Making the Case for Employee Development

"There is no achievement without goals”
Robert J. Mckain
Noe (2010) distinguishes the differences between employee training and employee development:“Development is future oriented, it involves learning that is not necessarily related to the employee’s current job” and “training is focused on helping improve employees jobs” (p. 347). Development is the function that helps individuals grow and prepare for job advancement/growth or even those jobs that currently do not exist within the organization.

Development refers to formal education, job experiences, relationships, and assessments of personalities and abilities that help employees perform effectively in their current or future job and company (Noe; 2010, p. 346). I now have some formal education to be an instructional designer; it is future development that will help me be an effective instructional designer.

For this week's assignment I am to develop my own development plan. I think this is good timing as I am coming to the end of my pursuit of my Master’s Degree in Instructional Design and Technology and my desire to apply that knowledge.

I believe development is a lifelong, ongoing process. Below is my development plan to help me begin to achieve my goals as an instructional designer.

Type of Development	Action Plan	Rationale
Formal Education – Noe (2010) describes formal education programs to “include off-site and on-site programs designed specifically for the company’s employees, short courses offered by consultants or universities, executive MBA programs, and university programs…” (p. 350).	Attend company Studor workshops semi-annually. Attend workshops and conferences related to training and education (i.e. ASTD workshops, Sloan Consortium Workshops)	The Studor workshops are held off-site and are leadership development programs specifically designed to develop leadership skills within my organization. Participation in these workshops will improve management skills and further develop an understanding of the organization’s mission. Through attendance at workshops and conferences there is the ability to network and identify best practices in developing educational programs. Gain expertise in the instructional design process, as well as future trends in organizational training and development.
Benchmarks – Method of measuring management performance/effectiveness	Develop benchmarks for achieving departmental goals for the upcoming year that align with the company’s overall organizational goals	Benchmarks support growth. I actually view benchmarks as personal development plans. Through benchmarking I am identifying goals and objectives to be met that will improve not only my overall performance, but also my department. The success of these goals/objectives are determined and reviewed by others and aligned with the organization’s overall goals.
Job Enlargement – Increasing responsibility or level of difficulty to one’s job. Job enlargement is beneficial to both the employee and employer. Through job enlargement employees are able to take on tasks that are beneficial to the organization. This gives the employee the ability to show their level of ability and apply skills/knowledge not normally demonstrated.	Implement a training program that can be used system-wide (i.e. Time Management program).	Time management is something many employees within the organization struggle with. A recent employee survey identified a desire for a Time Management Program. Developing a new system-wide program from the beginning would be a new initiative for me and help me to achieve my goal of expanding my department’s role in staff education. This is also a critical issue for the organization as we struggle to become more “Lean” and do more with less.
Temporary Assignments, Projects and Volunteer Work – “Employee exchange is one example of temporary assignments in which two companies agree to exchange employees” (p. 370).	Work with the LMH/Regis College School of Nursing to implement an online learning orientation Continue to participate in the LMH/Regis College School of Nursing Technology Task Force	My participation with the school of nursing is not necessarily an exchange between two companies; it is an exchange between two different industries. Both of these initiatives will allow me exposure to the academic setting. My organization has a direct link with an educational institutional and working within the academic setting helps me to better prepare future training within the organizational setting.

References:

http://www.great-quotes-on-life.com/personal-development.html
Noe, R. A. (2010). Employee Training and development (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

PowerPoint Presentation:Making the Case for Employee Development

High tech training: Five technologies used in training

“Several surveys of company training practices suggest that although face-to-face classroom instruction is used by almost all companies, new technologies are gaining in popularity” (Noe, 2010, p. 296).

I doubt that technology will completely replace classroom training, but it will certainly be instrumental in the training process. As Noe (2010) states “Technology has allowed learning to become more dynamic” (p. 299). Through this writing I will look at five technologies or technological advancements used in training and explain the impact they have and will continue to have on how people learn and interact, and the implications for this training.

Multimedia
Multimedia uses different media technologies in training. These audiovisual technologies are used in conjunction with computer-based training. In addition to the computer based training, other multimedia technologies include: CD-Rom, the internet, video, virtual reality, simulations. Multimedia usually allows learner interaction and includes text, graphics, video, and audio. For example, an instructor presenting a PowerPoint presentation can include multimedia during their presentation by showing video clips from YouTube or if the presentation was to be delivered on a CD it could include narration of the presentation. PowerPoint presentations can also incorporate test quizzes which will require student interaction; games such as Jeopardy can also be included in a PowerPoint to facilitate learner interaction. Multimedia can be used in both instructor-led training and online learning. A great multimedia resource to include in the learning process is YouTube.com. However, prior to using you should review the video clip for accuracy and validity as a lot of the video clips are done by amateurs. In addition, trainers can create their own short video clips to incorporate into training. The use of multimedia will continue to allow learners to be creative and involved in the learning process by creating their own podcasts or viewing demonstrations/explanations relevant to their learning content. Multimedia allows educators the ability to develop and share content with one another. This could help develop content that is shared by all districts to provide quality, consistent education countrywide. Some additional advantages of multimedia are included in the topics below as they are forms of multimedia (i.e. simulation).

