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A device and method for accumulating, storing, and accessing information collectively held by a corporation of people is disclosed. The information is categorized into core subjects having many linked secondary topics having many linked tertiary details. The information also includes pointers and links to information stored elsewhere, for example the Internet. The information is stored as objects containing an answer to an inquiry, the associated links, and actions to be taken. The objects acts as navigational aids to the user without dictating the user's navigation through the information. The invention includes a feedback system that encourages users to provide their reactions to information on the system. Thus, over time, the system will accumulate the best information available to a corporation in the collective knowledge of its employees.
1. An information indexing apparatus for an organization of employees, the organization having competitors, the organization and competitors providing responses to customer needs, comprising:
a memory for storing a database including:
a needs table of information identifying a plurality of the customer needs, together with needs pointers and links to secondary information associated with the customer needs, at least some of said secondary information being external to said organization, each identified customer need having a one-to-many relationship with the needs pointers and links,
an organization table of information identifying a plurality of the organization provisions responding to the identified plurality of customer needs, together with provisions pointers and links to secondary information associated with the organization provisions, each identified organization provision having a one-to-many relationship with the provisions pointers and links and
a competitor table of information identifying a plurality of competitor provisions responding to the identified plurality of customer needs, together with competitor pointers and links to secondary information associated with the competitor provisions, each identified competitor provision having a one-to-many relationship with the competitor pointers and links; and
an input system having:
an authoring process for accessing, creating and modifying the database,
a user process for accessing the database by the employees, and
a feedback process to communicate feedback from the user process to the authoring process regarding the accuracy of the tables in the database, whereby, over time, the feedback process will accumulate ever improved information available to the organization in the collective knowledge of the employees.
2. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the secondary information associated with the customer needs includes:
information describing the need;
information identifying people associated with the need;
information identifying impacts of not responding to the need; and
information identifying alternative responses to the need.
3. An apparatus as in claim 2, wherein at least one of the identified alternative responses includes alternatives pointers and links to tertiary information associated with the alternative responses, the identified alternative response having a one-to-many relationship with the alternatives pointers and links.
4. An apparatus as in claim 3, wherein the tertiary information associated with the identified alternative response includes:
information identifying advantages of the alternative; and
information identifying disadvantages of the alternative.
5. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the secondary information associated with the organization provisions includes:
information identifying features of the organization provisions;
information identifying strengths of the organization provisions; and
information identifying weaknesses of the organization provisions.
6. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the secondary information associated with the competitor provisions includes:
information identifying features of the competitor provisions;
information identifying strengths of the competitor provisions; and
information identifying weaknesses of the competitor provisions.
7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the tables of information contain said customer needs, organization provisions and competitor provisions as High Impact Knowledge Objects.
8. An information indexing apparatus for an organization of employees, the organization having competitors, the organization and competitors providing responses to customer needs, comprising:
a memory for storing a database including:
a needs table of information identifying a plurality of the customer needs, together with needs pointers and links to secondary information associated with the customer needs, at least some of said secondary information being external to the organization, each identified customer need having a one-to-many relationship with the needs pointers and links,
an organization table of information identifying a plurality of the organization provisions responding to the identified plurality of customer needs, together with provisions pointers and links to secondary information associated with the organization provisions, each identified organization provision having a one-to-many relationship with the provisions pointers and links, and
a competitor table of information identifying a plurality of competitor provisions responding to the identified plurality of customer needs, together with competitor pointers and links to secondary information associated with the competitor provisions, each identified competitor provision having a one-to-many relationship with the competitor pointers and links;
an authoring system for accessing, creating and modifying the database;
a plurality of user systems in communication With the authoring system for accessing the database by the employees; and
a feedback system to communicate feedback from the user systems to the authoring system regarding the accuracy of the tables in the database, whereby, over time, the feedback process will accumulate ever improved information available to the organization in the collective knowledge of the employees.
9. An apparatus as in claim 8, wherein the secondary information associated with the customer needs includes:
information describing the need;
information identifying people associated with the need;
information identifying impacts of not responding to the need; and
information identifying alternative responses to the need.
10. An apparatus as in claim 9, wherein at least one of the identified alternative responses includes alternatives pointers to tertiary information associated with the alternative responses, each identified alternative response having a one-to-many relationship with the alternatives pointers.
11. An apparatus as in claim 10, wherein the tertiary information associated with the identified alternative response includes:
information identifying advantages of the alternative; and
information identifying disadvantages of the alternative.
12. An apparatus as in claim 8, wherein the secondary information associated with the organization provisions includes:
information identifying features of the organization provisions;
information identifying strengths of the organization provisions; and
information identifying weaknesses of the organization provisions.
13. An apparatus as in claim 8, wherein the secondary information associated with the competitor provisions includes:
information identifying features of the competitor provisions;
information identifying strengths of the competitor provisions; and
information identifying weaknesses of the competitor provisions.
14. An apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the tables of information contain said customer needs, organization provisions and competitor provisions as High Impact Knowledge Objects.
15. A system for organizing data files for a sales organization of a company including users and authors, comprising:
data storage including a database of inquiries and corresponding answers, including
information regarding a customers need with links to locations in networks within and without the database containing information regarding:
an impact to the customer of not meeting the need, and
an alternative approach to the need,
information regarding a company solution to the sales need with links to separate locations in the database containing information regarding:
a sales strategy for selling the company solution,
a feature of the company solution, and
information regarding a competitive solution to the customer need with links to separate locations in the database containing information regarding:
description of the competitive solution, and
a feature of the competitive solution, and
an indexer to retrieve an answer when presented with a corresponding inquiry;
a user terminal for the users of the sales organization to receive an answer to an inquiry, to display an answer and to input said inquiries;
an author terminal for the authors to modify said corresponding answers to said inquiries, and
a feedback system for said users to communicate from said user terminal to said author terminal changes to said corresponding answers, whereby, over time, the feedback system will accumulate ever improved corresponding answers available to the organization in the collective knowledge of the users.
16. An apparatus according to claim 1, further including:
a network server to access information outside of said memory, said user proves also for accessing said outside information through said server.
17. An apparatus according to claim 8, further including:
a network server to access information outside of said memory, said user proves also for accessing said outside information through said server.
The present invention relates to an employee training and coaching system for an organization which also serves as an index and intelligent link to digitized and non-digitized information. In particular, it relates to a system of collecting and disseminating the collective knowledge of a group of people, such as corporate employees.
In an information based economy, effectively training employees and leveraging and managing the "knowledge assets" of an organization can be critical to the success of that organization. While some of an organization's knowledge assets are clearly documented (i.e. product specifications, patents, customer lists, policies & procedures, etc.), a great deal of the important knowledge, (i.e., the answers to questions regarding product and marketing strategies, reasons why customers buy, descriptions of best practices, new developments of all types, who to call, where to find certain information, etc.) that makes the organization function and thrive, is only contained in the minds of specific employees. This knowledge is generically referred to herein as "High Impact Knowledge." The availability of the High Impact Knowledge, which is often fluid and in a state of flux, to the appropriate employee at just the right time, can have a significant impact on the performance of the entire organization (i.e., a major sale could be lost because the sales person did not know how to identify a prospect's particular need). A key challenge for management, therefore, is to provide systems and facilities that support the efficient and effective transfer of information and knowledge, especially the High Impact Knowledge which is available generally in the minds of certain employees to the company's employees as a whole. In this way, the overall productivity of the company is increased and the knowledge assets of the organization are disbursed and expanded.
Several major issues make this challenge difficult.
For example, knowledge transfer is inherently chaotic. It can originate and be required from anywhere, by anybody, at anytime, and in any form. Coordinating the transfer of knowledge from one employee to another thus requires some process for causing the proper employees to interact at the proper time.
There is a continuing explosion in the volume of information available as well as in the volume of information sources. While availability of information can initially be regarded as a good opportunity, the opportunity is lost if the volume of information expands beyond that which the organization's employees can realistically wade through. Thus, as information sources increase, the likelihood of any one source being used decreases.
The velocity of change also effects both the currency and validity of the knowledge. To be effective, somehow the information source must anticipate changes in its information content, identify how the information has changed, identify who (or what) has the best new information to make the change; and identify how the change effects other information in other sources. This task alone is generally prohibitive, causing information in a source to "fall behind" and become no longer useful.
Finally, the importance of a specific piece of knowledge depends on a situation. Preconceived determinations about which information content will receive the most attention in preparation, updating, etc., involves a value judgment that may be appropriate in one situation but be wrong in another.
In dealing with this challenge, organizations have implemented comprehensive employee training programs that educate employees about important areas of the organization's business and purpose. Organization's also have attempted to improve communication between employees by installing technology-based communication vehicles such as phone-mail, e-mail, and video-conferencing. Many have also implemented "Computer Based Content Systems" which provide employees with:
Tools for on-line research,
Computer Based Training, and
Expert assistance in performing complex tasks.
