Training in the 21st Century - Assignment Example

Training in the 21st Century Importance of E-Learning and Blended Learning E-learning has definitely is past the hype-phase, the critical phase, andis at a point wherein it has to be result-oriented meeting immediate and long term performance standards of the personnel. E-learning methodologies have far surpassed the symbolic practice of acquisition of new platforms and technologies to instillation of strong ethic for learning to a make a crucial difference in commercial and corporate world. For it is not the technology alone, that makes a difference but its voluntary adoption for performance driven objectives that lie at the core of contemporary Human Resource development needs. From the objectivity of technology driven agenda the focus in the global competitive environment is subjective behavioural building change into an individual for constant self-improvement. Though the spirit of constant self-evolution has been addressed differently by different human resource professionals, its essence is the same. Training in the modern circumstance is a constant quest for self-evolution through adaptive learning. The cult for ‘learn to learn’ has to be enthused in the personnel because the interests of the organisations and interests of the worker inextricably linked to each other. Defining Learning Bob Garvey of the Mentoring and Coaching Research Unit at Sheffield Hallam University prefers to define the training and learning activities as ‘helping activities’ while CIPD prefers terms like ‘support and challenge.’ ‘Support and Challenge’ are intended to be skill mediations, which by appropriate measures and delivery of a range of interventions help the recipient trainee to move forward. CIPD further rationalizes its approach to coaching by describing it as a non-directive intervention delivered on-the-job. Regardless of the different nomenclature to depict non-classroom training, there is an increasing awareness in the workers and trainers towards self-learning methodologies. In the CIPD survey of 2006, 56 percent of the responses were for on job learning and a minority 17 percent was in favour of specific training courses. However, there is no single approach that can offer an effective solution to the delivery of learning in today’s competitive environment feels Martyn Sloman of CIPD. E-learning definitely works better in dissemination of facts and figures laced ‘hard knowledge’ than communication of soft skills. The personnel have to be given a mix and match scheme wherever they find e-learning impersonal and lacking human touch. Class room education and teacher-taught relationship need not be dispensed with altogether but should serve to fill the gap wherever e-learning falls short in achieving the intended results or the work profile entails non PC platforms. How Technology Has Helped? The workers and the line managers should be made to accept the fact that e-learning and blended learning is not a mere cost cutting measure. The notion being held by a large number of workers that technology is interventionist and holds the potential to cold shoulder them in the race of man and machine needs to be dispelled. Sometimes such notions act as deterrents in propagation of e-learning techniques. Examples of private corporate world, where information technology based learning modules were used to further the objectives of the company, by making each and every individual an integral and indispensable part of the company initiative, can come in handy to further the e-learning and blended learning techniques at the Academy. Attitude to Learn Important than Technology Information technology modules customized to individual needs of workers and line managers can serve not only the purpose of achieving organisation’s objectives, but also as confidence building measure to adopt fresh learning. However, the attitude and orientation of workers and managers towards acceptance of the need to learn is more important than the import of training technology in their working place. Making generic e-learning products available to unsupported volunteer learners might deliver training budget cost savings, but it does not advance learning in the organisation according to Martyn Sloman, the author of E-learning, The learning Curve, a study of ten organisations who are committed to e-learning (http://www.trainingreference.co.uk/news/el030210.htm). This once again brings into focus the Academy staff that may in its haste thrust technology upon others by not at first not fully making themselves acquainting themselves with the content and intent of the training module and second not generating enough preparedness in the learners. “The message from Rebecca Clake, CIPD adviser, organisation and development, is that technology is simply one of the things HR can use. What’s really important is what you do with it, and how you do it” http://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/pm/articles/rageagainstthemachine.htm?name=work-life+balance&type=subject . The Academy staff needs to be more aware of what is to be taught by them. And above all they need to have faith in their knowledge. What Needs to be Done? In the midst of waves of Human Resource training development the Academy needs to focus more on customization of its training practice to suit individual needs and wants. To remove the mindset that the Academy has “generic” purpose of training and the tag of an outside