Sunday, April 15, 2012

EIDT 6501 Training & Development: My Personal Development Plan (Week 7)


Greetings All,
We’re nearing the end of yet another semester, one week left!

This week we have a 2-part assignment...


Part 1
Write our own personal development plan specifically designed for us, and post it to our blog.
Personal development is an area we all could benefit from, and not just when it’s work related. Personal development is an area that I have recently begun to delve into love the idea of improving myself in all areas of life.

When creating any development plan you need to have a goal in mind-or a reason to develop. I’m okay at what I do (I don’t want to brag and/or seem arrogant J), I enjoy my job, and have no immediate aspirations to move quite yet; but I would like to get better and begin to prepare myself for a new role in the future.

Another key component in creating a development plan is to identify what you want to learn or how you want to improve. Here are the four areas in which I would like to learn/improve: continuing professional learning, and assessment.

Continuing Professional Learning (PM certification)
One of the areas that I would like to continue to pursue is continuing my education.  I have been on this path for a couple of years already in pursuing a Master’s degree in Instructional Design and Technology; but I don’t want my journey to end there.  I am very much interested in pursuing my PM certification with my company providing tuition reimbursement to assist with the test fees. The company could also supply materials (i.e. the PM Study book), as well as a website for self-study.  This certification would be of benefit to my company, as it would assist me in leading projects, and potentially transitioning to another position within the organization.



Continuing Professional Learning (CS5, Captivate, Articulate & e-Learning)
Another area that I would like to pursue is furthering my knowledge in is e-Learning. E-Learning has quickly become a primary training method and to remain competitive it is essential that a training team have an effective eLearning team. I feel it would be beneficial to both the company and myself, if I developed further in this area. The company could support my efforts with tuition reimbursement, reference books,

Assessment
Assessment “involves collecting information and providing feedback to employees about their behavior, communication style, values, or skills” (Noe, 2010, p. 355). Assessment can be used to identify employees with potential to move to higher-level positions as well identifying team members’ strengths, weaknesses, “as well as the decision processes or communication styles that inhibit the teams’ productivity” (Noe, 2010, p. 355). This is a necessary development tool for any employee seeking to get along with current co-workers or possible manger candidates. I feel it is an essential skill to understand how others communicate and get along. The company could conduct a Myers-Briggs or DISC assessment, which would assist in identifying strengths, weaknesses, and communications styles. This would not only benefit the current team, but also those interested in developing further in this area.



References
McCarthy, D. (2008, November 24). Great Leadership: How to Write a Great Individual Development Plan (IDP). Great Leadership. Retrieved April 15, 2012, from http://www.greatleadershipbydan.com/2008/11/how-to-write-great-individual.html

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


Part 2
Develop a 5- to 7-slide PowerPoint presentation to your boss or to the head of human resources at your organization. Make a definitive case for a company-wide employee development plan. Be sure to make at least FIVE strong points about why employee development will be beneficial to the organization. Also include at least THREE types of employee development initiatives you are suggesting that the organization adopt. 












Thursday, April 5, 2012

EIDT 6501 Training and Development: High Tech Training (Week 6)

Greetings everyone,

This week our assignment is to think about the various training technologies outlined in our required text and consider what impact these technologies are having and will continue to have in training and development environments. Then choose four technologies or technological advancements used in training, as described in the text. Next, conduct online research (in the Walden library or other reputable site) to find one additional article or resource that highlights the use of technology for teaching or training purposes. Finally post a blog entry that explains the impact each of your five selected technologies has and will continue to have on how people learn and interact, and the implications of this for training.

The technologies/technological advancements that I selected are:
  • Computer-based training (CBT)
  • Online Learning
  • Virtual Worlds (Second Life)
  • Mobile Technology: Ipods & PDAs
  • Online Social Networks
Computer-based training (CBT)
“An interactive training experience in which the computer provides the learning stimulus, the trainee must respond, and the computer analyzes the response and provides feedback to the trainee” (Noe, 2010, p. 303). CBT has had major impact on how people learn and interact, as it was a pioneering technology used in training delivery.

Online Learning
Also referred to as e-learning, “ refers to instruction and delivery of training by computer online through the Internet or the Web” (Noe, 2010, p. 305). E-Learning has changed “where” training must be delivered, as the Internet and Web are available worldwide.


Virtual Worlds
Virtual worlds such as Second Life, Forterra, and Virtual Heroes are “computer-based, simulated online virtual world that includes a three-dimensional representation of the real world and a place to host learning programs or experiences” (Noe, 2010, p. 321). What is especially interesting about this technology is its effectiveness to link users all over the world in a simulation. The simulation can be something as simple as a meeting, or as complex as a demonstration/tour of a client site. 


Mobile Technology: Ipods & PDAs
Another technology that has forever changed the realm of training, mobile technology allows learning to occur anywhere at anytime.  This is very important in today’s current environment, as everyone is on the go! Mobile technologies are also a great alternative or follow up to in person traditional training.

Online Social Networks
Everyone is familiar with online social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, Wordpress, etc-but few people utilize them for the invaluable learning tools they are. The evolving world of Internet communication blogs, podcasts, tags, file swapping offers students radically new ways to research, create, and learn” (Smith, n.d.).

“The Internet is primarily responsible for creating our revolution in learning. Internet technology has permitted the development of electronic networks that integrate voice, video, and data connections among learners, instructors, and experts” (Noe, 2010, p. 299).  


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

Smith, F. (n.d.). How to Use Social-Networking Technology for Learning. www.Edutopia.com . Retrieved April 5, 2012, from http://www.edutopia.org/social-networking-how-to