What is Web 2.0?
Are we using any Web 2.0 applications in class?
How do you feel about using these Web 2.0 applications?
Which 3 Web 2.0 applications do you think will be the killer apps of 2007? Why?
Web 2.0 is a new generation of web-based services. Web 2.0 is allowing end-users new ways of communicating news, ideas, and various other ways to get information out to others. Web 2.0's main focus is online collaboration and sharing among its users. Some examples of Web 2.0 are Blogger, Wiki's, etc.
The Web 2.0 applications we are using in class include Blackboard, Blogger, and Wikispace.
Blackboard is software that allows instructors and student away to communicate inside and outside of the classroom.
Blogger is where members can express their thoughts and ideas presented as journal entries.
Wikispace is where people can come together and develop their own web pages where a group of people can edit together.
I enjoy using these applications for school purposes. I feel like I can communicate easier online than I can in a classroom. I am able to express and get my thoughts together in a way I feel more comfortable with.
Three applications I believe could be killer applications of 2007 are Blogger, Myspace/Facebook, and Wikipedia.
Applications like Blogger are giving people ways to communicate their ideas and theories to anyone willing to read them. People are able to post anything of importance to them and then receive feedback/opinions from complete strangers.
Myspace/Facebook are allowing people to keep in contact with friends from school, work, people with similar interest, etc. Myspace/Facebooks also combines various Web 2.o applications into it with ways to blog, etc.
Wikipedia is offering a new way to get information about any topic of interest. Wikipedia is the new encyclopedia but is completely run by end-users. People are allowed to post and edit information as they please.
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Monday, February 19, 2007
Chapter 4
1. What learning condition do you think is most necessary for learning to occur? Which is least critical? Why?
2.What value would it be to know that you were going to be training a class of persons between the ages of 20 and 35? Would it influence the approach you would take? How?
3. How do instructional objectives help learning to occur?
4.Can allowing trainees to make errors in training be useful? Explain.
5.Detailed lesson plans have important information for trainers. List the different types of information found in a detailed lesson plan. Also, indicate the importance of each type of information for learning.
1. The learning condition I think is most necessary for learning to occur is Social Learning. Social learning emphasizes that people learn by observing other persons whom they believe are credible and knowledgeable. For me I tend to learn quicker if I am able to be around someone who already has the knowledge of what I’m learning. I sometimes find it difficult to understand certain things if I go into them with know guidance. I also feel better about what I’m learning if I have someone that knows about the subject telling me I’m doing the right thing. The least critical condition is reinforcement. Reinforcement emphasizes that people are motivated to perform or avoid certain behaviors because of past outcomes that have resulted from those behaviors. The reason I believe this condition is least critical is because I think that when you learn something it will be obvious that you will either get a good outcome or a bad outcome. I don’t really focus how I learn on whether in the end I’ll be ahead or behind.
2. If I was going to teach a training class of persons between the ages of 20 and 35 I would be more than welcome to do it. I would be in an age group that is growing up with me and should have some knowledge of what is the latest information they are trying to learn. It would influence the approach I took to some degree but not much. I would tailor the program to make sure everyone was on the same page. I wouldn’t think I would have to go into great detail about everything, but a little on some that I thought might not have reached everyone. After giving out a Needs Assessment questionnaire and knowing their skills I would be in a better place of deciding how much detailed information would be taught.
3. Instructional objectives help learning to occur by giving employees a positive learning environment or good instruction to perform the needed tasks the training program is suppose to do. An instructional objective give employees the objectives, tell them where it applies, gives them plenty of practice, and feedback. By the end employees should be able to get the most out of the training program.
4. I believe allowing trainees to make errors is one of the best ways to learn. Through errors trainees will be better at understand what to do and what not to do. Allowing errors will also help the trainees with troubleshooting when a customer gets the same error.
5. The different types of information found on a detailed lesson plan include learning objectives or outcomes, target audience, prerequisites, time, lesson outline, activity, support materials, physical environment, preparation, lesson topic, evaluation, and transfer and retention. The most important type is the learning objectives and outcomes. You want to know what the lesson is to accomplish and the best way to present the information for the best possible outcome. Next is the target audience because it will have with choosing meaningful examples, determining content, deciding on support materials, and building credibility. Prerequisites help trainees and instructors know who is qualified for the program and what needs to be done in order to participate. Time, lesson outline, activity, support materials, physical environment, preparation, and lesson topic can be categorized with equal important. They all are needed to make sure the program runs smoothly and the trainees get the most out of the program. Finally evaluation and transfer and retention close up a lesson plan be making sure everything is accomplished so that employees take the new knowledge and apply it to their job and remember that information for years to come.
