Multimedia training for child protective service workers: initial test results

SUMMARY Child protective service agencies are showing increasing interest in computer based training due to factors such as deskil-ling of worker tasks, high turnover, and court orders to improve worker performance. Recent developments in computer-based multimedia offer new potential for computer based training. This article describes a child protective services case simulation and the results of preliminary testing. Fourteen users with a variety of experience responded very favorably to the design and learning that occurred by working the simulated case. Issues concern the lack of informal guidance while working the simulated case and the need to tailor the complexity of the simulation to ffae intended audience.