Best and Worst Training Experiences Essay
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Best and Worst Training Experiences Essay
This assignment is worth 20% of your final grade. It gives you an opportunity to apply concepts and theories from the textbook to your real-life experience in training programs. You must complete this assignment individually, without contacting other students. The assignment addresses Course Objectives 1, 4, and 5.
Most of us have had to participate in some type of training on our jobs, such as new employee orientation, lunch-and-learn workshops, Employee Assistance Program training, technical skill training, employee benefits update meetings, or management development workshops. Some of us have experienced on-the-job training. Others have participated in professional development workshops or skills-based continuing education classes. Think about the best and worst training experiences you have had.
YOUR ASSIGNMENT
Write an 8-10 page essay (not including cover and reference pages) analyzing both your best and worst training experiences as an employee. Be specific in discussing what made the experiences good or bad. Chapters 4-8 in the textbook cover the design of training, transfer of training, evaluation of training, and training methods; you might want to review the chapter summaries in the Course Content area of our classroom to refresh your understanding of important theories and concepts that might apply to your training experiences. There is also a list of key terms at the end of each chapter in the textbook and a glossary on pp. 485-496.
Your essay should include brief descriptions of the training experiences:
• The objective(s) of the training
• The target audience
• The training site (see Chapter 5)
• Training methods used (see Chapters 7 and 8)
• What, if any, kind of evaluation was conducted (see Chapter 6)
The major focus of your paper is your analysis, which is worth 65% of the grade for this assignment. Your analysis should include:
• An assessment of the specific factors that contributed to the success or ineffectiveness of the training; for example, consider these questions:
o Did the training achieve its objective(s)?
o Was the training site conducive to learning?
o Were the methods chosen appropriate for the topic and the audience?
o Did you have opportunities to practice and receive feedback?
• A discussion of the learning theory or theories that you believe guided the training (see Chapter 4)
• An assessment of the competencies, knowledge, and/or skills demonstrated by the trainer(s). In 2013 the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) introduced a new ASTD Competency Model for training and development professionals. Click on the link below to access an interactive version of the competency model (for example, click on Training Delivery to see the definition of this competency and behavioral indicators):
http://www.astd.org/Certification/Competency-Model
• A discussion of whether or not you transferred what you learned to your job, whether or not you had any lapses, and what contributed to your successful or unsuccessful transfer or to your lapses (see Chapter 4)
• Your specific recommendations for improving the training, based on what you now know about effective training programs
The information above should be included in your paper but you are free to organize your essay in whatever way makes sense to you. You may use the first person (“I attended a program” or “the trainer told us”) in discussing your experiences. Support your analysis with citations from the textbook, additional readings from this class or other HR courses, and your own research. You can also apply what you have learned from the supplemental information about Bloom’s taxonomy and Kirkpatrick’s levels of evaluation posted in Course Content and from using the T&D tools. Make sure you define all key terms and cite the source(s) of your definition. Since this is not primarily a research paper, no specific number of references is required. However, you must cite the textbook.
Use APA format for all citations, quotations, and references. References should be listed on a separate page as required by APA style. Please put your name and your Turnitin score on a cover page. Your paper should be double spaced with one inch margins and a font size of at least 11 points; do not include any spaces between paragraphs or sections.
Submit your report to Turnitin.com for an originality report. Instructions for using Turnitin can be found in the Course Content area. Because many factors can affect the originality score, there is no specific required score. However, you should try to get your score as low as possible and if it is not in the “green,” you should make revisions. Read your originality report carefully and if you are not satisfied with your Turnitin score, you can revise and resubmit your paper as many times as you like; however, you must use the same document name each time you submit it. It can take 4-24 hours to get an originality report, so plan your time accordingly. Papers submitted without a Turnitin score will be returned unread and the standard late penalty will apply until the paper is resubmitted with the score.
Submit your assignment electronically via the Assignment folder.
Name your file this way: YourLastNameFirstInitial_BestWorst
(Example: DrakeClarkD_BestWorst)
Due date: Sunday, July 13, 11:59 p.m. Eastern time.
Please see the next page for the grading criteria for this assignment.