2.What value would it be to know that you were going to be training a class of persons between the ages of 20 and 35? Would it influence the approach you would take? How?
3. How do instructional objectives help learning to occur?
4.Can allowing trainees to make errors in training be useful? Explain.
5.Detailed lesson plans have important information for trainers. List the different types of information found in a detailed lesson plan. Also, indicate the importance of each type of information for learning.
1. The learning condition I think is most necessary for learning to occur is Social Learning. Social learning emphasizes that people learn by observing other persons whom they believe are credible and knowledgeable. For me I tend to learn quicker if I am able to be around someone who already has the knowledge of what I’m learning. I sometimes find it difficult to understand certain things if I go into them with know guidance. I also feel better about what I’m learning if I have someone that knows about the subject telling me I’m doing the right thing. The least critical condition is reinforcement. Reinforcement emphasizes that people are motivated to perform or avoid certain behaviors because of past outcomes that have resulted from those behaviors. The reason I believe this condition is least critical is because I think that when you learn something it will be obvious that you will either get a good outcome or a bad outcome. I don’t really focus how I learn on whether in the end I’ll be ahead or behind.
2. If I was going to teach a training class of persons between the ages of 20 and 35 I would be more than welcome to do it. I would be in an age group that is growing up with me and should have some knowledge of what is the latest information they are trying to learn. It would influence the approach I took to some degree but not much. I would tailor the program to make sure everyone was on the same page. I wouldn’t think I would have to go into great detail about everything, but a little on some that I thought might not have reached everyone. After giving out a Needs Assessment questionnaire and knowing their skills I would be in a better place of deciding how much detailed information would be taught.
3. Instructional objectives help learning to occur by giving employees a positive learning environment or good instruction to perform the needed tasks the training program is suppose to do. An instructional objective give employees the objectives, tell them where it applies, gives them plenty of practice, and feedback. By the end employees should be able to get the most out of the training program.
4. I believe allowing trainees to make errors is one of the best ways to learn. Through errors trainees will be better at understand what to do and what not to do. Allowing errors will also help the trainees with troubleshooting when a customer gets the same error.
5. The different types of information found on a detailed lesson plan include learning objectives or outcomes, target audience, prerequisites, time, lesson outline, activity, support materials, physical environment, preparation, lesson topic, evaluation, and transfer and retention. The most important type is the learning objectives and outcomes. You want to know what the lesson is to accomplish and the best way to present the information for the best possible outcome. Next is the target audience because it will have with choosing meaningful examples, determining content, deciding on support materials, and building credibility. Prerequisites help trainees and instructors know who is qualified for the program and what needs to be done in order to participate. Time, lesson outline, activity, support materials, physical environment, preparation, and lesson topic can be categorized with equal important. They all are needed to make sure the program runs smoothly and the trainees get the most out of the program. Finally evaluation and transfer and retention close up a lesson plan be making sure everything is accomplished so that employees take the new knowledge and apply it to their job and remember that information for years to come.
Sunday, February 4, 2007
Chapter 3 Homework
2. If you were going to use online technology to identify training needs for customer service representatives for a web-based clothing company, what steps would you take to ensure that the technology was not threatening to employees?
Steps that could be taken to ensure technology was not threatening to employees is to make sure you use the information to help the employees with future training and development activities and not to punish them. Offer the employee additional training on skills needed to improve job performance.
3. Needs assessment involves organiztion, person, and task analyses. Which one of these analyses do you believe is most important? Which is least important? Why?
The most important needs assessment analysis is person analysis because it identifies employees who need training. It is important to identify specific persons who need training as to not waste company time and money.The analysis that is least important is task analysis because it is time-consuming, tedious process that involves a large time commitment to gather and summarize data from many different persons in the company.
4. Why should upper-level managers be included in the needs assessment process?
Upper-level managers should be involved in the needs assessment process because:
- they view needs assessment process from a broader company perspective
- also involved in identifying business functions or units needing training and in determining if the company has the knowledge, skills, and abilities in the work force that are necessary to meets its strategy and be competitive in the marketplace
- be involved to determine whether training meets the company’s strategy and then to provide appropriate financial resources
Steps that could be taken to ensure technology was not threatening to employees is to make sure you use the information to help the employees with future training and development activities and not to punish them. Offer the employee additional training on skills needed to improve job performance.
