "why not?" questions, but such excursions are clearly noted, and most of the time this report focuses on technologies directly relevant to EnterTech's definition of product, target audience, and likely delivery sites.

The Introduction to the EnterTech Project defines the project's:

• primary artifact -- "a job training program that is squarely based on industry needs"
• delivery sites -- "community colleges, high schools, career centers, industry sites and community-based organizations"
• pedagogical methods and media -- "interactive computer-based training...personal contact and support of a classroom facilitator," " experiential learning," "solving real work problems," "teaches transferable skills and knowledge through simulated work environments"
• course content -- "reading and communications, mathematics and measurements, technology literacy and work readiness," " work-based scenarios"
• target audience -- "a large pool of under-employed people – namely welfare recipients, high school dropouts, teen parents, and displaced workers"
• and desired results -- "to ensure people no longer eligible for welfare assistance can support themselves and their families," "potentially fill the employment needs of technology industries"

It is important to understand how each of these definitions directs the inquiry regarding appropriate technologies; they are in a sense the project's preconceptions. For this reason we present brief comments for each element in the project's definition as summarized above.

Primary Artifact

Of course it is possible to create a "training program" that has no artifact(s). Just teachers (with good memories) and students will do. However, most training takes advantage of multiple communication modes, and particularly mass communication. The use of mass media requires technology, even if it is just the 500 year-old technology of books.

The characteristics, capabilities, and constraints of mass communication are well understood. For example, mass media exhibit a high division of labor, relatively high cost of production, and distribution channels and methods primarily defined by economic factors. The EnterTech training program will consist largely of media artifacts. The challenge is to employ technologies that can deliver effective artifacts in an economically practical way.

Delivery Sites

The most important aspect of the delivery sites to keep in mind is that the EnterTech Project is likely to have very little, if any control of, or influence on these sites, and particularly the equipment in them. This is true for both hardware and software. It is likely to be a "take what you can get" situation. Adding special hardware will be difficult or impossible, even if the expense of doing so is justified. Software may present many of the same problems. EnterTech's software technology must be such that it runs on what exists and does not interfere with whatever software is already there. Certainly, requiring some sort of custom software configuration for the delivery systems is out of the question.

Pedagogical Methods and Media

This is to be a multimedia driven experience for the students with interpersonal interaction and support from a facilitator. The setting is a learning center or classroom with a computer for each student. Students progress at their own pace, and their path through the curriculum is customized to their abilities and needs based on the results of pre- and post-tests. Of course there is a good bit of drill and practice work both on paper and on the computer, but the really important mediated portion of the curriculum is the simulated internship. The goal is to drive the course forward through student interest in interacting with this simulation.

Course Content

The content sounds like "3R's plus." That is, reading, writing, arithmetic, plus basic computer literacy, and a taste of what the workplace will be like. The detailed specifications for this content are being written by another group as this report is being written. Not having access to these final specifications, we speculate that there will also be some time spent in teaching problem solving skills or research skills. It seems that one of the primary differences in a technology industry job and a "flipping burgers" job is that the work situation is much more likely to change in a technology industry. Even entry level workers must be able to adapt and learn, and they must realize that this is an ongoing and never-ending process. This is where the simulations and work-place scenarios are so important.

Target Audience

The target audience consists primarily of single mothers. Approximately 80% percent of this audience is located in Texas's major metropolitan areas and the lower Rio Grande Valley.

Desired Results

Enabling persons who are no longer eligible for welfare assistance to get and keep a good job so they can support themselves and their families is a noble goal. Providing needed entry-level workers to Texas technology industries is a worthwhile goal that, when achieved, can benefit everyone in the state.

In addition to these overall goals, there are some more immediate and practical results that are desired along the way. Specifically we want to know:

• how well the students are doing while they are going through the EnterTech course,
• what level of competence they have achieved upon completion of the course, and
• how well they perform when they enter the workforce.

Thus, the EnterTech Project requires some kind of tracking mechanism both during and after students take the course.

Limitations of Time and Money

Finally, this research and report was constrained by the available budget and severely limited by the amount of time available. Most of the research and analysis was done in the six-week time frame from mid-August through the end of September 1998. This short research window required us to rely heavily on electronic resources. Because the research subcontract was not signed until late-July, nearly at the end of summer school, we were unable to hire research assistants until the beginning of the fall semester in late August. In addition, the principal investigator was budgeted for only ten days. The required interviews/consultations with Texas technology companies occupied much of this time. Furthermore, the short period of research time precluded the use of mail questionnaire survey methods (because there was not enough time to do the required follow-ups -- thus the response rate would be unacceptably low), and the limited budget eliminated the possibility of a large-scale telephone survey.