Q&A : Develop A Workplace Learning Environment 1-2. Give an example of a personal learning experience that you have had recently. Describe what it was that you learned, how you learned it and how easy or difficult it was to learn. (100 words) 3-3. Use the following pro forma to create a personal development/ learning plan for a member of your current team or for yourself. XYZ Company Personal development plan pro forma Employee Name: Employee ID: Position: Department/ Section: Supervisor Name: Date review conducted: Goals (as agreed by employee and supervisor) Organisational goals Team goals Personal goals 1. 1. 1. 2. 2. 2. 3. 3. 3. 4. 4. 4. 5. 5. 5. Personal goal 1 Strategy to achieve goal: Performance outcome: Timeline: Resources: Personal goal 2 Strategy to achieve goal: Performance outcome: Timeline: Resources: Personal goal 3 Strategy to achieve goal: Performance outcome: Timeline: Resources: Personal goal 4 Strategy to achieve goal: Performance outcome: Timeline: Resources: Personal goal 5 Strategy to achieve goal: Performance outcome: Timeline: Resources: Comments: 4-3 Learning styles inventory For each of the following questions read the three response options and choose the first answer that comes to mind. Do not spend too much time thinking about any one question.   Question Response A Response B Response C Your response A/B/C 1. When you study for a test, would you rather… Read notes, read headings in a book, and look at diagrams and illustrations. Have someone ask you questions, or repeat facts silently to yourself. Write things out on index cards and make models or diagrams. C 2. Which of these do you do when you listen to music? Daydream (see things that go with the music). Hum along. Move with the music, tap your foot, etc. A 3. When you work at solving a problem do you… Make a list, organise the steps, and check them off as they are done. Make a few phone calls and talk to friends or experts. Make a model of the problem or walk through all the steps in your mind. A 4. When you read for fun, do you prefer… A travel book with a lot of pictures in it. A mystery book with a lot of conversation in it. A book where you answer questions and solve problems. A 5. To learn how a computer works, would you rather… Watch a movie about it. Listen to someone explain it. Take the computer apart and try to figure it out for yourself. C 6. You have just entered a science museum, what will you do first? Look around and find a map showing the locations of the various exhibits. Talk to a museum guide and ask about exhibits. Go into the first exhibit that looks interesting, and read directions later. A 7. What kind of restaurant would you rather not go to? One with the lights too bright. One with the music too loud. One with uncomfortable chairs. B 8. Would you rather go to… An art class. A music class. An exercise class. A 9. Which are you most likely to do when you are happy? Grin. Shout with joy. Jump for joy. B 10. If you were at a party, what would you be most likely to remember the next day? The faces of the people there, but not the names. The names but not the faces. The things you did and said while you were there. A 11. When you see the word d—o—g, what do you do first? Think of a picture of a particular dog. Say the word dog to yourself silently. Sense the feeling of being with a dog (petting it, running with it, etc). B 12. When you tell a story, would you rather… Write it. Tell it out loud. Act it out. A 13. What is most distracting for you when you are trying to concentrate? Visual distractions. Noises. Other sensations like hunger, tight shoes, or worry. C 14. What are you most likely to do when you are angry? Scowl. Shout or blow up. Stomp off and slam doors. A 15. When you aren’t sure how to spell a word, which of these are you most likely to do? Write it out to see if it looks right. Sound it out. Write it out to see if it feels right. A 16. Which are you most likely to do when standing in a long line at the movies? Look at posters advertising other movies. Talk to the person next to you. Tap your foot or move around in some other way. C Total A’s 9 Total B’s 3 Total C’s 4 Results: ( 1 page) If you scored mostly A’s you have a visual learning style. You learn by seeing and looking. Visual learners: take numerous detailed notes tend to sit in the front are usually neat and clean often close their eyes to visualise or remember something find something to watch if they are bored like to see what they are learning benefit from illustrations and presentations that use colour are attracted to written or spoken language rich in imagery prefer stimuli to be isolated from auditory and kinaesthetic distraction find passive surroundings ideal If you scored mostly B’s, you have an auditory learning style. You learn by hearing and listening. Auditory learners: sit where they can hear but need not pay attention to what is happening in front might not coordinate colours or clothes, but can explain why they are wearing what they are wearing and why hum or talk to themselves or others when bored acquire knowledge by reading aloud remember