DETT 621: Online Learning and Development in the Workplace
Assignments and Course Work
DETT 621 Learning Journal
Up to Checkpoint 1: September 28, 2014
Assignment 1: Self-assessment of ASTD competencies for training and development
Going through the syllabus, it seems as though this is going to be a fast-paced course with a ton of content to cover, understand, retain, and apply. I feel a bit overwhelmed, especially since I’m taking two other courses with this one. I think I can manage my time well enough to keep up and do well. The first week consisted of completing a self-assessment by evaluating my current personal competencies for the training and development profession and by identifying professional development needs to acquire competencies required to achieve career goals. The overall intent of this assignment is to demonstrate my ability to relate competencies in the training and development profession to organizational needs for human performance improvement. I am hoping to reflect on my own practice and examination skills as they relate to professional development needs, and I’m hoping to apply the ASTD competency model for my professional development planning. These first few weeks were spent understanding the value of the ASTD Model, what key trends drive the field, myths and warnings, and the following four concepts: education, learning, training, and development. Ultimately, the first few weeks are spent on introductions and understanding learning in the workplace.
The ASTD Competency Model defines two kinds of competencies needed for success in the training and development profession: 1) foundational competencies needed by everyone; and 2) competencies for specific areas of training and development expertise. Ultimately, this course’s assignments are divided in a way that one builds upon the other, i.e. in order to complete assignment 3, assignments 1 and 2 must be complete first. Personally, I enjoy this type of layout as it helps with that initial writer’s block I get before each assignment. The assignments provide an experience that relates to the kind of work you might do in the training and development profession. They allow you to demonstrate what you have learned in the course in a comprehensive way. The work produced in response to these assignments can be good candidates for artifacts to be included in this e-Portfolio and can be presented to potential employers.
I found the article by Marc J. Rosenberg, E-Learning Strategies for Delivering Knowledge in the Digital Age, to be the most interesting and informative. I have a feeling this article will be useful throughout the entire semester. I felt the assessment provided me with a clear starting point for how I stack up against the ASTD Competency Model. I know there are areas where I need work and further development, but I was surprised to see that I excelled in quite a few areas. Also, the icebreaker/introduction conference was really fun and really got everyone communicating back and forth. We had to tell two truths and a lie, and the students had to determine which of the three was a lie. It was a really cool way to learn more about the people I’ll be spending the semester with. I think this semester, and this course in particular, will be exciting!
Up to Checkpoint 2: October 19, 2014
Assignment 2: Case study report for learning and development
The weeks following the submission of the first assignment have flown by. The three weeks spent during checkpoint 2 focused on organization knowledge management/social learning, measuring, assessing, and evaluating learning in the workplace, and roles in managing the learning function. As I said during the last set of course reflections, this course is extremely fast-paced and I feel like I’m baring treading water. I usually am able to get ahead of the course work by a week or two, but for this course I’m completing things only a day or two before they are due. With the self-assessment under my belt, I’m anxious to get this case study turned in. I’m not entirely sure about the assignment specifics, as I feel they aren’t very clear and bit confusing. I plan on asking a few questions before submitting the assignment.
During the past few weeks I found the book by Rosenberg to be so helpful. Chapters four and five, knowledge and management and learning through online collaboration, were so helpful with the content we covered. In addition I found the article by Emelo (2012) enlightening and supportive of the content. Both knowledge management and social learning are used in different ways to focus on what has often been called “informal learning.” Activities like this are important in the business context and goals are best met through this type of learning and development activities in corporate DE context. Organizational knowledge management and social learning are vital to the distance education world.
*Update: the professor clarified the instructions for me and I ended up getting an A on the assignment. This assignment was challenging, but is one I am very proud of. For those reading this, please feel free to view assignment number two above.
Reference
Emelo R. (2012, June). Informal learning: Accidental vs. intentional. Chief Learning Officer, 11(6), 68-71. Retrieved from http://www.cedma-europe.org/newsletter%20articles/Clomedia/Informal%20Learning %20-%20Accidental%20Intentional%20%28Jun%2012%29.pdf
Up to Checkpoint 3: November 9, 2014
Assignment 3: Needs Analysis for selected organization
The weeks between checkpoints two and three we covered organizational knowledge management/social learning, measuring, assessing, and evaluating learning in the workplace, and roles in managing the learning function. One of the first reading assignments was one of my favorites, Rosenberg’s chapter that talks about learning performance in the context of work. Evaluating training/course content and overall training/course design is something that has interested me since I started the MDE program. There has to be a comprehensive way to evaluate training in order to provide the best learning environment possible. The evaluative measures must be standardized, so that all training is evaluated in the same manner. The three concepts that must always be evaluated carefully include: measuring training, assessing training, and evaluating training. The same can be said about all aspects of online learning, regardless of whether it is in a work or school setting.
The assignment for the weeks within this checkpoint was the learning and development needs analysis for a selected organization, which was 20% of the overall course grade. In this assignment I had to select an organization and conduct an analysis of learning and development needs that can be addressed through distance learning. My paper had to include a description of how the learning and development needs relate to business organizational values and vision. The paper was grade on completeness of analysis insight regarding the integration of distance learning in the learning and development model, as well as overall writing quality. I also received an A on this paper, which I found to be the most challenging thus far.
Up to Checkpoint 4: November 30, 2014
Assignment 4: Proposal for improving enterprise learning for selected organization
The last few weeks we worked on proposals for improving enterprise learning based on the selected organization chosen for the previous assignments. This assignment required each student to use their needs analysis to prepare a proposal for incorporating distance learning in a plan for improving enterprise learning for the organization. It had to describe how the plan elements relate to the overall learning and development model and support organizational goals. In addition, it had to show how the proposed learning and development elements are managed and measured. The overall end product was graded on completeness of planning, creativity in addressing learning needs, and writing quality.
