5LD02 Assignment Example

Managers Briefing Paper

• Explore key factors to be considered when designing learning and development activities

Learning and development refers to everything an entity does to enhance professional growth among its workers. This everything can encompass online learning training courses, development activities and development programs.  When an entity is designing learning and development activities, it should consider various internal and external factors which might impact the organization’s L&D activities in various ways;

1. Alignment with business strategy

L&D aims at developing and shaping a learning strategy on the basis of the entity’s talent and business strategies. The learning strategy pursues supporting professional development and establishing capabilities within the company in a cost-efficient way and on time. Additionally, the learning strategy could promote the company culture and enhance workers to operate according to the company’s values (Garavan et al., 2020). Many organizations have the L&D purpose supporting the business strategy implementation. For instance, should one of the strategies be digital transformation, L&D would dwell on creating necessary individual capabilities to actualize it. L&D should align with an organization’s general priorities (Garavan et al., 2020). However, research has revealed that several L&D functions fail on this dimension. Companies that assert that their learning strategy aligns with the business objectives make forty percent. The remaining sixty percent, then means that the learning carries no association with the company’s strategic goals.  For effectiveness, L&D should look at the workers capabilities and decide the most crucial to back up the company’s business strategy’s execution.  Leaders must reassess the alignment annually to ensure they are establishing a people-capability agenda which is a reflection of the business strategic goals and priorities.

2. Internal Stakeholder Assessment

The business in question should carry out an internal stakeholder evaluation to pinpoint the different stakeholders and fathom what they need from the business’s L&D strategy. It should gain buy-in through including them in the employee development and employee training (Garavan et al., 2020). This will help the business get the required items should they be unavailable, to ensure that the time of the training encompasses every need that the stakeholder will need. Therefore, the business will create a platform where L&D runs smoothly with the right requirements in place.

3. Budget

The business should determine the amount of money they feel the training (L&D) will cost. The training types the company will adopt is highly budget-reliant (Garavan et al., 2020). For example, if a company decided that web-based training would be the appropriate mode of delivery but lack the budget for paying the platform’s user fee, then that would not be the best alternative. The business must also consider individuals’ time. Should the workers be going for a two-hour training, what would be the organization’s costs should these workers fail to achieve their tasks. It can consider developing a spreadsheet which outlines the actual snacks and materials’ costs, and other direct and indirect costs (Garavan et al., 2020).  Developing the budget will help the company allocate the money for different sectors wisely ad seek financial assistance if the activities outdo the available funds. Therefore, the budget should be composed carefully to get the accurate numbers for particular allocation.

4. Timelines

Some L&D activities, say training, need time lines to ensure the training takes place. This happens for training safety. Often, training should take place before the worker begins. The company should determine how long it will take the employee to finish the training (Garavan et al., 2020). A company should also consider the time it aspires to allocate for the training. It would be one hour, although training could last a day or a week. After developing the training content, the company will likely get an excellent idea of the time it would last delivering it. The entity should consider that many people lack much time for training and keep the time concise and realist (Garavan et al., 2020). Timelines will be crucial in ensuring the L&D successfully proceeds as the other crucial activities of the company are also in progress. It will help in planning such that none of the company’s activities will be interrupted. Therefore, every company should take time lines seriously for a smooth L&D and continuity of the activities.

1.2. Assess factors to consider when designing learning and development programs for dispersed workforces

During L&D, it is essential to consider the audience in question. The company can consider how long they have worked for the company if they are new workers and the departments, they operate in. Understanding this can assist the company in developing an appropriate style, which makes for excellent training (Garavan et al., 2020). For instance, if the company knows that all individuals attending the training are accounting department members, the illustrations they give during the training could dwell on this job type (Garavan et al., 2020). It is not always given that the workforce will be in the same place. Sometimes they are dispersed. In such a case, particular factors impact audiences in various geographical locations, which include the following;

1. Culture difference

A geographically dispersed workforce can make training challenging. Misunderstandings commonly occur, and cultural differences could cause inconsistent training (Garavan et al., 2020. For instance, some cultures are reluctant towards vocalizing online forums, while others are okay with it (Garavan et al., 2020). In such a scenario, a company should choose an L&D type that is in line with the culture of the people in that specific area to avoid conflicts and slow down the L&D activities. Therefore, not all locations support the same culture, and a company should consider that to have all its workforce taken care of.

