Effective Job Aids—Instructional Systems Development

Types of Job Aids

Job aids can be as small as a template on an answering machine or as large as a procedural manual. Allison Rossett and Jeannette GautierDownes, authors of A Handbook of Job Aids, maintain that job aids serve to provide information, support procedures, as well as coach perspectives, decisions, and self-evaluation. Most tasks entail either decision making, following procedures or linear sequences, or a combination of the two. Some of the more common job aid formats are listed on the next page and samples appear throughout this issue.

Sample Reference Job Aid Reference job aids contain information users may need to perform a task. Below is an example that provides a listing of light bulbs for salespeople to refer to for part ...