Reflective dialogue for on-the-job training in emergency services

A challenge to on-the-job training is to fmd creative ways for integrating training within the context of human activity at the work practice. This challenge is
addressed in a case study in the emergency services. Emergency workers learn mainly experientially from their every day work practices. Mobile technologies have
brought major changes in emergency services practices, and may provide new ways for on-the-job training.

The thesis examines a new way for combining mobile technology with on-thejob training to provide activity-based dialogue for reflection. This research has
developed a new framework for personalised on-the-job reflective mobile learning (PORML), illustrated in fire risk assessment. The framework is underpinned by
Activity Theory, and uses a location-based context and risk assessment (RA) domain ontology to provide a personalised dialogue to collect information about risk assessment activity the user has performed.

A prototype is implemented to validate the framework. An evaluation study has been conducted with firefighters at Avon FRS, Bristol, UK. The study has shown that the prototype can be applied to the FRS work practice as a part of training or as supplementing existing training. It could be used mainly in debrief session after an incident has been completed.