2. Language

It is essential for the company to look out for language, despite it being not a necessary problem. It should review the actual dispersion of its team. It should consider the number of nations where English is not the first language. It should also research if there are other dominant languages it should be dwelling on, such as Italian, Spanish, and French, among others. Considering the number of workers who require a foreign language, the company should choose the most innovative translation alternative if the L&D involves online training courses. It can also organize to change all their online training materials into symbolized languages, a better option than applying auto-translation software (Garavan et al., 2020). This can also be used if the L&D is being executed in terms of one-on-one training. The company would need to organize and get facilitators who are good in the particular languages for ongoing L&D activities.

3. Network

Work conditions can be influenced directly by geographical location. The internet could be non-existent, spotty, or slow. The worker training participant may lack access to large databanks and printers or also lack consistent electricity access (Garavan et al., 2020). This can be a mess if the L&D is being offered via online platforms. The company should find out the conditions in their employees’ residents. Should there be a lack of municipal power lines, the company can get them portable charging stations or solar tablets. The online course should be equipped with usable offline modes for the remote workers to study even amidst disconnection. Also, it can consider setting up the online course to permit automatic synchronization after hitting a WIFI Zone. It assists the company and employees monitor progress and is crucial since they could forget to update their online course metrics (Garavan et al., 2020). Alternatively, the company can consider using a different L&D activity if these options prove futile. Therefore, working conditions in other geographical areas differ, and the company should understand each and address them appropriately.

• Explain how inclusivity and accessibility can be built into learning and development at the design stage

The ADDIE model is amongst many instructional design models applied in creating drive and course learning. The models are frameworks that assist in developing training routines that cause desired results, although they vary on various factors basis. ADDIE is an acronym that stands for analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. The ADDIE model can be inclusive in EACH of the design stages as follows;

1. Analysis

This stage involves analysing many core elements before the module establishment. For example, the company needs to decide the people who will be getting the training. It requires understanding what the training will entail and the happenings thereof. The company also needs to answer queries like where the training will happen and how they will achieve the learning results. The company needs to analyse at the L&D’s stage of identifying development and learning needs. It will assist in proper planning and preparations. Thus, the module will have a good starting point.

2. Design

The design stage calls for a company’s need to start thinking about the learning format. The company should ask itself if it will be Q&A format, text-based module, video presentation, or gamified content. It will also need to identify the order of the topic and delivery and make sure that the completed module is ready for the learners. It is crucial to determine if it covers everything the learners should know. The stage is closely linked with then L&D’s design stage, which also looks at the aspects mentioned above. Therefore, a company should plan promptly for the design stage using the design tenet of the module.

3. Development

This is the stage where you take the design and turn it into reality. Besides the actual content establishment, one has other considerations like testing for flow assurance questions and information accuracy. It can also apply in the design stage of the L&D, where the company will determine to start making the design in question a reality. It is crucial because the company will have made the first step into actualizing the plan.

4. Implementation

It involves putting the module in the wild for the learners to apply. The company can make it available via its Learning Management System (LMS). What follows is monitoring the progress of the learner using the content. The LMS should provide the company information concerning the number of learners who have signed the module, those who have finished and those who have excelled or failed, and the areas learners spend much of their time in, including other crucial information. At this stage, the L&D activities and strategies have been put to practice. The company can get all information surrounding the learners and their statuses and assist it in deciding what to do with each group.

5. Evaluation

It is the final ADDIE training module step, although it cannot be counted as the last step. It is woven through the other steps, despite appearing as the last of the module’s steps. A company needs to determine essential elements concerning the completed course or the module, different from evaluating every stage. It can consider answering questions like if the content fostered enhanced results for learners and how it knows if the content performed to expectations and the data which backs that up, and if the module supports the organizations’ goals, among many others. This is in line with the L&D’s evaluation stage, where the L&D activities’ efficiency is assessed to determine how successful they are. It helps a company know if it is on the right track or some things need to be mended for better outcomes. Hence, evaluation can help determine if the L&D is going as per the objectives.