Current implementations of computer based content systems can be classified into one of two categories.
Expert, and
Expert content systems are used both to train employees in a specialized skill (e.g., computer based training), and to assist employees in performing complex tasks. An expert content-based system typically has a pre established system objective and is characterized by the "expertise" or control over the training exercise residing in the system, i.e., the exercise is heavily "system directed." In these systems, a user typically begins the exercise by selecting a specific topic, answering a posed question, the answer to which leads to another question, which leads to another question, etc. taking the user deeper and deeper into the Topic.
A classic example of an expert system is in the context of assisting physician diagnoses. A physician, for example, faced with a set of symptoms unfamiliar to the physician poses the problem to the expert system for assistance. The expert system may direct the exercise by first asking for the doctor to characterize the ailment by asking "is the patient experiencing pain?" The doctor answers "yes." The expert system poses the next question, such as "where?", and offers a set of answers. The expert system then continues with the questions and answers until reaching some conclusion which is displayed to the physician.
The expert system, because of the goal it is seeking, and the fact that its questions are directed by answers given, is framed in a hierarchial format of questions and answers ##STR1##
The system starts with Question 0 and expects to receive either Answers 1, 2, or 3. Depending on the answer given, the system poses Question 1, 2, or 3, and so on until a conclusion is reached. A user would not go from Q8 for example to A1 because the expert system's objective is to keep directing the user to an end result within the same logic path or hierarchy.
Another example of an expert system is in the context of helping sales people configure complex products and generate proposals for prospects. An example of this system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,493,490.
Expert Systems are characterized by the following:
They typically involve a highly specialized knowledge or information base.
They are designed for a specific user profile (i.e., a customer support person, doctors, technicians, etc.).
They are procedural in nature and have an established objective for each session.
They are best suited for precise, binary information (i.e., Right or Wrong).
They produce a consistent usage pattern.
They require considerable user interaction.
They may employ "Rules Based Inferencing Software".
Knowledge flow is in one direction . . . from the system to the user.
The Expert Systems have limitations. They provide little, if any, ad hoc navigation capability for the user. That is, the expert system, by its nature directs the flow of the information and makes it difficult, if not impossible for the user to deviate to new sources of information or a different path of questioning without ending the session and going back to the beginning of the system. They also require specialists to create, and can be costly to maintain. As such, they are best applied to knowledge that remains relatively stagnant. Further, they support a limited set of users and those users must be committed to using the system because of the length of user sessions.
With advancements in "Text Retrieval" and "Hypertext" technology, and the popularity of the INTERNET and World Wide Web, self-directed content systems have begun to be implemented within organizations to provide wide user access to information that was previously stored only on documents and other forms of un-digitized mediums. These systems may be called IntraNets or Marketing Encyclopedia Systems, and they provide unrestricted browsing of document based information such as:
Policies & Procedures Manuals
Sales and Marketing Literature
Competitive Analysis
Sales Manuals
Price Lists
Product Presentations
Self-directed content systems are characterized by the following:
They apply to a wide user audience
Their usage pattern is random
They allow for unrestricted browsing by the user
They support a wide range of content (topics, format, precision)
They support huge volumes of information
All information carries the same importance. It is all just data to the navigation system, the user decides the value.
The information flow is typically one way.
Self-directed content systems also have limitations. Their navigation capabilities are restricted, and the information is presented in large blocks like a document or video clip. That is, the user plots and plans (or stumbles around) a path through these large blocks of information. Because of the vast volume of information, users find it difficult to find specific information and easily get lost. When they can find the information they need, the information can be inconsistent between different sources on the system. While it is easy to put documents into such a system, the appropriate design architecture and maintenance procedures are complicated. These systems are also difficult to customize for a particular type of user.
While both Expert and Self-Directed approaches are effective in supporting certain functions, neither is truly effective in either the creation or consolidation and dissemination of High Impact Knowledge, or it's timely transfer among a wide employee audience. Even though High Impact Knowledge can be organized and categorized, it's wide scope, random usage pattern, and volatile nature make it ill suited for the Expert System approach. On the other hand, while High Impact Knowledge may be contained in some of the documents in a Self Directed System, like a Marketing Encyclopedia System or IntraNet, it is often difficult for users to locate because it is not easily identified as High Impact Knowledge, and is often buried among all the other information.
For the purposes of this specification the following definitions apply:
High Impact Knowledge: Information regarding an organization's products and services, its' competitor's products and services, and the customer needs that those products and services satisfy. This knowledge is generally used by employees of that organization to promote the sale of its' products and services to customers.
Best Answer: A concise (preferably one sentence) response to a particular aspect of High Impact Knowledge which has undergone feedback and review by company employees such that the response is or approaches an ideal response from the collective knowledge of the employees.
High Impact Knowledge Object: A logical unit of data in a database which includes one Best Answer plus additional data which may include links to other High Impact Objects in the database as well as links and Pointers to other information not in the database which may or may not be in digital or electronic format.
Pointers: Pointers describe the location of information which may or may not be stored electronically. These locations include the following:
1. Digital information in the data base of the invention
2. Digital information in other data bases controlled by the organization that employs the invention
3. Digital information in data bases not controlled by the organization that employs the invention
4. Non Digital Information in any format like books, printed manuals, video tapes that may be stored anywhere, both within and without locations controlled by the organization.
Links: Links are electronic connections to:
1. Digital information in the data base of the invention
2. Digital information in other data bases controlled by the organization that employs the invention
3. Digital information in data bases not controlled by the organization that employs the invention
The invention described herein represents a new form of computer based content management system that specifically is designed to effectively organize and manage an organization's High Impact Knowledge, and serve as an intelligent index and linking facility to an organization's on-line documents and other information as well as information stored outside the organization, for example on the Internet or an online service such as America On-line or CompuServe. The invention increases the value of an organization's knowledge assets and improves the productivity of its' employees, especially those in sales and marketing.
The proposed invention solves the above-problems by creating a "Hybrid Content System" that has aspects of both expert-based and self-directed systems. It is a self contained, integrated computer-based workflow system specifically designed for capturing High Impact Knowledge in a form called Best Answers, and delivering it to employees, most importantly, sales people, on a just-in-time basis. The invention operates on commercially available hardware, such as a PC computer, and employs several novel utilities.
First, the invention employs a special object oriented data model for the Best Answers, where each logical High Impact Knowledge Object contains a specific Best Answer, along with other information including linkages to other objects in the database as well as linkages and pointers to information located elsewhere. Thus, when a user is directed to an object, the user receives the Best Answers and links to related information.
Also included is an interactive "Authoring Facility" that assists authors of the system in developing and inputting Best Answers and adding links and pointers to Best Answers from the collective knowledge of an organization.
Then, the present invention provides a "User Navigation Facility" with a unique screen design that assists the user in navigating through the Best Answers contained in the system and accessing information outside of the system such as other systems in the organization, the Internet, and other outside information that has been linked to the High Impact Knowledge Objects. This facility permits the user to rapidly retrieve the appropriate Best Answers to a user's questions. The navigation system also includes a novel feedback system designed specifically to facilitate the collection of additional knowledge over a large number of corporate employees and to continuously improve and refine the knowledge contained in the system.
A "Systems Administration Facility" is included for adding object types to the data model, managing feedback, and performing various systems management tasks such as system synchronization, usage monitoring, maintaining user profiles and security tables, etc.
Finally, preferred embodiments of the invention include a "Reporting Facility" for producing printed reports.
The purpose and advantages gained by the present invention will be understood by careful study of the following detailed description of the presently preferred embodiment with particular reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of one example embodiment of the present invention in the form of a system;
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of example software and hardware components of a user station in accordance with either the system of FIG. 1 or a stand-alone embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the data storage component of FIG. 2.
FIG. 4 is an example embodiment of the logical architecture of the high impact knowledge objects from FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is an example embodiment of a high impact knowledge object from FIG. 3;
FIGS. 6-11 are flowcharts of example knowledge object retrieval and feedback steps;
FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of the objects stored in the data storage of FIG. 2 used by the navigation system of FIG. 2;
FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of the objects of FIG. 12 with specific example subjects, details, and topics, together with example linkages;
FIG. 14 is a flow diagram of an example authoring process according to the embodiment of FIG. 2;
FIG. 15 is a flow diagram of an example User Navigation Process according to the embodiment of FIG. 2;
FIG. 16 is a flow diagram of an example System Management Process according to the embodiment of FIG. 2; and
FIG. 17 is a logical layout of the content screen used in the User Navigation Process.
FIG. 1 illustrates system hardware used by an example embodiment of the present invention. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the system is centered around a network server 12, which provides general networking capabilities for the various other components shown in FIG. 1. In particular, a certain number of PCs 10A-10D are connected to communicate with the network server 12, and are provided for company users (employees, for example) to access information through the network server 12. In addition, the PCs 11A-11D also communicate with the network server 12 and are available for so-called "authors" of the database information.
