Making The Case For Employee Development

Personal Development Plan

Personal Development Plan

In my current job assignment, I serve as an Intern for an Instructional Design Specialist program. This two-year program focuses training individuals on various aspects of teaching, evaluating, and designing curriculum for military learners.  Each Intern is given an Individual Development Plan (IDP) as a guide for tracking scheduled training.   According to Noe, there are four approaches used to develop employees:  formal education, assessment, job experience, and interpersonal relationships.  While some of these approaches have been incorporated in my professional development, others have not.  My assessment of my current professional development (along with recommended changes if needed) is as follows:

            Formal education. Per my IDP, I’m required to complete 24 post-baccalaureate semester hours in addition to an extensive list of formal military courses and in house development programs.  This is an excellent tool to encourage employee retention and potential.  As a result of the extensive training, I’m afforded the opportunity to acquire many marketable skills that positions me to be eligible for employment in numerous organizational departments.   I recommend no changes to formal education. 

          Assessment.  Assessment involves collecting information and providing feedback to employees about their behavior, communication style, values, or skills (Noe, 2010).  While my IDP has projected dates and timelines for my scheduled training, I receive little to no feedback on my progress or milestones achieved.  Furthermore, I do not receive periodic assessments or evaluations.  Along with assessment information, employees need suggestions for correcting skill weaknesses and using skills already learned (Noe, 2010).    In order to make assessments more effective, I recommend more oversight and supervision of individuals participating in the intern program.  I also recommend the enforcement of quarterly assessments to ensure track my progress.

         Job experiences.  Job experiences refer to relationships, problems, demands, tasks, or other features that employees face in their jobs (Noe, 2010).  My IDP requires me to rotate to various departments for on-the-job training.  This is an excellent strategy for improving my functional and operational knowledge of each department.  Additionally, it affords me valuable networking time in order to position myself for upcoming vacancies or positions.  I recommend no changes to job experiences.

         Interpersonal Relationships.  Mentoring and coaching are two types of interpersonal relationships used to develop employees.  Mentors are experienced, productive senior employees who help develop a less experience employee.  A coach is a peer or manager who works with employees to motivate them, help them develop skills, and provide reinforcement and feedback (Noe, 2010). I currently have no assigned coach or mentor.  Because interns frequently travel independently of each other, we don’t see each other on a regular basis.  This, combined with a lack of general supervision and communication, makes the intern experience seem like a disjointed process.  As a result, a lot of double work happens.  Nothing is more de-motivating than having to repeat the same task twice due to lack of information.  My recommendation is to incorporate a mentoring program in which former interns mentor are paired with new interns.  I also recommend mandatory supervisory meetings at least once or twice monthly.  The meetings would provide an opportunity for the supervisor to properly communicate with and also coach interns. 

In closing, I’d like to add that the intern program has provided an awesome opportunity for me to improve my professional and personal resume.  It is designed and structured to make each individual’s experience enriching and valuable.  If my recommendations are incorporated, I’m confident that future interns will have a more positive experience.  Thanks for reading.

Noe, R. A. (2010). Employee Training and Development. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Technological advances

 The evolution of technology has made a significant impact on life as we know it.  Specifically, it has changed instructional strategies for teaching.  In this entry will discuss five examples of technological advances in training and impacts resulting from them.   

1.       Smart phones.  Newly developed software applications have empowered cellular telephones to become powerful tools not only for personal use, but business initiatives as well.  IBM partnered with Columbia University to learn how mobile phones are used and how they affect employee performance for 400 employees.  From the study conducted, IBM learned information that will reshape their training strategies for employees.  The corporation found that nearly all of the employees used their mobile phones for in-field performance from colleagues and access to late-breaking information.  It also found that the use of mobile phones increased employees’ ability to locate others quickly in time of need.  As a result, employee confidence level and self-perception of job performance improved (Ahmad & Orton, 2010).

The survey findings have encouraged IBM to incorporate “just-in-time” performance support systems with tremendous future impact.  As a result of this initiative, IBM’s executive sellers will have access to critical information that is useful for client meetings.   The support systems will also remind new hires about relevant learning opportunities (Ahmad & Orton, 2010).