by verbalising lessons to themselves If you had mostly C’s, you have a kinaesthetic learning style. You learn by touching and doing. Kinaesthetic learners: need to be active and take frequent breaks speak with their hands and with gestures remember what was done, but have difficulty recalling what was said or seen find reasons to tinker or move when bored rely on what they can directly experience or perform activities such as cooking, construction, engineering and art help them perceive and learn enjoy field trips and tasks that involve manipulating materials sit near the door or somewhere else where they can easily get up and move around are uncomfortable in classrooms where they lack opportunities for hands-on experience communicate by touching and appreciate physically expressed encouragement, such as a pat on the back (Adapted from the learning style quiz at www.usd.edu) 5-1. In a short paragraph for each, answer the questions. Have you ever participated in a training program which has enthused you and helped you develop ideas for increasing productivity and/or building better relationships in the workplace? (75 words) What happened when you tried to put these ideas into practice at work? Did you meet so many obstacles that you just gave up? Why do you think this happens? How does it make you feel? (75 words) Reflect on an organisation that you are familiar with. Do the procedures of this organisation help or hinder the learning and development of individuals? Why? (75 words) 7-2. what are the factors that will assist you to apply your learning in a workplace setting? (50 words) 7-3. what might be the barriers to your learning and to applying this knowledge in the workplace? Why are they barriers? (50 words) 7-4. how can you overcome these barriers? (50 words) 7-5. what can your manager do to facilitate your learning? (50 words) 7-6. Given your responses to the previous questions, what can you, as a manager, do to support the learning of your team members? (50 words) 8-1 Requiring workers who are funded to attend interstate conferences to write a summary that is circulated to other relevant staff is an example of a procedure specifically implemented in order to share corporate knowledge. Comment on the usefulness of such procedures in achieving their goal, the practicality of enforcing them and give your own example from a workplace that you are familiar with. (75 words) 9-1 Identify a specific task that you are responsible for, for example, monthly sales report. In the following table list the skills, knowledge and behaviours you must display in order to complete this task competently. Be as descriptive as you can in terms of the standards that must be achieved, for example, collect gross sales figures from all branches (100% accuracy required). Make a copy of this table containing your checklist. Now complete a self-assessment against this list. Give the copy of the competency list (without your self-assessment details) to a peer and ask them to also assess you. What did you gain by completing the self-assessment? How hard/ easy did you find it? Why? Did the assessment by your peer differ from your self-assessment? How and in what areas? What were the benefits of doing a peer assessment? Task: Skill/ Knowledge/ Behaviour Excellent Good Fair Poor 10-1 Some individuals choose not to share their experience and knowledge for a variety of reasons. Describe what these reasons might be and what could help to negate them. Comment on the place of such people in learning organisations. 10-2 In this section of the workbook three different types of networks were mentioned. Comment on which of these networks you have observed and how effective they have been at sharing knowledge. Where possible, give a practical example of how a network has increased an organisation’s efficiency or effectiveness. 10-3 You and your team of 15 people have been asked to take on board a project to decrease the carbon footprint of your organisation. The CEO has given you two months to come up with a workable plan that will see operations in all states take practical steps to being more environmentally friendly—they want the whole organisation’s culture changed so that each employee is an environmental guardian. Nothing is to be considered as untouchable. Such a project has never been attempted across the whole organisation before, but you know that a few people in various divisions have done mini projects relating to their own operations. How will you lead your team in deciding what should be in the plan? What sort of networks will you set in place to facilitate your team’s learning and then the organisation as a whole as it implements the plan? 11-1 Why is it important to recognise employee achievement and how catching people doing good can aid learning? (75 words) 11-2 Describe a situation where somebody gave you feedback about your performance that motivated you. Specifically, describe: what it was that you had done who gave you the feedback what was said and how it was said how the feedback was given why it motivated you what actions you took as a result