6N3326: Training is One of the Most Profitable Investments an Organization: Training Delivery and Evaluation Assignment, OU

Assignment Questions:

Exercise 1: The Training Cycle

Training is one of the most profitable investments an organization can make. No matter what business or industry you are in the steps for an effective training process are the same and maybe adapted anywhere.

If you have ever thought about developing a training program within your organization consider the following four basic training steps. You will find that all four of these steps are mutually necessary for any training program to be effective and efficient.

EXERCISE:

1. What is the most important of the four stages, and why?
2. Learners thought the course workbook needed to be a lot more comprehensive with practical examples. What part of the training cycle would you address this in?
3. Your learners loved the course, but complain they won’t have the opportunity to put the learning to use in the workplace. What part of the training cycle would you address this in?

Exercise 2: The Characteristics of Adult Learning

1. Self-direction

Adults feel the need to take responsibility for their lives and decisions and this is why it’s important for them to have control over their learning. Therefore, self-assessment, a peer relationship with the instructor, multiple options, and initial, yet subtle support are all imperative.

2. Practical and results-oriented

Adult learners are usually practical, resent theory, need information that can be immediately applicable to their professional needs, and generally prefer practical knowledge that will improve their skills, facilitate their work and boost their confidence. This is why it’s important to create a course that will cover their individual needs and have more utilitarian content.

3. Less open-minded…and therefore more resistant to change.

Maturity and profound life experiences usually lead to rigidity, which is the enemy of learning. Thus, instructional designers need to provide the “why” behind the change, new concepts that can be linked to already established ones, and promote the need to explore.

EXERCISE:

1. What part of the training cycle would you identify these characteristics in?
2. For your own training, are any of these impacting training effectiveness?
3. Are there organizational factors that you could work to improve? Do learners understand why training is important (motivation)? Do their existing responsibilities interfere with training? Trainers cannot work in isolation, and should always engage with other areas of the organization to highlight the need for and value of their training.

Exercise 3: Kolb’s Learning Cycle

Kolb’s Learning Cycle is a well-known theory that argues we learn from our experiences of life, even on an everyday basis. It also treats reflection as an integral part of such learning. According to Kolb (1984), the process of learning follows a pattern or cycle consisting of four stages, one of which involves what Kolb refers to as ‘reflective observation’. The stages are illustrated and summarized below:

EXERCISE:

1. How much of this was new to you?
2. What two points will you take away from Kolb’s Learning Cycle?
3. Why do you consider those two aspects significant?
4. Does your training make use of Kolb? Are learners allowed to have the experience (hands-on exercises), get it wrong, think about how they might improve, and then try those improvements out?
5. If your training can’t allow this (for logistics or safety reasons) can you simulate the effect somehow? Stories, videos, or roleplays might be useful here.

Exercise 4: Honey & Mumford – the 4 learning styles

Peter Honey and Alan Mumford maintained that by identifying your preferred style, you could try and apply it to learning new things. Most of us have elements of more than one learning style, so you should think about your strongest and your weakest style to identify how you learn. If you’re able to use your natural style, you’re likely to find learning much easier and quicker. The four categories Honey and Mumford identified are: ACTIVISTS; REFLECTORS; THEORISTS; PRAGMATISTS;

Activists like to be involved in new experiences, tend to be open-minded and enthusiastic about new ideas but get bored with actual implementation. They do, however, enjoy getting their sleeves rolled up and doing things. They can be impulsive, tending to act first, and consider the consequences afterward. Activists enjoy working in teams but do tend to hog the limelight.

Reflectors prefer to stand back and look at a situation from varying perspectives. They like to collect a variety of information and views and consider everything thoroughly before coming to any conclusions or making decisions. They enjoy observing others and will listen to their views before joining in and offering their own.

Theorists like to adapt and integrate observations into complex and logically sound theories, thinking problems through with a precise step-by-step methodology. They can be perfectionists who like to fit things into a rational scheme, being objective and analytical rather than subjective or emotive in their thought processes.

Pragmatists are keen to try things out. They want concepts that can be applied to their job. They tend to be impatient with lengthy, abstract discussions and are practical and down to earth.

EXERCISE:

1. Complete the Honey and Mumford questionnaire that has been provided to you, and note your scores for each of the four categories.
2. Do you think your scores reflect your training style?
3. If you scored high on Theorist and Reflector, your training might be heavy and theory teaching and subsequent discussion.
4. If you scored high on Activist, your training likely contains lots of hands-on content.
5. Use your results to ensure you don’t neglect a particular training style when you develop course content – remember you will always have a mix of learning styles in your training.