The PCs 10A-10D are restricted use PCs, permitting the users to access information from the network server 12, but which prevent the users from directly modifying the information contained in the database. Author PCs 11A-11D differ from the user PC's 10A-10D in that the author PCs include software that permits the authors to make modifications to the database information as described below.
In addition to the network server 12, the system hardware used in accordance with this embodiment of the present invention includes a file server 13 that manages files on the network and a database storage 14 that may be included as part of the file server 13 or may be a separate component communicating with the file server 13. As an optional component, the network system as well as authors or users can have the capability to connect to another network or other outside server 15 which house information, such as an intranet or an internet. The PC's 11A-D can connect the outside server 15 either directly or through a network server 12.
The user PC 10D is shown in FIG. 1 in an expanded schematic diagram to illustrate the various components included within each of the PCs 10A-10D. A customary display 16 and keyboard 17 are included, together with any pointing device that may be necessary for operation. The software systems running on the PC 10D include a data display system 18A, a request system 18B, and a feedback system 18C, all running within a commercially available operating system 19.
The request system 18B is used by the operating system 19 to request data from the network, that is contained in either the database 14 or on another network, server or i.e., the outside servers 15. A user who is operating the PCs 10A-10D typically makes a request for data by entering the request on the keyboard 17 or by clicking on a spot on the display 16, indicating to the network server 12 the type of information requested by the particular user. The network server 12 ultimately receives (from the database, from another PC, or server or from the server) the data information requested and sends via the "data responses" line, an answer to the inquiry. The data display system 18A of the PC 10D accepts the data response from the network server 12, processes it into a usable format, and displays it on the display 16.
The user, having reviewed the information received in response to the data request, then has an opportunity to provide feedback with respect to the information retrieved. For example, a user who requests information regarding the disadvantages of a competitor's product may receive data regarding a purported disadvantage that the user perceives to be less of a disadvantage than the information retrieval makes it out to be. In that instance, the user can use the feedback system 18C to record the user's reaction to the information retrieved, which information is then fed to the network server 12 and ultimately to the author PCs 11A-11D. Authors then retrieve the feedback from the PCs 11A-11D and make decisions altering, removing, or adding to the information contained in the database.
Also, PCs 11A-11D include the same types of systems shown in PC 10D, except that the feedback system is transmitted from user PCs 10A-10D and is received at PCs 11A-11D. Author PCs 11A-11D, unlike user PCs 10A-10D, include an authoring utility that permits the authors to modify the database as described in greater detail below.
In FIG. 2, user station 20 is shown as a single, stand-alone unit incorporating all of the various software functions. The user station 20, as depicted in FIG. 2, includes the database in the data storage 22, an author system 25 and a user system (navigation system 26). Access the certain utilities such as the authoring system can be restricted for the users (as opposed to the authors) by means of a password or some other technique. Alternatively, the station 20 can be separated into independent "author" stations and "user" stations on a network, as depicted in FIG. 1. The user station in FIG. 2 has a keyboard 17 and a pointing device for inputting data and retrieving data from the Data storage 22 and a reporting system 27 for preparing and printing/displaying reports.
The database in the data storage 22 is further detailed in FIG. 3. The information and data stored and managed by the invention falls into three logical categories, usage data 33, feedback data 32, and High Impact Knowledge 31.
Usage data 33 is data used by the system to manage access to the system. This data includes general "housekeeping" information such as names, locations, and access rights of users and authors. This data is automatically captured by the system and is used by the systems management process 24. The system can keep track of how users are employing the system and will track the user, the dates that the system is used and properties of the use. For example, the length of time it was used.
Feedback data 32 is created as part of the user navigation process and is used both by the system's management process 24 and by the authoring process 25. Feedback data is information entered by a user as feedback to information reviewed by the user. For example, a salesperson who learns from the system that a competitor is selling product X, can feedback information (ultimately received by at least one author) stating that the salesperson recently heard that the competitor no longer sells product X. The feedback data is stored in the database and is used by an author to update information contained therein. In order to manage the feedback, each feedback data includes which user gave the feedback, the date the feedback was given and other properties such as the type of feedback, for example, new information or corrected information.
High Impact Knowledge 30 is created and maintained by the authoring process 25 and is used by the user navigation process 26. The High Impact Knowledge 30 contains the ultimate information to be presented to a user and each piece of High Impact Knowledge is managed as a logical object called a High Impact Knowledge Object 31. A High Impact Knowledge Object 31 contains certain information together with navigational links to other information or objects relevant to the current inquiry. The logical hierarchy of High Impact Knowledge 30 is further detailed in FIG. 4 which is a rendering of the logical architecture 40 of each "subject" and it's specific content. High Impact Knowledge 30 contains information on pre-defined subjects 41 which can be further classified into "Core Subjects," and "Additional Subjects."
The present invention recognizes that every organization, whether it provides products or services, must recognize and make sure its employees understand some customer's need, satisfy the need with a product or service, and recognize how its competitors satisfy the need with their product or service. Three "core" subjects of information thus are categorized in the High Impact Knowledge 30 contained in the database (FIG. 4) as: 1) "our customer needs," 2) "our products," and 3) "our competitor's products." Each subject may be viewed as a three level information hierarchy where Level 1 is a subject identifier attribute of the Subject, and Level 2 contains predefined "Topic" Attributes which have many to one relationships with the Subjects, and Level 3 contains "Detail" Attributes which have many to one relationships with the Topic Attributes. Examples of Topic Attributes and Detail Attributes in the subjects are described in greater detail with respect to FIGS. 6-11 below. The proposed invention has three Core Subjects (needs, our products, and competitors' products). It is anticipated that some organizations may want to add additional Subjects, of which three specific examples (our company, competitive companies, and our processes) are shown in FIG. 4.
Each attribute 40 may be viewed as an Object unto itself. These objects are known as High Impact Knowledge Objects 31.
Further detail of the logical architecture of a High Impact Knowledge Object 31 is shown in FIG. 5 which is a logical rendering of the structure of an individual High Impact Knowledge Object 31 which could be in either Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 (element 40) for a Subject. It is possible for an Object to be an attribute for more than one Subject and also be a Subject. For example, a requirement may be under several needs and may be a need in itself. Each Object can be represented as a logical Object with five distinct components: 1) best answer 50, 2) properties 54, 3) links to other objects 51, 4) links and pointers to external information 52, and 5) recommended actions for users 53.
Best Answer 50, which can be in any digitized form (text, sound, video, graphics or any combination thereof), is a principal response to an inquiry posed by the users. For example, if an inquirer asks for a list of competitive products competing with product A, each competing product displayed would be a Best Answer 50. An important design feature of the invention is that Best Answers be as concise as possible, preferably one sentence, so as to convey to the user the specific knowledge they are looking for. Unlike most document systems where the answer may be buried in a large volume of text, the Best Answer represents a concise answer from the collective knowledge of the company's employees.
Properties 54 may describe the type, author, date of creation and other information concerning the best answer 50 in question.
Links 51 to other Objects in the invention, both within the hierarchy of the same Subject and to other Subjects or Topics, are established through the Authoring Process. Links are based on the context of the Best Answer 50 and are created through two processes, automatic and manual.
The automatic links are created automatically by the system and are within the same Subject hierarchy. These are built by the invention as the author enters information.
Manual links are specifically set by the author to link to other objects that are not in the same Subject hierarchy. In the example above regarding the engineer's request for competitors to product A, the links 51 could include a link to individual customer needs satisfied by product A; links to specific features of product A; etc. The first example link would be found in the "our customer needs" Subject (FIG. 4) while the second example link would be found in the "our products and services" Subject (FIG. 4). These links 51 are attached to the Answer 50 by the author and can be improved over time as a result of feedback received from the users.
Links and Pointers 52 to external information contained outside of the system may be contained in electronic and non-electronic mediums, within or outside of the organization that is using the invention. For example, the linkage may point to information stored in a local computer that is connected to the organization's network or may point to an internet web page of a competitor company or may point to a physical location such as a library. The benefit of this is that the author, being an expert has already researched this outside data and by linking an object to the most appropriate information outside of the system, the author has reduced much of the research that users may want to do by pre-identifying and linking the outside information. The links are an important component of the invention since they allow it to be used not just as a training tool, but also as an intelligent indexing and linking tool for all the knowledge that an organization possess, whether or not the information is contained in facilities controlled by that organization. The pre-established links give the system modified expertise to direct the user's actions, but not so much expertise as to stifle the user's ability to self-direct the inquiries.
Recommended Actions for Users 53 is a set of actions (qualifying questions for example) that a user can take that are related to the Best Answer 50. The actions 53 are specifically related to assisting employees, such as sales people, in performing their jobs.