2.1. Evaluate methods for identifying organizational learning needs and key principles.

The following methods are used to identify organization learning needs.

Performing individual assessments- the company could have fewer people performing the same task. Particular work could be delegated to small teams or individuals. It should weigh the people’s performance to ascertain where their strengths and weaknesses are. Training could enhance productivity, although this can only happen if training is channelled to the sections where productivity requires improvement. The company might find some individuals who need thorough training (Liebowitz, 2019). That way, it will facilitate how to meet this need (Liebowitz, 2019). The personal assessment is advantageous as it helps know all individual’s strengths and weaknesses. It also informs the company on where productivity effort should be directed. Nonetheless, conducting personal assessments encompasses difficulty in being objective. One needs to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses accurately, which could cause overplaying the strengths or focusing on the shortcomings (Liebowitz, 2019). Therefore, the company would need neutral assessors for accuracy and reliability.

Another method is exploring overall performance. The overall performance exploration should target every section of the organization rather than looking at it as a whole. The company should examine them and evaluate the aspects that are absent or performing below its expected standard. It would aspire to refresh and improve all training, although these key areas’ identification will demonstrate the section with much stress to the company. It should devote much of its time to these targeted sections and address how individuals seem to be operating well (Liebowitz, 2019). This method is advantageous because it gives the company insights into how various departments are working towards the company’s success. Also, it helps identify the area which needs to be addressed for maximum success. However, it can take a long to evaluate all the departments, which could delay the necessary amendments (Liebowitz, 2019). Therefore, overall performance enables a company to identify learning needs to help push its performance forward.

When conducting needs analysis, some of the fundamental principles to be considered are;

When doing L&A, the best practice is the ‘RAM’ approach which has three main principles.

Relevance- the company should consider how planned or existent learning provision will encounter new challenges and business opportunities. Alignment is another principle. Should the L&D strategy take a combined blended approach, L&D practitioners need to operate with stakeholders concerning their performance requirements and ways of achieving them. Alignment with broader institutional strategy offers the L&D relevance, purpose, and focus. The measurement principle also lies here. L&D consistently and effectively weighs the effect, transfer, and engagement of learning activities as the evaluation process’ part (CIPD, 2021). The measurements make the LNA accurate, relevant, reliable, and alignment authentic with the company’s goals. Therefore, a company that chooses the approach will rarely miss the crucial point.

3.1. Assess how aspects of learning-related theory, psychology, and neuroscience influence approaches to the design of learning and development.

Behaviourist learning approach

The learning approach lies based on learners responding to stimuli within their atmosphere. The facilitator’s role is providing useful and relevant stimuli for the learner to respond to and benefit from the needed knowledge experience (Buchem et al., 2019). The approach focuses on the belief that proper behaviour could be taught via constant task repetition and the facilitator’s feedback. Positive feedback reinforces and inspires excellence, while immediate correction and negative feedback dishearten an undesirable behaviour or a mistake’s repetition (Buchem et al., 2019). It can be applied in training to develop repetitive actions. This can be in the L&D implementation stage, which involves actualizing the actual L&D activities.

Neuroscience refers to the scientific study of the brain and the nervous system. It is multidisciplinary and merges psychology, anatomy, physiology, and other disciplines. As many L&D professionals know, an individual’s behaviour could significantly affect their learning ability (Collins, 2019). Retaining knowledge, transferring knowledge to the workplace ability, and being creative to address challenges depend on a completely operating brain and the willingness to adopt new behaviours. Neuroscience is crucial since it assists L&D professionals in comprehending how individuals learn and can alter their workplace behaviour (Collins, 2019). Therefore, since people have various preferences, L&D purposes require designing learning atmospheres and experiences aligned with the learning of a human mind.

Psychology can transform the L&D practice by giving a holistic comprehension. Psychology is the science behind why and how people, organizations, and teams behave the way they do. It provides L&D teams in general working life perspective and insights into critical issues like leadership, change, talent management, organizational development, and engagement. It describes the internal aspects of work associations, politics, conflict, how businesses make their decisions, and teams acquire high performance (Collins, 2019). Therefore, a more profound comprehension of workplace psychology and how these aspects relate enables L&D practitioners to view their role and challenges in a beneficial, broader context.