3. Needs assessment involves organiztion, person, and task analyses. Which one of these analyses do you believe is most important? Which is least important? Why?
The most important needs assessment analysis is person analysis because it identifies employees who need training. It is important to identify specific persons who need training as to not waste company time and money.The analysis that is least important is task analysis because it is time-consuming, tedious process that involves a large time commitment to gather and summarize data from many different persons in the company.
4. Why should upper-level managers be included in the needs assessment process?
Upper-level managers should be involved in the needs assessment process because:
- they view needs assessment process from a broader company perspective
- also involved in identifying business functions or units needing training and in determining if the company has the knowledge, skills, and abilities in the work force that are necessary to meets its strategy and be competitive in the marketplace
- be involved to determine whether training meets the company’s strategy and then to provide appropriate financial resources
Chapter 2 Homework
2. What do you think is the most important organizational characteristic that influences training? Why?
I believe the most important organizational characteristic that influences training is staff involvement in training and development. It is important because it determines how often and how well a company’s training program is used. If managers are aware of what development activity can be achieved they will be more willing to get involved. They would also want to be more involved if incentives were used. With the help of employees planning their own development companies will support training and development activities. Identifying the needs of employees helps move to greater involvement in training and development.
3. What is human capital? How is human capital influencing the changing role of training from skill and knowledge acquisition to creating and sharing knowledge?
Human capital refers to the sum of the attributes, life experiences, knowledge, inventiveness, energy, and enthusiasm that the company’s employees invest in their work. Human capital is influencing the changing role of training from skill and knowledge acquisition to creating and sharing knowledge by offering employees ways of communicating their ideas/suggestions to better improve business functions through email and/or websites. If those ideas are approved they can be sent online to other business branches to be implemented.
6. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a centralized training function?
Advantages of a centralized training function include:
- helps drive stronger alignment with business strategy
- allows development of a common set or metrics or scorecards to measure and report rates of quality and delivery
- helps to streamline processes
- gives the company a cost advantage in purchasing training from vendors and consultants because of the number of trainees who will be involved
- helps companies better integrate programs for developing leaders and managing talent with training and learning during times of change
Disadvantages of a centralized training function include:
- multiple lines authority
- can be expensive
- may become rigid and inflexible when dealing with day to day training issues
I believe the most important organizational characteristic that influences training is staff involvement in training and development. It is important because it determines how often and how well a company’s training program is used. If managers are aware of what development activity can be achieved they will be more willing to get involved. They would also want to be more involved if incentives were used. With the help of employees planning their own development companies will support training and development activities. Identifying the needs of employees helps move to greater involvement in training and development.
3. What is human capital? How is human capital influencing the changing role of training from skill and knowledge acquisition to creating and sharing knowledge?
Human capital refers to the sum of the attributes, life experiences, knowledge, inventiveness, energy, and enthusiasm that the company’s employees invest in their work. Human capital is influencing the changing role of training from skill and knowledge acquisition to creating and sharing knowledge by offering employees ways of communicating their ideas/suggestions to better improve business functions through email and/or websites. If those ideas are approved they can be sent online to other business branches to be implemented.
6. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a centralized training function?
Advantages of a centralized training function include:
- helps drive stronger alignment with business strategy
- allows development of a common set or metrics or scorecards to measure and report rates of quality and delivery
- helps to streamline processes
- gives the company a cost advantage in purchasing training from vendors and consultants because of the number of trainees who will be involved
- helps companies better integrate programs for developing leaders and managing talent with training and learning during times of change
Disadvantages of a centralized training function include:
- multiple lines authority
- can be expensive
- may become rigid and inflexible when dealing with day to day training issues
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Revsion of Homework 1
I just wanted to update the answer I left for question #2.
2. What steps are included in the training design model? What step do you think is most important? Why?
The steps of training design model are Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. The step I think is the most important is evaluation. This step shows if all the hard work you put through designing, developing, and implementing the training session is successful in accomplishing what you wanted your employees to learn during the training session.
The reason I am updating this question is because the only model I could find was the ASTD Competency model and think this model above is more of what you wanted.
2. What steps are included in the training design model? What step do you think is most important? Why?
The steps of training design model are Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation. The step I think is the most important is evaluation. This step shows if all the hard work you put through designing, developing, and implementing the training session is successful in accomplishing what you wanted your employees to learn during the training session.