Every Knowledge Object 31 thus includes a specific piece of company knowledge 50 together with navigational aids (51-52) that the user selects to delve deeper into the subject matter of the Answer 50. In this sense, each Object is systems directed (because the system provides the next most relevant links (51-52) for additional information), yet is also user-directed (because the user may not follow those links and instead select where and how far navigation proceeds into a particular subject matter or go to a different subject that is not linked).
FIGS. 6-11 show an example of the database framework for the three "Core Subjects" (FIGS. 6-8) and some recommended "Additional Subjects" (FIGS. 9-11). The database is organized according to traditional database design techniques using a commercial database product, such as "Oracle," "Sybase," "Access," etc. It is also anticipated that advancements in HTML will support the Knowledge model used by the invention.
The three columns in FIGS. 6-11 represent the three hierarchial levels of attributes and information of a Particular Subject described above. On the left is the subject attribute (Level 1), followed by the Topic attributes (Level 2) and the Details attributes (Level 3). As shown in FIGS. 6-11, every Topic may have a many to one relationship with a Subject, and every Detail may have a many to one relationship with a Topic. The Topics and Details in Levels 2 and 3 can be in any form which best creates the Best Answer 50, (such as "who are the key people responsible for solving this?"), some other combinations of words or abbreviated labels (such as "Key People"), or some other type of stimuli (such as a picture or a sound).
FIG. 6 shows the database organization for the Core Subject called "Our Customers Needs." This database organizes customer needs information into a form that is simple for salespeople to use and will navigate them through concise material describing the full impact of a customer's need. In this way, the system assists them giving a fuller understanding of the customer's need and in developing agreement with the customer on the importance of a need before a product is recommended. It also does so without requiring the user to wade through volumes of material, much of which may be irrelevant and contradictory.
FIG. 6 shows an example database used by the present invention to help the user navigate through the Best Answers so they can understand the importance of a customer need. In FIG. 6, the Subject 60 is an identifier of a particular customer need. For every one Subject need, several Topics are available for the users review. Thus, every customer need 60 is identified with an overview 61A of the need, many key people 61B who are responsible for satisfying the need, many impacts of failing to respond to the need 61C, many key requirements 61D of the need, many alternative approaches 61E toward the need, and other topics 61F. From a navigation standpoint, for example, the user who is at any particular attribute will be presented with links 51 to then navigate to learn more about related attributes. Of course, as shown in FIG. 5, just by identifying an attribute, the user also may receive recommended actions 53 and links 51-52 relevant to that attribute that are within a different subject. For example, the links on the need subject 60 can direct the user to choose any of the Topics 61A-61F which pertain to the user's inquiry, or any other Topic, Subject, or Detail attribute that has been linked to that subject by the authors.
Any of the Topics 61A-61F may be also broken down into database into Details 62C-62H. For example, the alternative approaches 61E to a customer need 60 can be further broken down into advantages of the various alternatives 62C-62E and disadvantages of the various alternatives 62F-62H.
All of the information shown in FIG. 6 from the "need" Subject 60 to the Topics 61A-61F to the Details 62A-62H are entered by an author at PCs 11A-11D (FIG. 1) into the database 14. The links between the Subject 60, the Topics 61A-61F and the Details 62A-62H, are created by the system at the time of data entry. Links to other Subjects, Topics, and outside sources are also programmed into the database by an author. When the users accessing the system at the PCs 10A-10D then enter a data request, the request system 18B issues the request from the database 14, and the data display system 18A retrieves the information regarding the data request and displays it on the display 16. The information displayed on the display 16 should include not only the best answer 50 (FIG. 4), but also the next relevant links to be used by the user for navigating deeper into a particular subject inquiry or to link to other Subjects or Topics or information contained outside of the system. Thus, for example, a user who poses an inquiry regarding a particular customer need 60 will be presented information regarding the customer need and also link options to, for example, any of the Topics 61A-61F, to other needs to company products and services, or to competitive products and services, as well as linkages to appropriate Information that is stored outside the system on an Intranet or the Internet for example.
At any point during the course of navigation through the data, the user can provide feedback 63 (FIG. 6) to the authors of the system via the feedback system 18C (FIG. 1). In this manner, engineers, salesmen, executives, staff, and all other employees of an organization who use the present system can provide information regarding the accuracy or acceptability of the responses to the authors of the system. Thus for example, a salesman who hears information in the marketplace regarding an alternative approach to meeting a customer need can input the customer need 60, select the alternative approach as topic 61E, and discover whether information exists on the company database regarding that alternative approach. If the information does not exist, is less complete than the salesperson's knowledge is, or is inaccurate, the salesperson selects a feedback mode 63, which activates the feedback system 18C. The salesperson then enters the feedback information regarding the alternative approach on the keyboard 17. The systems management system 24 (FIG. 2) then identifies a relevant author (for example, an author who is proximate to the salesperson entering the feedback) and delivers that author's computer address to the feedback system 18C. The feedback system 18C then sends the feedback entered on the keyboard 17 by the salesperson to the author identified by the systems management software 24. The feedback then appears on the relevant author's PC 11A-11D, giving the author the information necessary to decide whether the alternative approach topic 61E should be reauthored 64 (FIG. 6) to include the information identified by the salesperson in the feedback step 63.
The feedback is an important part of the present invention and distinguishes the present invention over known expert database systems. With stagnant expert databases, the authors of the system are presumed to be experts in all the areas of the database (or are expected to accurately transcribe the information from someone who is an expert). Unfortunately, in organizations of even a small number of employees, each employee possesses a certain degree of proficiency in particular areas of the organization, but no one employee can be considered the most proficient employee for every area of the corporation's business. Accordingly, in stagnant systems, the answers provided in response to inquiries by the company's employees are rarely, if ever, the best possible answers available in the collective knowledge of the organization. On the other hand, with the present invention, every employee who uses the system has the opportunity to improve the system by critiquing the information in the database. This also includes information from all levels and categories of employees, from entry level staff personnel to the President of the organization. As a result, the initial answers in the database need not be precisely researched and carefully evaluated by all of the skilled employees of the organization before they are entered in the database, because the feedback 63 that will be provided through the natural use of the system will constantly improve the accuracy and scope of the answers over time. As a result, ideally, the Best Answers 50 in the present database will actually be the most valuable answers because over time they become the best answer available within the collective knowledge of the employees of a company.
The present invention is thus unique in that it provides a system directed navigational training tool that provides feedback of information to improve the accuracy and scope of the information given.
FIGS. 7-11 are examples of database design diagrams for other example subjects. In FIG. 7, the Topics and Details for the database subject "our product and service" 70 is shown. For each product and service 70, at least one Description 71A, many product and service strengths 71C, product and service weaknesses 71D, product and service features 71E, and other topics 71F will be linked. In addition, for each strength ("1" through "N") 71C, a strategy 72D-72F is provided. Similarly, the weaknesses 71D have associated strategies 72G-72I and the features 71E have associated benefits 72J-L for each feature ("1" through "N"). As before, after each Subject, Topic, or Detail is displayed, the user has the opportunity to feedback information at step 73 regarding the accuracy or scope of the information provided. This precipitates any necessary re-authoring step 74 by the relevant author.
FIG. 8 diagrams the database for the subject of "our competitors products and services" 80. Here, the Topics relevant to the competitors products or services are the Description 81A, the product or service strengths 81B, the product or service weaknesses 81C, and other Topics 81D. The details for the strengths topic 81B include the present company strategies for each identified strength 82A-82C. Similarly, each weakness 81C has an associated sales strategy 82D-F. Again, feedback 83 and reauthoring 84 are provided for each Subject, Topic, or Detail.
FIGS. 9 through 11 reflect additional optional subject types which may be described by specific organizations.
FIG. 9 shows the database organization for the subject of "our company" 90. Topics associated with the our company subject 90 are general descriptions 91A, mission statements 91B, values 91C, products and service markets 91D, organizational structures 91E, company strengths 91F, and company weaknesses 91G. Details associated with the company markets 91D include company positions in each market 92A-92C. Details for the strengths topic 91F include ways in which the company can leverage its strengths 92D-92F. Details associated with the weaknesses 91G include how the company will address each weakness 91G-91I. Again, feedback 93 and reauthoring 94 are provided following each subject, topic, and detail. FIG. 10 is a database diagram for the subject of "our competitors" 100. For the subject of "our competitors," the associated topics include the competitors' markets 101A, the competitors' strengths 101B, the competitors' weaknesses 101C, and other topics 101D. For the markets topic 101A, associated details include the competitors position in each market 102A-102C. For the strengths and weaknesses topics 101B-101C, strategies associated with each strength and weakness 102D-102I are provided. Again, feedback 103 and reauthoring 104 are also provided.
