Join the Discussion: T & D, HPI and Social Justice

Posted on January 16, 2012 by

Welcome back -

Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, a federal holiday in the United States; the university is, of course, closed. To honor Dr. King, I’d like to begin a conversation about the role of Training & Development (T&D) and Human Performance Improvement (HPI) in helping to turn around the economy and in helping people to develop new practical skills or to improve their existing skills. The New York Times is running a series of articles on the theme of ‘Learn to Earn’ or vocational training. If you would like to participate in the conversation, please read the article available at the following link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/business/states-pay-to-train-workers-to-companies-benefit.html

After reading the article, and perhaps viewing any accompanying videos, add your thoughts about how our field could improve the work that is being done. What makes a job training program work? What could be done to improve what is going on?  If possible, give not just your personal opinion but also provide data to support your viewpoint.  I am looking forward to engaging with you on this very important topic.

The Ground Rules:  Though there are clearly political—and politically fiscal/tax—implications to job training programs and their funding, let’s refrain from addressing them and keep the focus on T&D and HPI as contributors to this endeavor.  Remember, social justice is 24-7.

Vince Cyboran, Ed.D.
Associate Professor,
Graduate Program in Training and Development

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CCASTD is looking for volunteers

Posted on January 11, 2012 by

 

E-Learning Instructional Designers – Storyboard production

Looking for volunteers to create storyboards for e-learning. The need is for volunteers to develop 2 storyboards/lessons each. Lesson themes, learning goals, storyboard templates and an on-line volunteer support forum are all provided. New groups start each month. The approximate time commitment is 30-40 hours over a 3-month period. If interested, please visit www.e-learningforkids.org and download the volunteer registration form. E-mail the form to Jenna at jderies@e-learningforkids.org. Please copy ccastd.community@gmail.com on your email to Jenna.

About e-Learning for Kids: e-Learning for Kids a global non-profit foundation, depends on learning professionals like yourself to continue to grow the 175+ basic skills curriculum by providing new best-in-class, highly engaging and interactive FREE e-Learning courses for children ages 5-12 around the world. Courses help students build and strengthen skills in Math, Language Arts, Science, Computers, Health/Life Skills and the English language.

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Are you ready to train online in 2012?

Posted on January 11, 2012 by

Start the New Year right- sign up for a complimentary Webinar! The following free Webinars are being offered in January:

Learning Technologies: Transforming your Workforce

3 Steps to Virtual Training

Click on the “News and Events” page to register.

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Why You Belong in the New E-Learning Course Development & Delivery Class

Posted on October 28, 2011 by

Guest Blogger: Daniel Harbecke

To prepare future trainers for the e-Learning revolution, Roosevelt University is pleased to offer its latest cutting-edge course in technology: TRDV 453 E-Learning Course Development & Delivery.

Designed to be an in-depth introduction to the tools and techniques of the e-Learning trade, TRDV 453 will teach students not only how to use the technology, but which software is the best fit for the project. You’ll learn how to create an e-Learning prototype from top to bottom in a self-paced study, becoming familiar with how to get the job done while avoiding the hidden pitfalls.  Best of all, you’ll get training on the e-Learning Guild’s top-ranked software package: Adobe Captivate. Continue reading →

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A Change in the Assessment Deliverable?

Posted on October 10, 2011 by

Guest Blogger: Barbara Klein

Writing assessments is one of the more labor-intensive work components inherent in the role of instructional and curriculum design. At the same time, it is most rewarding when this deliverable is in place and aligned to content, objectives, and the larger purpose of student learning.

There are several assessment types, such as:

  • Pre-assessments, to determine a learner’s current knowledge on key concepts and skills;
  • Formative assessments, which typically check in on learning progress and provide feedback to the learners at prescribed points within the course; or
  • Summative assessments, which is usually administered at the conclusion of a course, especially one that requires testing quantitative knowledge of the learners, typically without feedback.

I say “typically without feedback” because a recent article from the Memory Lab at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri identifies that a change is in order. Their findings, related to information recall, indicate that “Quizzes with feedback delayed until the end of the assessment gave better results than those with feedback after each question.” The article and its resources show that assessments which provide feedback get better learner end results than those which do not. Continue reading →

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Ten Ways to Build your Learning Organization through Self-Directed Learning

Posted on October 4, 2011 by

Guest Blogger: Juergen Juffa

Self-directed learners are the critical mass of today’s successful learning organizations.  Compared to traditional training, self-directed learning has more focus, higher flexibility, lower cost and a greater rate of translating learning into performance.  Considering rapidly-changing business environments, dwindling half-lives of knowledge and reduced training budgets, these attributes become even more relevant.

Here are ten ways to increase self-directed learning in your organization:

1)     Build your team with self-directed learners.  Use one of the established testing methods, such as the self-directed learning readiness scale (SDLRS) to ensure additions to the team have self-directed learning skills. Make sure you probe for self-directed training when interviewing. Keep in mind that degrees are the starting point of career learning, rather than the end.