of being motivated 12-1 Explain why it is important to evaluate a learning activity; what should you look for, how can you determine how effective it has been and what impact will the information have on what you do as a manager? (75 words) 12-2 Tim is a young accounting graduate who has been working in your department for nearly six months. He is technically very competent and his accounting work is good, but his written communications lack the professionalism that is needed for dealing with clients. You sent him to a business writing skills course a few weeks ago and he came back full of enthusiasm for what he had learned, but you are yet to see a noticeable improvement in his letters and emails. How could you support Tim and help him to achieve the standard that you expect? 13-1 If you were delivering training to a group of employees, what kind of feedback would you require and how would you use that feedback? (75 words) 13-2 If you were a manager who had sent a group of employees off to attend an external course, what sort of feedback would you seek and how would you solicit it? (75 words) 13-3 Critically evaluate each of the feedback sheets previously given as examples and state whether you consider they would provide a suitable evaluation for workplace training. Justify your conclusions. (75 words) 13-4 Describe a workplace learning activity that you were recently involved in. (Involvement can be as a participant or as an organiser.) Design a feedback sheet that you feel would be appropriate to evaluate the effectiveness of the activity. (provide a feedback sheet ) Example 2: Feedback sheet (To be completed by learners individually.) Please comment on the training by answering the following questions. 1. How much did you know about this topic before this session? A lot     Not much       Nothing at all     2. How much do you now know about this topic? A lot     Not much       Nothing at all     3. Did you find the session Very interesting     Interesting       Of little insterest     4. Was the presenter Very good     Good       Needs development     5. What was the best feature of the presentation?       6. What was the worst feature of the presentation?       13-5 Describe an instance where it is preferable to use verbal questioning to elicit feedback in order to evaluate a learning activity. (75 words) 13-6 It can sometimes seem to participants that feedback sheets are only used to gather positive comments for the training facilitator. Give an example of when you have made adjustments to a learning program as a result of the feedback that you gained. 14-1 Read the summary containing the collated feedback for a course that was held for a group of 10 workers. From the ratings and comments that the participants have made, recommend some changes for the same course which is due to be delivered to another 10 workers in a month’s time. ( 1 page ) Course Title Health and safety for office workers: Manual handling     Strongly agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree Trainer The trainer clearly communicated concepts and ideas. 5 3   2     The trainer displayed effective training skills. 7 3         The trainer endeavoured to meet my learning needs. 0     8 2 Learning The learning outcomes were made clear. 5 5         I was encouraged to actively participate.       5 5   The content was well planned. 2 5 3       Opportunities to ask questions/ clarify concepts were adequate.       8 2   The examples and illustrations used were helpful to me. 4 4   2   Effectiveness The course met my learning needs.   2 4 4     The course has prepared me to undertake my job role.   6 2 2     The time allocation was suitable.   10       Resources The course manual was clear and well sequenced.   5 5       The course manual was thorough.   5 5       The course manual will be a useful reference tool. 4 4 2       Other resources, if used, were useful: (give details)           What is your overall rating of this course? Rating No. of participants responding in this category Excellent 1 Very good 3 Good 5 Average 1 Poor 0 Comments It was all ‘talk and chalk’—no chance to ask questions. I found the topic really interesting but not all of it is important to me in my job. The instructor was very knowledgeable but it was obvious that they had a set manual to get through. I would have liked the opportunity to do some of the techniques the trainer suggested. Recommended changes: A: 5-1 What training records should be kept by an organisation? (25–50 words) 15-2 Why is it important to keep training records? (25–50 words) 15-3 Who should have access to these records? Why? (25–50 words) 16-1 How can learning and development specialists help managers design and develop effective learning programs? (75–100 words) 16-2 Why is it desirable to maximise individual and team participation in learning events and how can this be done? (75–100 words) 16-3 What role do managers play in facilitating and promoting learning? (75–100 words) 16-4 How can monitoring the outcomes of workplace learning contribute to it being a learning organisation? (75–100 words)