Finally, FIG. 11 illustrates the database diagram for the Subject of "our processes" 110. This database is designed with only Subject and Topic level organization, without Detail level information. The Topics associated with each of the company processes are the description of the processes 111A, a rationale for the processes 111B, steps associated with the processes 111C, and other topics 111D. Again, feedback 112 and reauthoring 113 steps are provided following the Subjects and Topics.
The invention manages the logical objects through a hierarchy that is exemplified by FIGS. 6-11 and through logical linkages that are set by the authors.
FIG. 12 is an example representation of another way to look at the hierarchy of different subjects 120-123. In FIG. 12, four subjects (A-D) are shown, together with hierarchial linkages to either Topics 120A-B, 121A-B, 122A-B, and 123A-B (aka TA-TD).
Also shown are hierarchial linkages to either Details 120C-D, 121C-D, 122C-D, and 123C-D (aka DA-DD). FIG. 12 is an expert system hierarchy and is created automatically by the system itself.
FIG. 13 is an example of how the expert hierarchy of FIG. 12 can then be improved dramatically by the present authoring process. In FIG. 13 the Subjects, Topics and Details (120A-D through 123A-D) have been filled in by the authoring process to include specific information about an automobile market. The authoring process also provides the customized linkages shown in FIG. 13 by treating the information as Knowledge Objects rather than as a pure hierarchial progression.
FIG. 13 shows two needs: the need to Buy a Vehicle 120, and the need to Transport 6 People 122. One of our products to fit a need is called Vehicle 121 and a competitive product is called Competitor's Vehicles 123. Each subject has many topics, for example, the need To Buy a Vehicle 120 can have a topic which is an alternative approach called Finance 120A and another topic which is a requirement called Transport 6 People 120B which is also a need in itself 122. The requirement to Transport 6 People 120B also has two details: Leg Room 120C and Code Entry 120D. The other subjects have a similar hierarchy. For example our product called Vehicle 121 has two options: Van 121A and 4 Door Sedan 121B. The 4 Door Sedan 121B has electric entry 121C and is available in Blue 121D.
The hierarchial links of FIG. 12 are automatically created by the system during the authoring process, while FIG. 13 represents an example of the logical links that may be set by the authors. The logical links between High Impact Knowledge objects (FIG. 13, for example) come in two forms, similar attribute linkages and dissimilar attribute linkages. Similar attribute linkages may be made between objects within the same subject type, for example, the need to Buy A Vehicle 120 has similar attribute linkages 131 to the need to Transport 6 People 122. Also the detail Leg Room 120C in the Need to Buy a Vehicle 120 has a similar attribute linkage 139 to the detail Removable Rear Seat 122C for the need to Transport 6 People 122. Also the requirement to Transport 6 People 120B in the need to Buy a Vehicle 120 is linked 136 to the subject to Transport 6 People.
Dissimilar attributes linkages may be made when an object in one subject type is linked to another object of a different subject type. An example is the Need to Buy a Vehicle 120 is linked 130 to the Competitors Vehicle 123. The need to Transport 6 People is linked 137 to a feature called 4 Door Sedan 123B of Competitors Vehicle 123. Also the alternative 4 Doors 122A under the need to Transport 6 People 122 is linked 138 to the feature 4 Door Sedan 121B under our product, Vehicle 121, and is also linked directly 134 to Vehicle 121. The same feature, 4 Door Sedan 121B is linked 133 to the need to Transport 6 People 122 and linked 135 to the requirement Code Entry 120D under the need to Buy a Vehicle 120. The need to Transport 6 People 122 is also linked 132 to a feature called Van 121A.
An important component of the invention is that it allows objects to be linked to others regardless of the type of object, for example, a Topic may be linked to a Detail or a Subject.
Of course, as an author builds the linkages, he will do so according to a structure that is logical for the content of the particular Objects that he is linking.
The invention also includes three logical workflow processes controlled by a processor 23, as follows:
The Authoring Process
First, an authoring process 25 allows certain pre-approved users of the system to create and maintain data in the system database. Authoring is done in a format that is encouraged and assisted by the system through an integrated utility described below.
The authoring process 25 is described in FIG. 13. The authoring process begins when a user, who has been authorized as a valid author, signs onto the system at step 130. The author is authenticated and is allowed to proceed at step 131. The author is then asked whether the author wishes to create a new subject or new Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 knowledge object 31 within an existing Subject or to modify an existing Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 object.
To create a new high impact knowledge object 31, an author first chooses a subject at step 135, and then navigates through the three hierarchical levels to the appropriate level and object type through a point and click navigation paradigm. Once they are at the appropriate object type, they enter the new data at step 137. If an author chooses to modify an existing Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 object, they simply start with a subject and navigate to that object at step 132.
Once the author is at the appropriate knowledge object 31, whether the intent is to modify or add, the author may hit a "help key" at step 133 or 136 and receive guidance in how to enter the answer 50 data. The guidance (step 134) includes both linguistic formatting assistance that helps the Author in being as precise and concise as possible and to create answers that clearly convey the specific piece of knowledge. The inventor's research has shown that certain types of best answers require certain format and structure to insure that the knowledge is properly conveyed and retained longer by the user. An example of this formatting is a need statement that the inventor has discovered is best started with the word "To" followed by a verb like Fix or Acquire etc. Also, in the discipline of Salesmanship, there are several companies who have developed selling methodologies that use specific terminology and questioning techniques. A few examples of this are Learning International, Sandler Sales Training Institute, Holden Corporation, Solution Sales, Power Based Selling, Strategic Selling and Zig Ziglar. The assistance to authors will include these methodologies and questioning techniques as examples. An important component of each answer 50 is that it be as brief and specific as possible (preferably one sentence) so that it is easily understood and retained by the user.
The authoring system assists the author in adding information to a Knowledge Object 31 (FIG. 4). When an author enters on Answer 50, the authoring system may prompt the author for:
1. Recommended actions for users 53;
2. Linkages to other knowledge objects 51; and
3. Links and Pointers to information outside of the system 52.
With this information, the authoring system builds a Knowledge Object 31 (FIG. 4) in the database with links to the items of information entered as described above. When the author has completed the work on an object, they may exit the authoring process at step 139 or continue work on a different knowledge object 31 at step 138.
User Navigation
A user navigation process 26 allows certain pre-approved users to browse through data that was created through the Authoring process 25 for training indexing and linking purposes and to provide feedback on that data as well as submit additional data for review and inclusion by the authors.
Users of the system can navigate the High Impact Knowledge Objects 31 in an unrestricted and ad hoc fashion, depending on the information they are seeking, or the questions that they have. To operate the training and feedback session, a user first signs onto the system at step 140 and is authenticated. At step 141, the user is then presented with an initial screen which allows them to start their navigation and search in one of at least four ways:
1. By Subject
2. By Key Person (Level 2 on FIG. 6)
3. By Linguistic Search Techniques
4. Others
Based upon the initial search, the system presents the user with a Content Screen 141A containing the appropriate Best Answers 50 along with several indicators which reflect that specific answer's position in the logical data model. These indicators assist in "framing the answer" for the user and letting them visualize other navigation possibilities. The screen also contains pointers to other Objects 31 that are logically associated with the Answer 50 that is displayed, as well as several function buttons that allow the user to freely navigate throughout the system. The user can also access information that is contained in other systems that has been specifically linked to this Knowledge Object 31 through the authoring process 25. Each time an Answer 50 is displayed, the appropriate pointers and function buttons are displayed as well, giving the user ultimate control of the navigation process.
The Content Screen 141A is further detailed in FIG. 17. The object oriented design of the invention allows the screen to be dynamically configured by the user with one click of a pointing device. The Content Screen 141A has five sections as follows: a Function Section 141A1, a Navigation Section 141A2, a Question Section 141A3, a Best Answers Section 141A4, and a More Info Section 141A5.
The Function Section 141A1 contains icons for the key functions of Feedback 142, Marking 143, and Printing and Exporting 144. Other functions are also anticipated.
The Navigation Section 141A2 contains a record of navigation that has been done previously in this session so the user can see the path they took to get to this specific Content Screen 141A. It also shows the specific Level 1 Subject Identifier 40 for the rest of the information shown on the screen.
The Question Section 141A3 shows many Level 3 Topic Attributes 40 (Questions) for the Subject displayed in the Navigation Section 141A2.
The Best Answers Section 141A4 contains many Best Answers 50 for each Question in the Question Section 141A3. The Best Answers 50 are dynamically configured and displayed when a user clicks on a specific Question.
The More Info Section 141A5 contains Level 3 Detail Attributes 40, Recommended Actions 53, Links to Other High Impact Objects 51, and Links & Pointers to Information Outside the System 52. The More Info Section is dynamically configured and displayed when a user clicks on a specific Best Answer 50.