TASK 2: Professional L&D Design

2.2. Conduct a key stakeholder analysis to identify areas of need in relation to learning and development activity.

Our organization is a university offering higher education, and we are looking forward to adapting e-learning software. The following table represents the stakeholder analysis

Stakeholder	Description
Teaching staff	Mandated to teach the particular subject.
Career dean	The individual who will have the significant authority over a particular academic unit
General distant learning career counsel	Accountable for distance educational section and coordinating all activities encompassed in it. Manager, expert and product beneficiary
Academic affair staff	Accountable for executing research and education
Student	Product user and beneficiary
Information and communication technologies counsel	Expert in e-learning and education ICT
Research project advisor	Command and direct research project
Teacher and researcher	Accountable for the learning/teaching process in a particular academic unit and for carrying out a research.
Postgraduate student	Product user and beneficiary
Content designer	Learning objects designer
Style editor	Learning objects editor
Thesis Advisor	They will guide doctoral and master students
Tutor	Plays the role of tutoring in distant career
Undergraduate student developing the final project	Undergraduate learner developing a final project associated to the e-learning software product. Developer
Doctoral and master students	Individuals developing master and doctoral thesis.
Technicians	e-learning platform assessor, expert and user
Research project member	Member of a research project

 

2.3. Convert relevant information from the stakeholder analysis into clearly stated learning and development objectives.

At the end of the training session, the stakeholders should:

1. Be able to teach their assigned subject
2. Be able to apply the ICT expertise in the learning activities
3. Be able to ensure that all the particular academic units are being appropriately handled.
4. Be able to direct and command research project
5. Be able to design learning objects
6. Be able to edit learning objects
7. Be able to carry out various research
8. Be able to develop theses
9. Be able to tutor in distant careers
10. Be able to coordinate all activities taking place in the distant career module
11. Be able to make and take notes regarding all the subjects learned
12. Be able to assess the e-learning platform
13. Be able to develop a final project associated with e-learning
14. Be able to guide master and doctoral students
15. Be able to showcase the expertise in e-learning and educational ICT
16. Be able to take part in the research project

2.4.  Assess how individual and team learning and development objectives align to organizational or departmental strategy

The individual and team learning and development objectives align with the organization’s aim of presenting the application of a model for identifying and stakeholder analysis adapted to the e-learning domain. Via e-learning, learners can access multimedia and interactive courses in the website format. The communication technology permits learners and instructors to associate with others in a way they can merge and discuss the learning objectives. This will be achieved during the classroom and counselling sessions’ teaching and learning process. Here the advisors will meet with the instructors and deans to plan how things will be done and develop the best methods to achieve the ultimate goals.

Through technology application, the organization seeks to encourage to explore, feel and self-express their impact on the learning-teaching procedure. It supports cooperation and communication between learners and teachers. It also makes the learning-teaching process more flexible. Learners must learn by creating knowledge using the resources the teachers provide. This learning method differs from the old way in which learners are passive lesson receptors. All these are accomplished using the learning objective, which asserts that stakeholders should be able to ensure proper handling of specific academic units. During this session, the instructors can assess how effective their methods are.

Other objectives call for the relevant experts to showcase their expertise in their particular fields, especially in ICT. There are also aims of drafting and editing learning objects. These objects help the organization in the accomplishment of the e-learning platform initiative. The institution’s IT department looks to ensure the university’s activities go digital-wise, and all the stakeholders join hands to ensure that successfully happens. The counsellors and advisors will inform the department accordingly on the right tools to invest in. Also, the institution aims to conduct further research on e-learning which will be accomplished by the thesis advisor and research project advisor informing and guiding the students on how to go about it and taking part in the research itself. Therefore, all the development objectives align with the ICT departmental or organizational strategy of implementing the e-learning software process development.

3.2. Discuss a range of learning and development delivery methods and how they can be blended to form an engaging and effective learning and development solution.