2)     Make employees aware of self-directed learning.  Stress the necessity of self-directed learning for every high-performance organization. Communicate methods for self-directed learning. Encourage employees to share self-directed learning experiences. Create awareness that learning results can be facilitated by different learning styles. Have employees with different levels of self-directed learning experience connect formally or informally.

3)     Create space and time for learning. Allow your employees to read work-related literature during work hours. Provide spaces where employees are free from distractions and interruptions to learn. Supply books, trade magazines, internet access, and multimedia equipment for a learning center. Permit your employees to work from home when engaging in a learning project. Continue reading →

Posted in Learning Theory, Training Tips, Uncategorized | 13 Comments

I’ll Take My Learning ‘To Go’

Posted on September 26, 2011 by

Guest Blogger: Taylor Harris

Before I rush out the door, I do a quick inventory review. Laptop: check. Blackberry phone: check. iPod touch: check. And, last but not least, keys and purse: check. I’m rushing out to join the other members of mobile society. According to e-Learning Guild, 82.7% of employees are increasingly mobile, owning at least one mobile device. No doubt, the trend will grow, as technology continues to provide more portable devices with advanced features at affordable prices. 

Evidence of this can be seen in the tablet market (the fastest-growing segment of the mobile revolution). 2010 alone brought Apple’s iPad2, Motorola’s Xoom, Samsung’s Galaxy, Blackberry’s Playbook and Dell’s Streak. Soon they will be joined by HP’s Touchpad, LG’s GSlate and Toshiba’s tablet.  Smartphones are so plentiful, it seems as if there’s a new one being introduced every week: according to a Comscore survey, 60.7 million Americans will own a Smartphone by end of October 2010, and 50% of new phone sales in 2011 will be a Smartphone. Projections for tablet sales in theUSalone will grow 26% (4.4 million units).  Just when you thought Apple couldn’t do much more to their iPod touch (MP3 device), the latest version offers high-definition viewing.  Continue reading →

Posted in Distance Learning, Learning Theory, Technology | 2 Comments

Three Concepts Every Training and Development Professional Should Know about E-Learning

Posted on September 19, 2011 by

Guest Blogger: Carmen

The American Society for Training and Development’s 2010 State of the Industry Report reports that technology-based learning climbed to its highest level of 36.5% in 2009.  With that in mind, there are three concepts every training and development professional should know about e-learning.

1.      E-Learning is NOT a Fad

Increasingly, organizations are moving towards creating more e-learning solutions.  One senior director of training said the ratio of instructor-led training to e-learning is 4 to 1, but believes the trend will reverse itself over the years to come.  The use of more e-learning programs does not mean classroom instruction will become obsolete.  However, it does mean that training and development professionals should embrace e-learning as an important and viable learning option.

2.      Collaboration is an Essential Component to E-Learning

Today, collaboration is an important component of e-learning.  Traditional theories, such as social constructivism, and emerging ones like connectivism, explain how knowledge-sharing among peers is essential to the learning process.  Often, collaboration occurs through e-learning platforms, which support blogs, wikis and podcasts.  Not all e-learning platforms are created equal; finding one that fits the organization’s needs and training philosophy is critical.  This will require some research and package testing.  Remember: ideal e-learning fosters a collaborative environment. Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, Training Tips, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Andragogy vs. Pedagogy: Much Ado about Nothing?

Posted on September 8, 2011 by

Vincent L. Cyboran, Ed.D.

September, 2011 (from Chapter 2: Six Myths about Teaching Adults of a forthcoming book)

The myth:   The way in which we design and deliver instruction for adults (andragogy) is very different from the way in which we design and deliver instruction for children (pedagogy).

INTRODUCTION

In the field of Higher Education and the field of Workplace Learning, the difficulties surrounding andragogy might be best viewed from the perspective of Bloom’s Cognitive Taxonomy; it is a term that most practitioners ‘know’, fewer ‘comprehend’, and still fewer can ‘apply.’

Both ‘andragogy’ and ‘pedagogy’ are broadly defined terms associated with teaching and learning; their precise definitions are difficult to formulate. For this discussion, we can glean popular understandings of the terms using the following definitions:  Andragogy is defined as “The adult learning theory popularized by Malcolm Knowles.  Andragogy is based on five key principles1 that influence how adults learn: self-concept, prior experience, readiness to learn, orientation to learning, and motivation to learn.” (Beich, 2008, p. 862). Pedagogy is defined as “The function or work of learning where the focus is on what the instructor does as opposed to what the participants do; usually refers to teaching children.” (Beich, p. 878). It is how these two concepts differ—and whether they differ—that lies at the root of the debate. Continue reading →

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Where are they now? Updates from Training & HPI Grads

Posted on September 6, 2011 by

We love to hear how our graduates are doing after they finish their studies with us.  Please post an update and let us know about new jobs, promotions, or other career achievements.

Posted in Faculty Posts, Graduates | 9 Comments