The Content Screen 141A allows the user to fully control the progression through the information, while maintaining sufficient hierarchial structure to coach the user through the information. This feature is accomplished by the present invention as result of its organization into High Impact Knowledge Objects, as described previously.
The recommended actions for users 53 that may be included in each Knowledge Object 31 are also navigational tools since they provide additional system actions available to the user. These actions 53 can be immediately accessed through a pointing device. Once a user has any portion of a Knowledge Object 31 displayed on the screen, there are at least four key functions, beyond further navigation, within the system, ending the session, and exiting the system, that are available to the user:
1. Give feedback (step 142)
2. Mark that portion of the object for future reference (step 143)
3. Print/Export that portion of the object (step 144)
4. Access information outside of the invention through the Pointers 52 (step 145).
The feedback facility at step 142a within the user navigation process can operate through a variety of communication mechanisms (for example, Integrated E-MAIL or other messaging techniques). When a user enters comments and feedback, such as evaluations on the effectiveness of certain Knowledge Objects 31 and new information regarding any subject, the system captures the feedback and populates the database 32 with the feedback along with some supportive information such as date and user, etc.
A marking utility at step 143a allows the user to place a temporary book mark on any particular portion of a knowledge object 31 that they may want to refer to in the future, either for quick navigation, or for printing or exporting the data.
The Print/Export function at step 144a allows the user to either print the data that they want to take with them or export that data into another application. An example of exporting would be the transfer of recommended actions data to the sales person's contact management software.
The invention also supports integration with other systems that are available on the organizations network, other networks, and locations back within and without the organization through the pointers and links to outside information 53 contained in each Knowledge Object 31. To receive outside information at step 145 and 145a, the user selects the outside source destination from a pick list contained in 141A5 and the system automatically transfers the user to the destination through either the network server 12 or the Internet server 15. While at the outside location, the invention continues to operate in the background so the user can return to the original knowledge object. Following the navigation through whatever information is desired, the user exits the system at step 146.
Systems Management
A system management process 24, shown in FIG. 16, allows certain pre-approved users to configure the system, manage the feedback and perform other functions necessary to keep the system running and available to other users.
The Systems Management Process allows any number of pre-approved systems administrators to perform tasks that insure the systems availability and performance as well as tasks that improve the quality of the information that is stored in the systems data storage 22. The system administrator signs on to the system at step 150 and is authenticated. Once authentication is satisfied the systems administrator can perform several major functions at step 151, as follows:
1. Data management (step 152) includes entering and deleting subjects 41 and assigning access rules for knowledge objects 31.
2. User management (step 153) includes setting and maintaining user profile information and security levels for the authentication process.
3. Feedback Management (step 154) includes reporting on feedback patterns, distributing certain feedback to specific authors, and insuring timely response to feedback.
4. General systems management (step 155) includes setting replication schedules, reorganizing the data base, performing upgrades to the system and other functions.
Additional system management edits can be chosen at step 156. At the conclusion of a system management session, system manager sign off at step 157.
While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiment, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
Referenziert von
Juristische Ereignisse


text:
Activity book
Colouring book
Snakes and ladders
Wall chart
Detta - The Germagician comic strip
Read more...
The work of The Hygiene Council and The Hygiene for the 21st Century initiative is funded through an educational grant from Reckitt Benckiser.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Originally published on Sun December 11, 2011 7:58 am
Tens of thousands of Russians took to the streets of Moscow Saturday, shouting "We exist!" against Vladimir Putin's inevitable return to the presidency. Host Audie Cornish speaks with Julia Ioffe, Foreign Policy's Moscow correspondent, about post-election protests in Russia.
View the discussion thread.


text:
Courses: Excursions in the Void: Existentialism, Nihilism and Radical Doubt (WRPRH142B01)
Spring 2010
This course will explore the ethical, political and aesthetic implications of existentialism with reference to other "moments of doubt" in philosophy and literature, including nihilism and radical doubt. Writing assignments and class discussion will aim at answering questions like the following: What is existentialism good for? Does it constitute a plausible strategy for engaging the complexity, difficulty and ambiguity of everyday experience?
Prerequisites: Open only to members of the first-year class as assigned by the Director of College Writing.
Fulfills: HU FW Limit:15
Taught By
Haverford, Stokes 018
Meeting Times


text:
Video playback issues
I have an iMac 21.5" 2.7GHz, I have had it for just over a month.
Today when trying to watch some catch up tv online the video has frozen on 3 separate occasions, twice in full screen mode and once with the video minimised. Its not just a video freeze, the browser becomes completely unresponsive although the sound carries on. I also quit the browser and the sound carried on until i clicked to open up safari again. Im wondering why it is doing this? It has been fine watching videos online before, and also watching videos from this site before.
Where are you watching these videos? Are they using Flash to stream the content or is it using something like QuickTime?
I am watching the videos here Demand 5 | Channel 5
Not sure what they are using im afraid.
So, the videos are playing through a Flash player. Have you tried watching them in another browser? Despite being independent, some browsers are better with plugins than others.
Ok, i tried it in firefox, same problem! It doesn't seem as though its browser specific. After a few minutes of playback the picture froze but sound carried on. I managed to swipe to my desktop where the frozen image from the video was still there behind the dock and top menu bar. The processor got all hung up and became completely unresponsive so i had to do what i don't like doing and just cut the power and turn it back on again.
The problem is Flash. It is crap.
Best you can do is update to the latest Flash and pray that this helps.
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Who we are
Our Mission
Our Heritage
Our Founding Communities
Our Leadership
CSJ Ministries, Inc.
Ministry of the Arts
Social Services
Spirituality Centers
Our Sponsored Ministries
Care of Creation
CSJ Initiatives
CSJ Ministries, Inc.
Ministry of the Arts
Pastoral Services
Peace and Justice
Social Services
Spirituality Centers
Meet some Sisters
New Members
As a Sister
As an Associate
As an Employee
As a Volunteer
As a Supporter
Our Spirituality
Prayer Requests
Spirituality Centers
2015 Retreats
Vision Statement
Death Penalty
Human Trafficking
Socially Responsible Investment
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Choose Life
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Position Statements
Congregation News
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Local News
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Federation News
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Copyright©2008. Congregation of Saint Joseph.
Between January 2009 and November 2014, Sister Jacqueline Goodin ministered at St. Joseph Hostel, a residence for girls and teenagers sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Chambery. The Hostel is in Songea, a small rural town in southwest Tanzania, an East African country. For five years she worked alongside other Sisters of St. Joseph caring for the girls' day-to-day needs. The Hostel provides a safe and caring environment which allows the girls to complete their high school education in town. For more information on the Hostel and how you might be of help, please email Sister Jacqueline at
Home Is Where Your Hearts Are
At last, my suitcases are unpacked and stored. My tropical climate wardrobe is all put away with other "summer clothes." No more sandals until at least June! I've now become used to shoveling snow and wearing numerous layers of clothes to keep warm during this cold, cold time of year.
I returned "home" to Cleveland in early winter 2014 only to discover that I had left a big part of my heart in my other "home"—St. Joseph Hostel in Songea, Tanzania. As I was packing suitcases for the long flight to the USA, I made sure to pack a bit of the hearts of all the girls who live at the Hostel, the other Sisters of St. Joseph with whom I served, and all of my dear friends and African neighbors. My luggage was really stuffed!
A formal goodbye from the parents of our girls, missionaries from other
religious congregations, and our dear friends from the Mateka neighborhood was held on October 26th. Oh, the tears came so readily as all greeted Sr. Eliana (who has since returned to her home in Brazil) and myself. They gifted us with "kangas" (traditional wraps for women), homemade baskets, live chickens, and hug after hug to take home. The girls sang so beautifully during the Eucharistic liturgy—their best ever! And the dancing in the program afterwards—well, their best ever, again! It was a glorious (and long) day of celebration—the best ever!
As the days became more hectic with packing and cleaning up my detritus (of five years), the reality of saying goodbye was tearfully
acknowledged. My final goodbye with the girls was such a tearjerker—no holding back for any of us. And at last, because structure is important in giving a sense of security to children, I told them that it was time for them to wash their clothes and get ready for lunch. We will remember each other for a long, long time.
The most important message is that the need for the world (that being you and me) to educate girls in small-town Songea is as great as ever! Our global daughters, standing on the shoulders of parents, caregivers, and donors, are the foundation of a future with peace, justice, freedom, and equality. Without education girls are so vulnerable to early and/or abusive marriages, lifelong poverty for themselves and their children, trafficking, and broken dreams. So, in that little corner of the world in southwestern Tanzania, Sisters of St. Joseph are working every day to help 60 (or so) girls realize their dream of education and readiness for life.
Thank you, every one of you, for all the ways you have supported the work of St. Joseph Hostel! Thank you for giving your hearts to the girls. Though they do not know your names or faces, they do hold you in their hearts; I know this for a fact.
