1. Why are trends in the world at large important to organizations? Identify two such trends, and offer examples of ways that learning and performance departments have begin to address them.
Organizations must keep up with trends to be successful. One example would be instant messaging at work. Yes it could create an easy access way to communicate, but learning and performance departments must know the regulations so that won’t abuse the software. Another example is using outside programs for work. Learning and performance departments must make sure that every employee knows the policy about foreign programs.
2. What differentiates strategic learning from informational learning and operational learning? Is such a distinction important? Why or why not?
Strategic learning means that the plans you create are long-term goal and objectives. Informational learning provides information about the organization to the workforce, such as orientation programs to help new employees. Operational learning provides information that is needed to accomplish day-to-day activities, and relates directly to an employee’s job. Distinction is needed because you can give an employee as much information as you want, but until that information is used to complete goals it will continue to remain information. For example, if your boss wants customers to about a new television and ways to keep those customers, your goal would be to find ways to present the information to the customer in way to keep them coming back.
3. How might a learning and performance director's personal philosophy conflict with the philosophy of the department he or she leads?
The philosophy from a learning and performance director may not be understood by all in the department. For example, the director’s philosophy is “We work as a team”. If the director always has one person on an assignment with no help from other employees, then the philosophy has no meaning. It is only words.
4. As a workplace learning professional, would you prefer to work in a department that was organized on a faculty model, a client model, a matrix model, or a corporate university model? What are some advantages and disadvantages of each?
I would prefer to work in a department that was organized on a matrix model. Yes with two bosses there could be conflict and confusion, but at the same time the needs of the department and organization will be met.
Faculty Model
Advantages: Careful coverage of topics; useful for planning and control. Disadvantages: Ignores content areas where instructors lack expertise.
Client Model
Advantages: Focus on business needs rather than faculty interest. The design and delivery of learning initiatives can more easily focus on the learner’s needs without obvious influence from the instructor. Disadvantage: Constantly changing and complex planning.
Matrix Model
Advantages: Learning needs matches the needs of the department and organization.
Disadvantage: With two bosses, there can be conflict and confusion.
5. "Corporate University is just a new name for a learning and performance department." To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
The term Corporate University should not be considered a new name for a learning and performance department. A university is somewhere you would go to better yourself as a person in the world. That would mean a Corporate University is where you would go to better prepare yourself to work in a professional field. For example, if you are lacking in presentation skills the training you receive from the Corporate University could make you one of the best presenters at that company.
6. Describe each of the four stages of the Instructional Development Cycle: assessment, design, implementation, and evaluation. Why is it termed a "cycle"? Discuss why efforts at each stage are so dependent upon outcomes of other stages.
Assessment: You investigate the current state of a problem.
Design: Creating a solution to the problem.
Implementation: Putting the planned solution into to action.
Evaluation: Measuring the impact the solution had on the problem.
The term cycle it is a way to figuring out solutions to problems in an organized fashion. If you assess the problem incorrectly, then you will have trouble creating the right solution. One wrong decision in the beginning can create a big problem in the end.
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