Depending on the training type to be delivered, the company chooses different delivery modes for the training delivery. The delivery methods encompass:

1. On-the-job Coaching training delivery

It is one method of facilitating worker skills training. The method encompasses an approved individual training a worker on the required skills to finish tasks. A manager or expertise shows the worker ways of performing the exact job. Choosing an on-the-job coach could be done in various methods, but usually, the coach is determined based on knowledge, skills, and personality. This skills type is generally done in-house. This is a suitable delivery method because the expert encompasses everything in training and is near learners ensuring that they grasp everything.

2. Mentoring and coaching

A mentor is an experienced and trusted advisor who possesses direct investment in employee development. Mentoring refers to the process where workers could be developed or trained by an expert. Usually, it is used as a proceeding process of employee training and development. The method has the demerit of personality conflict and communication style. It could also establish overdependence in the mentored person or the mentor micromanagement. It differs from on-the-job coaching since the latter is short and dwells on the required skills to do a particular task.

3.3.  Design a learning and development solution which addresses and combines identified learning and development objectives.

1. Engagement Techniques

Engagement is crucial on three levels; behavioural, emotional, and cognitive, without which poor knowledge retention, commitment lack, and passive learning for contributing to development and training challenges. Without learning engagement, the behavioural challenge cannot be possible. When training is unnecessary or irrelevant, many learners emotionally and mentally resist engaging. This can be solved using the following methods;

Apply discussion forums and other informal live virtual spaces for students to casually mingle, enhancing emotional engagement and training process among learners and communicating learning outcomes before escalating behavioural engagement. Many students are likely to participate in learning activities if they comprehend their goals (Billett, 2020). This will give learners a chance to research the topic in advance and understand what it entails. That way, the engagement will be swift as most will have an idea of the discussion.

2. Learning methods

A company needs to consider the learner habits and preferences to evade further training challenges. The current workforce encompasses at least three generations, all related to technology. Therefore, the training could be less effective if all workers are assumed to be similarly tech-savvy or to contain identical learning habits and knowledge levels. The solutions for this can be selecting a software containing easy user-friendly (UI) (Billett, 2020). A transparent user experience is excellent for all students. For instance, video pausing or downloading some assignments should be simple and straightforward. Also, incorporate various content types such as graphics, written notes, and graphics to address multiple learning preferences.

3. Impact of measurement activities

During TNA (training needs analysis), L&D teams dwell on their learning goals and the strategy which will enable them to accomplish the goals. After training, they then have parameters for measuring its efficiency via L&D metrics. Nonetheless, it is also essential to ensure the entity gained something from the training program. The entity can do that by combining the business and the L&D metrics. It can also identify the assessment model which will assist them in measuring both (Billett, 2020). Therefore, there will be non-issues with the measurement activities.

4. Selecting the appropriate evaluation method

Identifying the correct evaluation method is crucial for training. It will assist the company in clarifying what it will weigh, how it will weigh it, and how it will identify and comprehend evaluation results. The achievement also rests in fathoming ways of customizing the assessment model. For instance, the company will take a different model to assess software, soft skills, and compliance training. Similarly, it will require a different model based on students’ cognition levels and learning skills. Additionally, the company should not limit assessment to summative evaluation. It should also assess how the training programs assist learners in applying their new skills on the task through evaluating core on-the-job pointers (Billett, 2020). Hence, challenges facing the impacts of measurement activities will have been dealt with appropriately.

References

Billett, S., 2020. Learning in the workplace: Strategies for effective practice. Routledge.

Buchem, I., Klamma, R. and Wild, F. eds., 2019. Perspectives on Wearable Enhanced Learning (WELL): Current Trends, Research, and Practice. Springer.

CIPD. (2021). Identifying Learning and Development Needs. https://www.cipd.co.uk/knowledge/fundamentals/people/development/learning-needs-factsheet#gref

Collins, S., 2019. Neuroscience for learning and development: How to apply neuroscience and psychology for improved learning and training. Kogan Page Publishers.

Garavan, T.N., O’Brien, F., Duggan, J., Gubbins, C., Lai, Y., Carbery, R., Heneghan, S., Lannon, R., Sheehan, M. and Grant, K., 2020. Learning and Development Effectiveness in Organisations. Springer International Publishing.

Liebowitz, J., 2019. Building organizational intelligence: A knowledge management primer. CRC press.