Please continue to be in prayerful solidarity with the girls—your global daughters—and Sr. Nilza and Sr. Lily who now staff the Hostel. Thank you for your continuing work of peace and justice in your corner of the world.
October 2014
What the girl in this picture is saying to me (and perhaps to the world)
The Ministry of the Arts, a sponsored ministry of the Congregation of St. Joseph, every year publishes and prints a beautiful calendar with a wide diversity of artwork accompanying the dates. In the time that I have been in Tanzania, I have gifted our two houses here with a calendar for a Christmas present; the sisters love it!
At the end of June 2014, I was thrilled to turn over the calendar page to reveal the July artwork. A beautiful girl appeared to me—an African-American girl. "Beauty Blooms" by Annie King Phillips stimulated an evocative response in me and I thought the girl in the picture would speak directly to our girls in St. Joseph Hostel in Songea, Tanzania. It is so unusual to see artwork like this, featuring "blackness," here in Tanzania—a beautiful black young woman—that I just had to share her with the girls.
So the idea of a contest came to me.
As you may remember from earlier blogs, the method of teaching here in Tanzania is based on memorization. I have seen our girls struggle with any thought process requiring creativity and imagination (though they are very creative with anything having to do with fashion!). Having the right answer, even if it is in a language they don't understand (i.e. English), is the important thing.
Back to the contest. We invited the girls to imagine what the girl in the picture is saying to her and then to write 2-3 paragraphs, in English, about the picture. Of 54 girls, only 5 attempted this. Two of these short essays are dandy and I want to share with you excerpts from their imagination. The girls who submitted essays (a tie for first place, second place, and 2 honorable mentions) were each gifted with a special prize: a pair of tights, a smelly good soap from USA, and a bar of laundry soap. The co-winners for first place are both scholarship girls, meaning they come to us because of financial need and academic ability.
Rose (left) and Monika (right)
is a Form II student who is class girl—that is, she has been recognized by her teachers as an outstanding student-leader for her class. This is some of what she wrote (a bit edited by Miss Clavell):
She is a woman created by God. The beautiful flowers say that the girl is like a good flower. Humans were created in God's image, so there is nothing more beautiful than this human face.
She is an African woman and she wants to tell us to respect our sisters, to love and respect all people because all are created by God. We are supposed to love and respect the people of Brazil, America, and India [we Hostel sisters come from these nations] and all other countries because all are equal and created like the face of God, without consideration for skin color. This girl also tells us that we are supposed to study hard in order to pass our exams. As women, we are able to achieve many things—not just the men—such as to be President of our country.
We will be the donors for the next generation so we must change our behaviors into good.
The co-winning entry is by
an outstanding student in Form I. She shows particular aptitude in the sciences.
The girl wants to say something about beauty. She wants to tell us that the beauty of a person is not outside our body, like our hair or face, but the beauty of ourselves. It is inside our body, in our heart. God does not look outside our heart but inside our heart. And when we look inside our heart with our feelings we see if our heart is nice or ugly.
This girl wants to say that when our heart is filled with love, kindness, joy, and bravery, we look like a beautiful flower. That is why the girl is inside the flower.
Thank you, Ms. Phillips and Ministry of the Arts for bringing this piece of beauty to the girls of St. Joseph Hostel. We are so grateful for your sharing of this beautiful artwork to spark our inner beauty, regardless of skin color or nationality! Asanteni sana ("thank you to all")!
For those of you who remember "Candid Camera" from the 1960s, I have some candid shots of our "scholars" who gave themselves up during afternoon study. The girls hate it when I startle them with a camera flash and they wonder why all the other girls are laughing at them! I sometimes use the camera to catch them at bad table manners, too. Well, there are all sorts of ways to learn about good behavior—catching them at good behavior is the best way, of course. But….catching them at bad behavior sometimes works, too. The sleepers will remain anonymous.
September 2014
This is the letter that we recently sent to all the schools that our girls presently attend. Only one Headmaster has responded! The attached photograph shows bruising on the hands/wrists of girls who were "beaten" because they did poorly in an examination. The marks might be hard for you to see, but we saw them quite clearly. We applied some salve and said how sorry we were that this had happened. This type of physical punishment is oh so common here.
Dear Headmaster,
In 2014, St. Joseph Hostel in Mateka is completing nine years of service to the young women of Tanzania. These years, we have been pleased to work with educators from various schools where our girls study. Your dedication to teach Tanzanian youth parallels our goals at the Hostel.
We three Sisters of St. Joseph of Chambery presently working at the Hostel bring more than 30 combined years of diverse experience helping children in our home countries—we have worked as teachers, youth ministers, and social workers. We have gained insight into the lasting physical, psychological, and spiritual impact of physical discipline (some call it abuse).
Therefore, we wish to share with you our philosophy and approach to discipline that we practice here at the Hostel.
Like your school policies, we have high expectations about behavior so as to encourage our girls to develop self-discipline and a strong sense of responsibility, particularly towards their studies. Because of our orientation toward excellence and the wholistic development of each girl, we practice non-violent discipline. We do not beat our girls, nor do we have them perform strenuous exercise.
When a girl misbehaves, we:
1. Talk with her to help her articulate what was the underlying reason or impulse for her misconduct
2. Give her a "punishment" that is a direct consequence of the misbehavior. For example, if a girl is late for a meal, she eats cold food.
3. Give her extra cleaning or gardening duties, in other situations
4. With more frequently repeated misbehaviors, a girl's name is often listed on the notice board for all to see and one of the above consequences given
5. In serious situations, we call the parents in for a conference and clearly state the behavioral expectations. We find that these consequences make a girl think more carefully before she chooses that particular misbehavior again.
With the constant threat of (and their many experiences of beatings) we see:
• how afraid the girls are of their teachers, rather than wishing to emulate them as helpful adult role models
• how afraid they are of failing in school work for fear of punishment, rather than striving to pass their subjects because a good education will help them be productive and self-sufficient citizens in the future
• how afraid they are to use their creativity rather than to enjoy the learning process, to truly understand the subject material, and to expand their minds beyond rote memorization
• how poorly they think of themselves when they are stigmatized in front of their school friends, rather than developing a balanced self-esteem
• how they always look for externalized sources of control, rather than building a strong inner "compass" to tell them right and wrong
• how they hurt from the beatings on the hands for which we have to administer plasters and pain medicine
We wonder how the chronic use of physical discipline:
• distorts or inhibits the "emotional intelligence" of those who give the beatings
• teaches children to beat their future children and students, perpetuating the cycle of violence so evident in modern society all around us
• discourages children from considering teaching for their future profession
We strongly believe that non-violent discipline is more effective and more respectful to the human child. It also:
• strengthens the child's ability to problem solve before action and increases the child's capacity for self-control
• teaches the child to "use words" (appropriately) and critical thinking skills, rather than his/her physical brute force
• encourages the child to communicate his/her concerns, thoughts, and feelings verbally, and in an appropriate manner, to trustworthy adults
• encourages conflict resolution
• teaches that all humans deserve respect and that no one should be treated as "object" and that teachers can be admired and respected rather than feared
• helps children take responsibility for misbehavior and clearly set goals for the desired behavior
Finally, non-violent discipline teaches peace as a way of life.
Out of respect for our program and philosophy we, therefore,
do not give our permission for the use of physical discipline against our girls.
We have shared with you options to help motivate any of our misbehaving girls to change her ways. As always, we wish to know of any academic or behavioral problems promptly so we can address them in a parallel manner here at the Hostel.
We hope these comments communicate clearly our position about discipline—in the Hostel, in schools, and in families. You are most welcome to share this letter with your staff if you think this helpful. Please feel free to contact us if you have further thoughts or questions.
Best Wishes,
Sr. Eliana Sr. Jacqueline Sr. Nilza
gust 2014
These stories will make you weep—with sorrow and joy!
From Sr. Jackie:
Devota's story isn't typical, but it's not all that unusual, either. Some of our girls come from "intact" but poor families. Quite a few have lost one or both parents due to abandonment, parental separation or divorce, mental illness, or death. Some live with one biological parent and a step-parent (which not always is a supportive relationship).
We are encouraging Devota to work hard in her studies because she (and we) know what will happen to her if she doesn't pass her Form II National Examinations. She really, truly needs all of our (including yours') love and support.
My name is Devota. I was born on 1st of July 1998 in Tanzania. I am blessed with three brothers and I'm the only daughter to my parents.
I have one older brother and two younger ones. They all live with various relatives. I live with my uncle and aunt, along with their children, in Songea. My uncle works as a catechist in the parishes.
As far as I remember, my parents were a loving couple working together as farmers and lived very happily in the village. Their wish was that we four children would be educated well, especially me being their only daughter. They always advised me to study hard and to finish my primary schooling, then go for secondary education and to have a good job in my life.