Assignment 1: Self-assessment of ASTD competencies for training and development
Going through the syllabus, it seems as though this is going to be a fast-paced course with a ton of content to cover, understand, retain, and apply. I feel a bit overwhelmed, especially since I’m taking two other courses with this one. I think I can manage my time well enough to keep up and do well. The first week consisted of completing a self-assessment by evaluating my current personal competencies for the training and development profession and by identifying professional development needs to acquire competencies required to achieve career goals. The overall intent of this assignment is to demonstrate my ability to relate competencies in the training and development profession to organizational needs for human performance improvement. I am hoping to reflect on my own practice and examination skills as they relate to professional development needs, and I’m hoping to apply the ASTD competency model for my professional development planning. These first few weeks were spent understanding the value of the ASTD Model, what key trends drive the field, myths and warnings, and the following four concepts: education, learning, training, and development. Ultimately, the first few weeks are spent on introductions and understanding learning in the workplace.
The ASTD Competency Model defines two kinds of competencies needed for success in the training and development profession: 1) foundational competencies needed by everyone; and 2) competencies for specific areas of training and development expertise. Ultimately, this course’s assignments are divided in a way that one builds upon the other, i.e. in order to complete assignment 3, assignments 1 and 2 must be complete first. Personally, I enjoy this type of layout as it helps with that initial writer’s block I get before each assignment. The assignments provide an experience that relates to the kind of work you might do in the training and development profession. They allow you to demonstrate what you have learned in the course in a comprehensive way. The work produced in response to these assignments can be good candidates for artifacts to be included in this e-Portfolio and can be presented to potential employers.
I found the article by Marc J. Rosenberg, E-Learning Strategies for Delivering Knowledge in the Digital Age, to be the most interesting and informative. I have a feeling this article will be useful throughout the entire semester. I felt the assessment provided me with a clear starting point for how I stack up against the ASTD Competency Model. I know there are areas where I need work and further development, but I was surprised to see that I excelled in quite a few areas. Also, the icebreaker/introduction conference was really fun and really got everyone communicating back and forth. We had to tell two truths and a lie, and the students had to determine which of the three was a lie. It was a really cool way to learn more about the people I’ll be spending the semester with. I think this semester, and this course in particular, will be exciting!
Up to Checkpoint 2: October 19, 2014
Assignment 2: Case study report for learning and development
The weeks following the submission of the first assignment have flown by. The three weeks spent during checkpoint 2 focused on organization knowledge management/social learning, measuring, assessing, and evaluating learning in the workplace, and roles in managing the learning function. As I said during the last set of course reflections, this course is extremely fast-paced and I feel like I’m baring treading water. I usually am able to get ahead of the course work by a week or two, but for this course I’m completing things only a day or two before they are due. With the self-assessment under my belt, I’m anxious to get this case study turned in. I’m not entirely sure about the assignment specifics, as I feel they aren’t very clear and bit confusing. I plan on asking a few questions before submitting the assignment.
During the past few weeks I found the book by Rosenberg to be so helpful. Chapters four and five, knowledge and management and learning through online collaboration, were so helpful with the content we covered. In addition I found the article by Emelo (2012) enlightening and supportive of the content. Both knowledge management and social learning are used in different ways to focus on what has often been called “informal learning.” Activities like this are important in the business context and goals are best met through this type of learning and development activities in corporate DE context. Organizational knowledge management and social learning are vital to the distance education world.
*Update: the professor clarified the instructions for me and I ended up getting an A on the assignment. This assignment was challenging, but is one I am very proud of. For those reading this, please feel free to view assignment number two above.
Reference
Emelo R. (2012, June). Informal learning: Accidental vs. intentional. Chief Learning Officer, 11(6), 68-71. Retrieved from http://www.cedma-europe.org/newsletter%20articles/Clomedia/Informal%20Learning %20-%20Accidental%20Intentional%20%28Jun%2012%29.pdf
Up to Checkpoint 3: November 9, 2014
Assignment 3: Needs Analysis for selected organization
The weeks between checkpoints two and three we covered organizational knowledge management/social learning, measuring, assessing, and evaluating learning in the workplace, and roles in managing the learning function. One of the first reading assignments was one of my favorites, Rosenberg’s chapter that talks about learning performance in the context of work. Evaluating training/course content and overall training/course design is something that has interested me since I started the MDE program. There has to be a comprehensive way to evaluate training in order to provide the best learning environment possible. The evaluative measures must be standardized, so that all training is evaluated in the same manner. The three concepts that must always be evaluated carefully include: measuring training, assessing training, and evaluating training. The same can be said about all aspects of online learning, regardless of whether it is in a work or school setting.
The assignment for the weeks within this checkpoint was the learning and development needs analysis for a selected organization, which was 20% of the overall course grade. In this assignment I had to select an organization and conduct an analysis of learning and development needs that can be addressed through distance learning. My paper had to include a description of how the learning and development needs relate to business organizational values and vision. The paper was grade on completeness of analysis insight regarding the integration of distance learning in the learning and development model, as well as overall writing quality. I also received an A on this paper, which I found to be the most challenging thus far.
Up to Checkpoint 4: November 30, 2014
Assignment 4: Proposal for improving enterprise learning for selected organization
The last few weeks we worked on proposals for improving enterprise learning based on the selected organization chosen for the previous assignments. This assignment required each student to use their needs analysis to prepare a proposal for incorporating distance learning in a plan for improving enterprise learning for the organization. It had to describe how the plan elements relate to the overall learning and development model and support organizational goals. In addition, it had to show how the proposed learning and development elements are managed and measured. The overall end product was graded on completeness of planning, creativity in addressing learning needs, and writing quality.