The reason I am updating this question is because the only model I could find was the ASTD Competency model and think this model above is more of what you wanted.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Chapter 1 questions and answers
Chapter 1 Homework questions:
1. Describe the forces affecting the workplace and learning. How can training help companies deal with these forces?
2. What steps are included in the training design model? What step do you think is most important? Why?
3. What are intangible assets? How do they relate to training and development?
4. Which of the training professionals' roles do you believe is most difficult to learn? Which is easiest?
5. How might technology influence the importance of training professionals' roles? Can technology reduce the importance of any of the roles? Can it result in additional roles?
6. Describe the training courses that you have taken. How have they helped you? Provide recommendations for improving the courses.
7. What are the implications of the aging work force? What strategies should companies consider from a training and development perspective to best utilize older employees and prepare for their retirement?
Answers:
1. The forces affecting the workplace and learning are:
Globalization means to make worldwide. It also means that employees working in the US will come from other countries and that US companies may move job overseas. Training helps prepare employees and their families to understand the culture and norms of the country they are being relocated to and to return to the United States after their assignment
Need for leadership means having employees with global leadership skills to be able to build international teams, create global management and marketing practices, and interact and manage employees from diverse cultural backgrounds. They also need to help retain employees being good communicators. Training helps managers learn ways to interact with their colleagues or requires them to do research.
Increased value placed on intangible assets and human capital means a way to gain an advantage over competitors. Training helps a company’s competitiveness by directly increasing the company’s value through contributing to intangible assets.
Focus on link to business strategy means plans for meeting broad goals such as profitability, market share, and quality. Training helps design and develop learning activities that will help the company successfully implement its strategy and reach business goals.
Attracting and retaining talent means being able to attract employees with the needed skills and being able to retain them by offering an attractive salary, interesting job, etc. Training helps fills in the gaps where an employee might not have much background with a skill and increases employees’ opportunities for advancement.
Customer service and quality emphasis means understanding what the customer wants and anticipating future needs. Training helps support its quality and customer satisfaction goals by offering classroom training, on-the-job training, coaching and mentoring, observation, and assessments. It can also help companies meet the quality challenge by teaching employees statistical process control and other quality-related skills that they can use to build quality into a product.
Changing demographics and diversity of the work force means keeping a staff with different ages or areas in ethnicity in order to ideas fresh. Training helps employees figure out where they like to work best in an environment by changing positions.
New technology means an introduction of a new device or application that enhances the use of technology. Training helps keep employees up to date with the latest advances in technology to help with aide their consumers.
High-Performance models of work systems means helping employees work as a team whether it by work teams, cross training, or virtual teams. Training helps by providing training to employees in a wide range of skills so they can fill any of the roles needed to be performed on the team.
Economic changes means an increase in political unrest across the globe causes an increase in economic uncertainty and affects investment decisions in physical and human capital. Training helps when it is needed most by the company.
2. The steps included in the training design model are foundation, focus, and successful execution. The most important step is the second step, focus. This step includes the areas of expertise, which are the specific technical and professional skills and knowledge required for success. Without this step you would not be able to move to the top to be considered successful.
3. Intangible assets cannot be touched and are nonmonetary, however equally as valuable as financial and physical assets. They relate to training and development by helping a company’s competitiveness by directly increasing the company’s value through contributing to intangible assets.
4. The most difficult training professionals’ role is the executive-level training/human resource manager because of the extent of multiple levels of training that would fall under your responsibility. The easiest would be a classroom instructor because once lessons plans are developed they are easily adaptive to new technology.
5. Technology influences the importance of training professionals’ roles because technology changes so often and quickly that it is necessary to keep technology trainers to keep the workforce up to par. Technology can not reduce the importance of any of the roles because even if a technology is developed for training, i.e. Camtasia training videos, you still need the technology expert to create the videos. Depending on the type of technology developed it might result in additional roles.
6. At this moment in time I have not formally taken what would be considered a training course. I would hope if I were to take a training course I would learn everything I could about what was being taught to me. I would recommend a lot of “hand-on” training to better understand the material being taught.
7. The implications of the aging work force is that they are not willing to learn newer technologies being used in the working environment. However, older employees want to work, many say they plan a working retirement, and are willing to learn new technology. Strategies companies can consider from a training and development perspective to best utilize older employees and prepare for their retirement are to allow them to work part-time or for only a few months at a time or include second careers as well as part-time and temporary work assignments.