agency, out to cut costs is the need of the hour. It needs to be instilled in the customers that Academy is a guide with constructivist policy approach for inducing self-learning in the individuals. First we need to develop a training culture that makes training an ongoing and perpetual process from being an event based function. We need to move away from the emphasis on training and place more on building learning into our everyday working lives says Martyn Sloman. It is an initiative change says CIPD not a short term cost cutting measure. The Resistance to Change Workers are still prone to think of training that can be acquired only through class room based techniques. Resistance to in situ training is part of mindset that has perpetuated in the last fifty years and came to an abrupt halt with the advent of IT. The transition though abrupt has given results in the private corporate world that can be made bench mark standards for evaluation and motivation. Make Them Free To Learn Learners should be given the opportunity to decide the timings and time limits that suit them to carry out their learning activities. The learning culture is known to thrive more in relative independence than dependence on training organisation. It is not a vertical function of the training hierarchy working from top to bottom but works laterally increasing the horizon of knowledge of a team member. “CIPD advises that ‘because so much learning occurs directly through work, managers should aim to include these responsibilities within their normal repertoire of behaviours, rather than view them as separate learning activities.” Another way to go about it is to by creating sets of individuals for online training called the learning sets. Then these very sets of people that are given small modular lessons on specifics can act as peer groups for each other. An individual can act as a team leader for learining. This kind of performance enhancing technique has already been applied successfully at Scottish Fire and Rescue Service . Self-Development—The Way Out Whereas the individuals may still feel that self-development is choosing a expedient course of development in future and the self it is best left to take care for itself, it is more important to inform that it self development in the modern parlance has to be understood in terms of self management and knowledge mangagement. It is here that focus again shifts to IT and e-learning. Message has to be sent across from the Academy that e-learning makes available latest on that is available at the at the click of the mouse that is available on the shelf for learning. Role Models Aleady in the Academy as well as elsewhere in the world those who adopted and excelled through e-learning have turned out to be champions in their field. Those who embodied the e-learning usage some years back can be shown as beacons of inspiration to serve as guides to those who still view the e-learning and Academy with skepticism. For this one of the foremost concerns is to make available the latest information, and research with the Academy. PC Users and Non-PC Users A sharp dichotomy is to be made in the study material intended for PC users and non-PC users in their work place. The workers who use PC are more familiar with e-learning techniques and ready to grasp it but non- PC users may have conservative mindsets. Two pronged approach is needed to address the issue related to two groups. For the latter event-based, and work-based training should be more effective and more and more computer skills needed to be imparted to them. The shift from conventional learning to e-learning should be gradual and direclty related to the grasp of computer skills on part of the individual trainee.This factor again underlines the fact that ‘generic’ training should inceasingly be replaced by customized training based upon individual needs. Adoption of Oracle Human Resource Management System For successful implementation of Oracle Human Resource Management module in the Academy, of primal importance is the free use of Information Technology for the HR data base management and learning. Increasingly e-learining techniques, performance appraisals will be managed electronically. Special learning techniques sessions should be held for those personnel, who show reluctance in using PC. Wherever work entails non-PC usasge, appropriate resource facilitation centres should be set up. At core of effective implementation of Oracle Human Resource Management System lies the collection and creation of a unique database of all the employees connected to the Academy wherein the position of each individual is well-defined in context to their organisation. As a first phase for Oracle Human Resource Implementation progarmme the “Pyramid of Excellence” based on Oracle’s pyramid is to be created and each area of the Human Resource Management be identified with four modules of “Comply, Automate, Measure and Align. Comply For implementation of comply modules a single dat base of ‘who is doing what and where’ is to be created. This unique identification is then to be used as a feed to the Oracle Human Resource Managaement system. The data can be collected department, region, division or team wise down to each individual. Once fully operational Oracle Tutor will be put in place to document and record all activities and training programmes. It will help an individual to visualise the their processes and procedures better. The Oracle Learning