Resources: www.YouTube.com; www.TeacherTube.com

Blended Learning
Blended or hybrid learning is a combination of online learning with face-to-face instruction, as well as other instructional methods. While there is a more positive reaction from learners in the face-to-face environment, blended learning is more effective for motivating trainees to learn (Noe, 2010, p. 317). Blended learning can be utilized to provide a lot of the didactic online at the leisure of the learner; then bring the group together to demonstrate the knowledge or further enhance the learning process through group activities/discussion. For example the American Heart Association uses blended learning for the CPR , Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Pediatric Life Support Classes. Students do the didactic and written testing online, then they go to a training center to demonstrate skills. The benefit of this is a substantial saving in training costs for the organization and all students receive the same message on proper life saving techniques. I think blended learning will be the most utilized method of training (at least for now) because it will help to reduce training costs, but continue to satisfy learner needs. However, as the younger generation grows they will be more comfortable with total online learning and technologies that maybe it will become obsolete. Only time will tell.

Resource: http://www.onlineaha.org/

Simulations
Simulation is a great training method where you can expose the learner to difficult situations. In a simulation, the learner can make decisions in a risk-free environment. Simulations emulate real life experiences/work environments, making the learning experience meaningful and realistic. There are various types of simulation: 1) Branching story – Trainees are presented with a situation, provide a solution and simulate progress based on their decisions; 2) Interactive Spreadsheet – Trainees need to make business decisions that will affect the business and the impact of decision-making is tracked and monitored through a spreadsheet; 3) Game-based simulation – Trainees play a video game on the computer, and 4) Virtual lab – Trainees interact with a computer representation of the job for which they are being trained (Noe, 2010, p. 318). I think simulations will continue to be an important part of training. They engage the learner, enhance the learning process and provide risk-free learning. It also allows the learner to relate to the learning from a real world experience which is far more meaningful. Simulations can also be used to enhance classroom training.

Resource: http://www.laerdal.com/us/doc/85/SimMan-3G?gclid=CNy-s461kq4CFeIQNAodOUoSLA#/comparison

Distance Learning
Distance learning allows training to be delivered to wide geographic areas and it can asynchronous or asynchronous. Distance Learning can include virtual classrooms that allow the projection of images, discussions between the learners and trainers, whiteboards, polling interaction, and sharing of software applications (Noe, 2010, p. 325). Interaction between students may occur through the use of discussion boards, blogs, email, and teleconferencing. Training may be delivered through the use of course management systems such as Moodle or Blackboard/ Simonson, Sandino, Albright and Vice (2009) state “the learning environment of the future encourages collaboration without the limitations inherent in the self-contained classroom” (p. 23). Distance learning will grow in popularity with not only educational institutions, but organizations as well. Distance learning allows for worldwide collaboration. In academia, it allows educational opportunities to be more accessible to remote areas, as well as learners from other countries. From an organizational standpoint, it is a cost effective way to deliver training 24/7 to multiple locations and promote/encourage an environment of lifelong learning.

References: www.moodle.com; www.blackboard.com

Mobile Learning
Park (2011) describes mobile learning (M learning) as “the use of mobile or wireless devices for the purpose of learning while on the move” (p. 79). Mobile learning uses various handheld devices such as cell phones, smartphones, PDAs, handheld computers, tablet pcs (IPad, Android, etc.), and personal media players. The biggest advantages of mobile learning are portability and accessibility. Mobile learning is viewed as an extension of e-learning and contributes to the learner having control over their learning. Through M learning students can access textbooks electronically, conduct research instantly, and collaborate through live chat. While there are limitations to m-learning, I think we will see this method of training advance in popularity. According to Wentworth and Green, “85% of companies provide mobile devices to at least some of their workforce” and “65% of employers are either using, considering, or currently developing learning for mobile devices” (p. 25).

References:

Noe, R. A. (2010). Employee Training and development (5th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Park, Y. (2011, 02). A pedagogical framework for mobile learning: Categorizing educational applications for mobile technologies into four types. International review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 12(2), 79-102. Retrieved 02 10, 2012, from EBSCOhost

Simonson, M. S. (2009). Teaching and learning at a distance: Foundations of distance education (4TH ed.). Boston, MA, USA: Pearson.

Wentworth, D. & Green, M. (2011, July). Mobile learning: Anyplace, Anytime. T & D, 25.