2.       Augmented Reality (AR).  AR’s allow users to see the real world, with virtual objects superimposed upon or composited with the real world.  As pictured above, a three-dimensional virtual image is superimposed onto a real-world object or environment.   As a result, the viewer has the ability to merge his/her physical environment to a predesigned virtual environment.  The significance of AR is the fact that it can superimpose a virtual overlay of data and experiences onto a real-world context.  Moreover, it is very useful in the area of training and development.  AR can be great for discovery-based learning, allowing students to be creative, take risks, and make mistakes without consequences.  In the workplace, ARs can be used to provide interactive visual instruction thereby enhancing employee performance (Thorton, Ernst, & Clark, May/June 2012).

Future impacts of AR’s are limitless and could potentially result in an endless number of applications for users and designers.  AR can be incorporated into a variety of technologies, ranging from head-mounted displays to simple mobile devices (Thorton, Ernst, & Clark, May/June 2012). 

3.       Interactive video.  With interactive videos, instruction is provided one-on-one to trainees via a monitor connected to a keyboard.  Trainees use the keyboard or touch the monitor to interact with the program.  Interactive video is used to teach technical procedures and interpersonal skills (Noe, 2010).   It provides dual functions of providing video pictures and computer-assisted instruction.   The computer controls all the normal functions of the video machine like play, fast forward, rewind, still frame, search etc  (Sen, 2011).   Current implications of interactive video include the following:

a.       Training is individualized.

b.      Employees receive immediate feedback.

c.       Training is accessible on a 24-hour basis regardless of employees’ work schedules (Noe,

As technology and Internet connections improve, the quality of sound and picture should also improve, and the time delays and echo should be minimized. Thorough planning, flexibility in teaching and thoughtful reflection on teaching and learning are necessary in this video-conference environment (Riley, 2009).

4.    Online learning.  Online learning includes Web-based training, distance learning, and virtual classrooms.   In online learning it is possible to enable learners to interact with the training content and other learners and decide how they want to learn.   Training can be delivered faster and to more employees in a shorter period of time.  Online learning may facilitate greater social interaction between trainees than face-to-face learning methods because other trainees are equally accessible or more accessible than the instructor and there are more methods available that allow learners to interact, such as e-mail, group projects, white boards, wiki documents, and chat rooms (Noe, 2010).

5.       Simulations.  Simulations refer to a training method that represents a real-life situation, with trainees’ resulting in outcomes that mirror what would happen if they were on the job.  Simulators are meaningful because they get trainees involved in learning, and they are emotionally engaging.  This increases employees’ willingness to practice, encourages retention, and improves their skills.  Simulations can safely put employees in situations that would be dangerous in the real world (Noe, 2010).

In the future, simulations can contribute to conceptual change; provide open-ended experiences for students; provide tools for scientific inquiry; and problem solving experiences.

In conclusion, technological advancements have enhanced life as we know it.   Their inclusion in training programs will continue to add value to and enrich learning experiences of trainees.

Ahmad, N., & Orton, P. (2010). Smartphones make IBM smarter, but not as expected. Training and Development , 47-50. Retrieved from the Academic Search Complete database

Noe, R. A. (2010). Employee Training and Development. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Riley, P. (2009). Video-conferenced music teaching: challenges and progress. Music Education Research , 365-375. Retrieved from the Academic Search Complete database

Sen, V. (2011). What is the Advantage and Disadvantage of Interactive Video? . Retrieved June 6, 2012, from Preserve Articles: http://www.preservearticles.com/

Thorton, T., Ernst, J. V., & Clark, A. C. (May/June 2012). Augmented Reality as a visual and spatial learning tool in technology education. Technology and Engineering Teacher , 18-21. Retrieved from the Academic Search Complete database

Planning a Needs Assessment

Whole Foods Market is a global grocery store chain and an organization of interest for a needs assessment.  Started in 1980, the chain is a world leader in natural and organic foods, with 62,000 employees in over 330 locations throughout North America, the United Kingdom, and Canada. The locations include retail stores, distribution centers, bake houses, commissary kitchens, seafood processing facilities, a coffee roasting operation, and global and regional support offices.  In addition to “in-store educators” and team trainers, Whole Foods Market has regional trainers who are responsible for orientation and training of all new and existing team members. (Whole Foods, 2012)

Prior to conducting a needs assessment, I would make contact with regional trainers, regional team leaders, store team leaders and facility leaders to ensure that I received collaborative input.  In the meeting, I would inquire about current training programs as they relate to the overall organizational strategic direction.  This would allow me to determine if training is supporting the strategic goals.  In order to obtain this information, I would ask the following questions:

·    How might the training content affect our employees’ relationship with our customers?

·    How does this program align with the strategic needs of the business?