Management suite will form the backbone of the Oracle Human Resource Management implementation. This feed will also include the upward and downward of flow of work and instructional schedule. We have to enlist all the necessary rules and local legislation to be used by the Oracle system. All data wherever possible will be given a single interface thus facilitating the work of Academy managers and departmental heads for training purpose. Structured learning paths, creation and management of unified compliance path and creation of tests to judge the effectiveness of learning system are other key essentials to be used in the implementation of Oracle based Learning Management. Automate The Compliance phase is followed by Automatation. Wherevever possible the learning methods and information follow required thereof is automated. i. Oracle Self Service In this platform a unique interface will be given to an individual where they can update their learning profiles, what recently study material they have taken and the scores (if any) the tests undertaken. By updating on this interface that will be availbale to the trainer as well as the trainee, paper will decrease and individuals will themselves have the first hand information. By providing single point of entry to the trainee, the trainer and the manager there will be marked decrease in errors and training related information will be available at the click of the mouse. ii. Oracle Workflow Oracle workflow decreases the paperwork and their can be direct routing and approvals of learning instructions and needs on electronic medium. Measure With accurate measurement of the financial data and metrics, this tool will help the Academy to analyse investments in training and learning sector. To measure the investment made into HR training, the following Oracle modules will be put to use. i. Financials Oracle Human Resource training record being available at one place will provide easy access to financial analysts to do their work. This allows for study of data to the minutest level and its import to the excel sheets. ii. Oracle Human Resource Intellingence This is in important inbuilt tool of the Oracle HRMS that will help analyse and manage HR processes. It will provide timely and accurate access to HRMS applications in learning enabling better strategic decision making and comprehensive man-power analysis. The results will be greater achievement of learning objectives in theory and practice.OHRI will be utilised to detect out of conformance training reports and key performance indicators. This can be possible on day to day or week to week basis at the click of a mouse.It will help in better management of workforce development and learning and analyse gaps in skill sets and learning procedures. iii. Analyse Personnel Composition: OHRI will allow us to understand the composition and then their learning needs better at the administrative level. Align The fourth key parameter of the Oracle Pyramid of Excellence is Align Lack of proper alignment between different departments, regions, departments and divisions is often a cause of not knowing what is to be done, how it is to be achieved and ultimately what skill sets are required for which particular team or group. The following Oracle modules will be better and more effective in working of the Academy to align its purpose and learning activity.. i. Oracle Human Resources and Oracle Self-Service Human Resources The combination of Oracle Human Resources and Oracle Self-Service module will be used to meet work objectives by identifying current and future job requirements and capabilities. There will be appropriate job pathing and structured learning. Identify required skills and qualifications to help assess and deploy people to jobs or projects using comprehensive competency management. It will help identify required skill sets and qualificationa and then to help assess and deploy people using comprehensive competency management. It will help to continually measure and montior learing vis a vis personal performance and use structured career development methods. Online appraisals of objectives and competencies will ensure that learning graph of individuals will show a constant upwards spiral. Oracle Learning Management: The oracle learning management module will provide Completely scalable, and track online, class-room, self-paced, blended training methods. Line managers will be able to able to automate key flows from skill assessment to performance appraisals to training assessments. We can also implement the following Oracle Learning Management to create reusable framework to describe learning objectives, training levels attained by learner, automatically update profiles, and create comprehensive learning paths. It will help create and manage learning content, makes use of mixed media ,and multiple learning methods resulting in optimal delivery of learning techniques to the workers. It will help to schedule and manage learning resources in right locations ensuring that instructors possess the right kind of skills and requirements. OLM helps accurately analyse the training initiatives to drive future training investments. References and Bibliography 1. http://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk 2. http://www.trainingreference.co.uk 3. http://www.trainingfoundation.com 4. http://www.apinfo.co.uk 5. http://www.cipd.co.uk 6. http://www.oracle.com/applications/Effective_Workforce_Mar06.pdf Read More