You don't believe what happened to this lovely couple one fine day. As usual my mother went to the farm in the village to harvest the white maize. While she was working, she was attacked by a cruel man who had no mercy on my mother. He dragged her to a faraway place where she was brutally murdered and dismembered. The day went on with no sign of my mother. Meanwhile, my father and I did not know anything. He called me and told me to clean the vessels and the house. After this I went to school as usual. While I was returning from school my aunt had the news of my mother. She told me my uncles wanted to talk to me and to come home soon. I asked, "What? What do they need to talk to me about?" My aunt told me something happened to my mother. I was shocked to hear this. I burst into tears. My aunts were crying. My father arrived home and consoled me saying, "My dear Devota, your mother is no more on this earth today (25th May 2011). She is dead."
The village authority informed the police and the investigation was begun. Close to her body was a sandal of that wicked man and another shoe was close to the river. Finally he was arrested and was put in the prison for some time.
After the funeral, my aunts and uncles advised us not to stay anymore in that village because it would bring us memories of my mother. So after this talk we had to disperse ourselves to one aunt and another, and so forth. So this is how my family was divided. After this we have never come together as a family. I do miss my brothers along with my parents. Well, my father is having another wife. I do visit them sometimes
Although I have food and shelter from my aunt and uncle during holidays, I go to the St. Joseph Hostel and am in the Scholarship program during the school year. I miss my own family very much, especially their love and support.
My relationship is hard with my cousin who is studying with me in the same school and participates in the Scholarship group also. At times her parents (my aunt and uncle) do not treat me so well; everything comes first to her and then secondly to Devota. Sometimes I am like the maid in the family. But I have no other choice left. I do miss my parents when my uncle gets angry and beats me as I had failed my exams this year.
It was the idea of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Chambery to include me also in this Hostel scholarship program so that I can get a chance to study, just like other girls. I'm grateful to them and to the donors of for giving me this golden chance to finish my secondary schooling.
I try my best to do well in my studies (Form II) as I'm an average student. I ask God and you, my dear friends who read my life history, to continue to hold me in your heart.
From Sr. Jackie:
We really are so proud of Elizabeth, and several of our girls who are at the top of their respective classes! Of course, not everyone can place first or second, but we encourage all of our girls to achieve to the best of their abilities. We are very confident that Elizabeth will do well in her Form IV National Examinations. She will need a financial sponsor to continue her studies for college.
"My life as a translator at St. Joseph Hostel"
My name is Elizabeth. I'm 17 years old and I am in Form IV this year. My aim is to explain how I got the experience to speak and to translate the English language.
When I was in primary school, I didn't know how to speak English; I only knew how to introduce myself, but nothing else. But I liked very much to try to speak English. I promised myself that one day I would speak English. I finished my primary education in 2010 and I got a chance to get help from the Sisters of St. Joseph of Chambery. I was so surprised.
I remember in October 2010 when I finished National Exams after grade 7, I began Pre-form I English at St. Joseph Hostel. There the Sisters taught us how to introduce ourselves, how to greet, and many other things in English. Slowly I began to understand some vocabulary words. Although I knew few words, I was so happy to speak a little English.
When I was in Form I, I spoke broken English. When I spoke a wrong word, the Sisters tried to correct me. When I was in Form II, I joined the Debate Club at school. In my class I was the only girl who joined the Club. This was because most of the girls felt very shameful to speak in front of all the students. But I didn't feel shame and I decided to go to try because I understood that "no one is perfect" and "practice makes perfect." My first day to speak in the Debate Club, I spoke many broken English words. The others laughed at me, but I was not disappointed and I tried to practice more and more. I decided to learn new words—at least five words every day. I did this for four months and I began to improve my English.
When I entered Form III, I was able to read, to write and even to translate some English. Also, the Sisters helped me to improve my language skills because they always invited me as a translator when there was a parents' meeting, guests, and even sometimes various papers to translate. When I made a mistake, they would correct me. That's why I know how to speak English.
Even when there are special guests or donors, I am a translator for the parents who usually only know Kiswhahili. I am very happy to know English because, first, it helps me in my studies which are in English. Secondly, it will help me to speak with other people from foreign countries. My future is to become a doctor or an engineer or scientist.
Lastly, I would like to thank the Sisters, donors, and all who work within the Congregation of St. Joseph because, without your help, I wouldn't know how to speak English. I ask God to bless the Congregation and all who are a part of it.
July 2014
In My Next Career, I Will Not Be A Manicurist!
Before the girls left for their home villages in early June for a long school holiday, we Sisters planned some fun activities to conclude Term I. Our last night together we brought out many wild colors of nail polish and gave each girl a manicure with the color of her choice. Some tried to sneak a bottle so as to apply an extra coat of lacquer. You can see the concentration on my face as I tried to brush on, oh so carefully, the deep red colors that the girls seemed to prefer this year. Pressure! Some wild bongo (pop) music was going on in the background as the girls worked off their excess energy with dancing. It was a wonderful evening though becoming a professional manicurist is definitely not in my future!
Since the beginning of the Hostel nine years ago, we were always running short of clean water for drinking and cooking. Finally, we were able to secure funding to build a high tower to house a large water tank. This project was completed in
March 2014. Our contractor assured us that it would be a "small" project, surely to be completed within six weeks. Well, we laughed as it turned into a six month project! (This is like all things Tanzanian.) Nonetheless, before holiday we were preparing for a prayer service of gratitude for the gift of water, the gift of fine workers, and the gift of donors. We gathered the girls for a "photo op" and then …. I huddled with the girls to plan the surprise action. Then 15 seconds of high, high energy as the girls enjoyed the gift of playful water. The girls went wild splashing water on their friends while their friends ran frantically to escape the sprinkling.
After the prayer service on June 28, some of the girls who receive full scholarships and their parents gathered with Sr. Clementina and Sr. Philomena of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Chambery leadership team. This was Sr. Clementina's sixth trip to Tanzania, but Sr. Philomena's first trip. The girls prepared a traditional program to welcome the Sisters, including presenting each with an OFFICIAL St. Joseph Hostel uniform t-shirt—which I'm sure they are wearing at every opportunity all over Rome where the leadership team lives.
Well, it was a glorious long holiday (one month) here at St. Joseph Hostel but it
is time to get back in the saddle and really get serious about those pesky (but so very important!) National Examinations which will be held in October and November. All of the Hostel Sisters are rested and already looking ahead to recruiting the next group of scholarship girls for the 2015 school year. The girls, too, enjoyed their holiday—well, maybe not so much the Form II and IV girls who had extra tutoring at school.
I'm preparing myself for the shrieks that signal reunion when most of the girls return on July 13. Then again, we will have a full house.
We have some very bright girls who are at the top of the classes and many who are of average ability. Every girl here wants a good education. Some have learned how much hard work this takes, while others wish learning didn't require so much self-discipline.
Be in solidarity with them as they struggle with English. Be in solidarity with our girls who are preparing for their National Examinations. Be in solidarity as they cope with the stress and pressure that these Examinations create. Be in solidarity with their parents/guardians who have precious dreams for their daughters. Be in solidarity with all children around our globe who do not have access to decent schools.
Next month I will post two very compelling stories of girls—one who will graduate this year and one who will complete Form II (and we pray continue on to Form III.)
If you would like to learn ways you can help Sister Jackie's girls, contact Pat Milenius at 216.252.0440, or


text:
SCHROON LAKE-Ticonderoga High School Principal Michael Graney is one of two finalists in the search for a new superintendent at the Schroon Lake Central School.
Board of Education President John Armstrong said Wednesday morning, March 23, that board members stayed up late Tuesday night to choose Graney and Oswego Middle School Principal Bonnie Finnerty to head into round three of the interviewing process. They interviewed four candidates earlier in the week.
"These four were a very tough choice for us," Armstrong said, noting that the interviewing process went well this week. "We got input from the community and the teachers."
On Wednesday, March 16, school board members trimmed their candidate pool down to four after interviewing nine applicants over three days during round one, March 14-16, according to School Board Clerk Lisa DeZalia, who is also the superintendent's secretary.
During round two, the final four candidates were interviewed again March 21 and 22 by board members and two panels of stakeholders.
Armstrong said March 18 the board members had been "very pleased" with the quality of applicants so far, and said he was looking forward to round two.
"Our goal in round two is to spend a lot of time with them," Armstrong said. "We really want to get to know these four very seriously. We've got four very, very good candidates."
On March 21 and 22, the four superintendent candidates spent a day in Schroon Lake, from noon to about 9 p.m., with two people interviewed each day. They started out by having lunch with a couple of school board members at local restaurants, then headed to the school, where they were interviewed separately by two panels: a three-member group of teachers and a five-member group consisting of two community members, two support staffers, and one student representative. Those interviews were held from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. and again from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. The applicants then met at 6 p.m. with the school board for interviews.
(Continued on Next Page)
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