·    Do we have experts who can help us develop the program content and ensure that we understand the needs of the business as we develop the program?

·    Will employees perceive the training as an opportunity? Reward? Punishment? Waste of time? (Noe, 2010)

Throughout Whole Foods Market various learning techniques are utilized for training, including personal one-on-one, group, video, computer-based and printed study materials (Whole Foods Market, 2012).  Along those lines, I would ask to see lesson plans, training manuals, training records.   The size of Whole Foods organization and its vast locations demand that I employ various methods in order to gather information.  The following techniques would be used:  questionnaires, interviews, observations, focus groups and online technology.   

Noe, R. (2010). Employee training and development. (Fifth ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. 

          Whole foods market. (2012). Retrieved from    http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/careers/paths.php

Elevator Speech

Elevator Speech

Your insight to training within your organization is quite interesting.  Incorporating training into the organizational environment is a worthwhile investment strategy. According to Noe, training can help a company to gain competitive advantage.  I invite you to consider the following aspects of business that are affected by training:  investors, employees, and customers. 

1.      For investors, training demonstrates a commitment to your organization’s mission because it involves developing marketable skills that will help to generate more income.  More skillfully trained employees influence the amount and degree of competitiveness of organizational products.

2.      For employees, training demonstrates a commitment to including them in the company’s vision.  This, in turn reaffirms the employees’ confidence and encourages loyalty to the organization.  Top management believes that the largest benefit of learning is that employees have opportunities to network, creating more knowledge, reinforcing continuous learning, and creating committed employees (Noe, 2010).

3.       For customers, training and development activities demonstrate the organization’s commitment to producing quality products.

Thanks for your time.

Noe. (R.). Employee training and development. (Fifth ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Reflections

During the Learning Theories class, the course examined various aspects of the foundations for learning strategies.  I was struck by the extensiveness and thoroughness of the study of learning.  According to Dr. Ormrod, psychology has been studying learning for more than 100 years (Ormrod, 2001).  I found it interesting that the psychological approach to learning evolved from how a person thinks to how a person learns (Ormrod, 2001).  Particularly noteworthy is the study of the brain’s information processing capabilities.  Information processing involves cognitive processes and has been influenced by advances in communications and computer technology (Laureate Education, 2008). 

With each passing week, I found myself reflecting on past learning experiences and how instructional practices have evolved.   With each theory presented, I was able to think back to an educational experience directly correlating to it.   For example, I can remember that during my elementary school days, corporal punishment was fully in effect.  Those students who chose not to follow instructions or display disruptive behavior were paddled by the Principal.  I quickly learned to stay on task and do the class work assigned.  This educational experience is called negative reinforcement and is referenced in the behaviorism learning theory, which is concerned with observable and measurable aspects of human behavior.  Negative reinforcement increases the probability of a response that removes or prevents an adverse condition (Standridge, 2002).   

I found that connecting my experiences to the theories gave me a deeper understanding and better appreciation for the learning process/theory.  Such is the case with adult learning theories, which I found to be especially interesting as well.   In addition to being an adult facilitator, I’m also an adult student.  As a result, the resource materials were very relevant to me and I stored them in my “toolkit of resources.”  Andragogy, the art and science of helping adults learn, was developed by Malcom Knowles.  He described an adult learner as someone who:

  *Has an independent self-concept and who can direct his or her own learning.

  *Has accumulated a reservoir of life experiences that is a rich resource for learning.

  *Has learning needs closely related to changing social roles.

  *Is problem-centered and interested in immediate application of knowledge.

  *Is motivated to learn by internal rather than external factors (Conlan, Grabowski, & Smith, 2003).

As an adult learner I certainly identified with these descriptions.  As a facilitator, it is important that I remember these descriptions as I instructor other adult learners.

I have learned that through the use of various learning theories, educational technology applications are used to complement learning styles.  Social constructivism is a prime example. Within the precepts of social constructivism, knowledge is constructed based on personal experiences and hypotheses of the environment. Learners continuously test these hypotheses through social negotiation.  Each person has a different interpretation and construction of knowledge process. The learner is not a blank slate (tabula rasa) but brings past experiences and cultural factors to a situation (Learning Theories Knowledgebase, 2011).   With the introduction of social mediums such as on-line discussion boards, facebook, web blogs, Youtube, and cell phones, learners are able to use any type of learning style to engage in information sharing and also entertainment.  As a result, the learning process is reinforced through social constructivism.