1. Describe the forces affecting the workplace and learning. How can training help companies deal with these forces?
2. What steps are included in the training design model? What step do you think is most important? Why?
3. What are intangible assets? How do they relate to training and development?
4. Which of the training professionals' roles do you believe is most difficult to learn? Which is easiest?
5. How might technology influence the importance of training professionals' roles? Can technology reduce the importance of any of the roles? Can it result in additional roles?
6. Describe the training courses that you have taken. How have they helped you? Provide recommendations for improving the courses.
7. What are the implications of the aging work force? What strategies should companies consider from a training and development perspective to best utilize older employees and prepare for their retirement?
Answers:
1. The forces affecting the workplace and learning are:
Globalization means to make worldwide. It also means that employees working in the US will come from other countries and that US companies may move job overseas. Training helps prepare employees and their families to understand the culture and norms of the country they are being relocated to and to return to the United States after their assignment
Need for leadership means having employees with global leadership skills to be able to build international teams, create global management and marketing practices, and interact and manage employees from diverse cultural backgrounds. They also need to help retain employees being good communicators. Training helps managers learn ways to interact with their colleagues or requires them to do research.
Increased value placed on intangible assets and human capital means a way to gain an advantage over competitors. Training helps a company’s competitiveness by directly increasing the company’s value through contributing to intangible assets.
Focus on link to business strategy means plans for meeting broad goals such as profitability, market share, and quality. Training helps design and develop learning activities that will help the company successfully implement its strategy and reach business goals.
Attracting and retaining talent means being able to attract employees with the needed skills and being able to retain them by offering an attractive salary, interesting job, etc. Training helps fills in the gaps where an employee might not have much background with a skill and increases employees’ opportunities for advancement.
Customer service and quality emphasis means understanding what the customer wants and anticipating future needs. Training helps support its quality and customer satisfaction goals by offering classroom training, on-the-job training, coaching and mentoring, observation, and assessments. It can also help companies meet the quality challenge by teaching employees statistical process control and other quality-related skills that they can use to build quality into a product.
Changing demographics and diversity of the work force means keeping a staff with different ages or areas in ethnicity in order to ideas fresh. Training helps employees figure out where they like to work best in an environment by changing positions.
New technology means an introduction of a new device or application that enhances the use of technology. Training helps keep employees up to date with the latest advances in technology to help with aide their consumers.
High-Performance models of work systems means helping employees work as a team whether it by work teams, cross training, or virtual teams. Training helps by providing training to employees in a wide range of skills so they can fill any of the roles needed to be performed on the team.
Economic changes means an increase in political unrest across the globe causes an increase in economic uncertainty and affects investment decisions in physical and human capital. Training helps when it is needed most by the company.
2. The steps included in the training design model are foundation, focus, and successful execution. The most important step is the second step, focus. This step includes the areas of expertise, which are the specific technical and professional skills and knowledge required for success. Without this step you would not be able to move to the top to be considered successful.
3. Intangible assets cannot be touched and are nonmonetary, however equally as valuable as financial and physical assets. They relate to training and development by helping a company’s competitiveness by directly increasing the company’s value through contributing to intangible assets.
4. The most difficult training professionals’ role is the executive-level training/human resource manager because of the extent of multiple levels of training that would fall under your responsibility. The easiest would be a classroom instructor because once lessons plans are developed they are easily adaptive to new technology.
5. Technology influences the importance of training professionals’ roles because technology changes so often and quickly that it is necessary to keep technology trainers to keep the workforce up to par. Technology can not reduce the importance of any of the roles because even if a technology is developed for training, i.e. Camtasia training videos, you still need the technology expert to create the videos. Depending on the type of technology developed it might result in additional roles.
6. At this moment in time I have not formally taken what would be considered a training course. I would hope if I were to take a training course I would learn everything I could about what was being taught to me. I would recommend a lot of “hand-on” training to better understand the material being taught.
7. The implications of the aging work force is that they are not willing to learn newer technologies being used in the working environment. However, older employees want to work, many say they plan a working retirement, and are willing to learn new technology. Strategies companies can consider from a training and development perspective to best utilize older employees and prepare for their retirement are to allow them to work part-time or for only a few months at a time or include second careers as well as part-time and temporary work assignments.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
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