            Reinforcing social constructivism through the use of technological applications, in turn, is a source of motivation for learners. There are four dimensions of motivation that are derived from synthesis of research on human motivation: (A) – attention, ( R ) – relevance, (C) – confidence, and (S) – satisfaction, or ARCS (Keller, 1999).   Hence, motivation of learners enhances the learning environment and in the process, reinforces the social constructivism learning theory.

In closing, the Learning Theories course has heightened my awareness about various learning theories.  As a result, I have a better understanding of learning styles and can incorporate strategies to help students learn more efficiently. I’ve been armed with numerous resources that will enable me to be more effective and productive in my position as an Instructional Design Specialist.

References

Conlan, J., Grabowski, S., & Smith, K. (2003). Adult Learning: From Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching and Technology. Retrieved January 31, 2011, from Department of Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology, University of Georgia: http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Adult_Learning

Keller, J. M. (1999). Using the ARCS Motivational Process in Computer-Based Instruction and Distance Education. New Directions for Teaching and Learning , pp. 39-47.

Laureate Education, I. (2008). Learning Theories and Instruction. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Custom Publishing.

Learning Theories Knowledgebase (2011, February). Constructivism at Learning-Theories.com. Retrieved February 12th, 2011 from http://www.learning-theories.com/constructivism.html

Lieb, S. (1991). Principles of Adult Learning. Retrieved February 16, 2011, from Faculty Development at Honolulu Community College: http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/adults-2.htm

Morrison, G. R., Moss, S. M., Kalman, H. K., & Kemp, J. E. (2001). Designing Effective Instruction, 6th Edition. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Ormrod, J. (2001). An Introduction to Learning.

Ormrod, J. (2009). Motivation in Learning.

Standridge, M. (2002). From Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching and Technology. Retrieved January 19, 2011, from Department of Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology, University of Georgia: http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Behaviorism

Fitting the Pieces Together

I have become more aware of various learning theories, beliefs, and learning strategies.  As a result, I have a deeper understanding of the dimensions of learning theories and I’m better equipped to perform my job as an Instructional Design Specialist.   Additionally, the course curriculum has given me the opportunity view education in a broader perspective.

I’ve also realized that my learning and teaching strategies closely resemble learning associated with social constructivism, connectivism, and adult learning theories.  Under the Social Constructivism Theory, learning is viewed as a social interaction that leads to increased knowledge.  Meaningful learning occurs when individuals are engaged in social activities (Kim, 2001).  From a learning perspective in an on-line environment, I’ve learned quite a bit through posting assignments and thread discussions.  From a teaching perspective, I constantly seek opportunities to incorporate activities that encourage individuals to learn from each other.

Under Connectivism, new information is continually being acquired and as well as the ability to draw distinctions (Davis, Edmunds, & Kelly-Bateman).  When I’m learning situations, I tend to draw from prior knowledge in an effort to gain a better understanding.   Once I have a good grasp of information, I position myself to share the information with others.   A teaching strategy that I often use is that I attempt to help students make a connection between the information presented and something known.  This gives learners a foundation for learning and understanding.

Adult learners place themselves in a learning environment for life-changing events.  The following affects their learning experience:  life experience, work experience, positive/negative previous adult learning experiences, and aging factors (Conlan, Grabowski, & Smith, 2003).  As a result, adult learners are different from traditional college students.  Confucius stated “Tell me, and I will forget.  Show me, and I may remember. Involve me, and I will understand (Conlan, Grabowski, & Smith, 2003).”   I’ve come to love this statement because it describes me and my approach to learning information.

During week 1, I referred to myself as a digital immigrant.  I also stated that although I’m able to maneuver through computer applications and multi-task, I don’t actively seek out new technological innovations and/or applications.   However, my attitude has slowly changing.  As a result of this class, I’ve learned about blogs and the networking opportunities that come along with them.  Also, I’ve learned that the Youtube website can be used for more than merely entertainment purposes.

Conlan, J., Grabowski, S., & Smith, K. (2003). Adult Learning: From Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching and Technology. Retrieved January 31, 2011, from Department of Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology, University of Georgia: http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Adult_Learning

Davis, C., Edmunds, E., & Kelly-Bateman, V. (n.d.). Connectivism: From Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching, and Technology. Retrieved January 31, 2011, from Department of Educational Psychology and Instructional Technology, University of Georgia: http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Connectivism

Kim, B. (2001). Social Constructivism: From Emerging Perspectives on Learning, Teaching and Technology. Retrieved January 24, 2011, from The University of Georgia: http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Social_Constructivism