Criteria for Grading Best and Worst Training Experiences Essay
A B C F Points Earned
Knowledge and Application of Relevant Concepts and Theories
(65 pts) Student demonstrated exceptional knowledge of relevant theories and concepts; student did an exceptional job of applying theories and concepts to workplace training experiences; all statements and opinions were supported by appropriate citations from the textbook and from other sources.
65 – 59 points Student demonstrated satisfactory knowledge of relevant theories and concepts; student did a satisfactory job of applying theories and concepts to workplace training experiences; most statements and opinions were supported by appropriate citations primarily from the textbook.
58 – 52 points Student demonstrated less than satisfactory knowledge of relevant theories and concepts; student did a less than satisfactory job of applying theories and concepts to workplace training experiences; some statements and opinions were not supported by appropriate citations.
51 – 46 points Student demonstrated unsatisfactory knowledge of relevant theories and concepts; student did an inadequate job of applying theories and concepts to workplace training experiences; many statements and opinions were not supported by appropriate citations.
45 – 0 points
Comments
Presentation of Ideas and Mechanics
(30 pts) Student presented ideas in a clear, compelling manner; essay contained few distracting writing, grammar, and/or spelling problems; the page length requirement was met.
30 – 27 points Student presented ideas in an organized manner; essay contained several distracting writing, grammar, and/or spelling problems; the page length requirement may have been slightly exceeded.
26 – 24 points Student presented ideas in a somewhat organized manner; essay contained a number of distracting grammar and/or spelling problems; the page length requirement may not have been met.
23 – 21 points Student presented ideas in a poorly organized manner; essay contained many distracting writing, grammar, and/or spelling problems; the page length requirement was not met.
20 – 0 points
Comments
APA formatting
(5 pts) All citations, quotations, and references were formatted correctly or contained only one or two minor errors.
5.0 – 4.5 Most citations, quotations, and references were formatted correctly or contained a few minor errors.
4.4 – 4.0 points Some citations, quotations, and references were not formatted correctly or contained major errors.
3.9 – 3.5 points Many citations, quotations, and references were not formatted correctly or contained many errors.
3.4 – 0 points
Comments
Total Points Earned
(100 points max)
Overall Comments
SAMPLE ANSWER
Best and Worst Training Experiences
Introduction
Organizations often train their employees with the aim of equipping them with skills in new areas or areas in which they are not properly conversant. As such, the training experience can either be effective or ineffective based on several factors that can be caused by the trainer or the training environment (Ameeq-ul-Amee, 2013). As an employee, I happened to have attended two trainings that made me realize that not all trainings can be effective to employees. In my first training, we were to be oriented on the methods of interacting with the local community member to whom we were to distribute sanitary pads and sleeping nets. My second training was focused on the development of knowledge on ISO (International Organization for Standardization) practices, which were to apply in our daily activities in a dairy company where I was employed as a part-time worker. In relation to this, the training on the ISO practices happened to be my best training, while those on how to interact with the local community members was my worst. These outcomes were attributed to several factors that are analyzed below.
Description of the Two Trainings
The principle objective of the first training was to equip employees with adequate knowledge on how to interact with the local community members during the distribution of sleeping nets and sanitary pads. This training was funded by a local NGO that dealt with the welfare of the local communities. The training was conducted at a park next to a busy highway as this place was considered convenient to all the trainees in terms of accessibility. Its target audience was the local community members. However, this training did not involve an evaluation to ascertain whether the employees had benefited from it or not. On the other side, the training on ISO practices was targeted at equipping workers with adequate skills and knowledge on the best manufacturing practices so that they could apply this knowledge in enhancing productivity in the dairy company. This training was carried out in one of the company’s conference rooms and its target audience was the employees. Besides, this training also involved an evaluation to ascertain whether the workers had gained knowledge from it or not.
Analysis of Factors that Led to the Success and Failure of the Two Trainings
Factors that Contributed to the Success of the Training on ISO Practices
This training was conducted to nine workers from the company’s production department and six employees from the quality assurance department. At the end of the training, all these workers were noted to have sufficient skills in the areas on which they were trained. As such, this training managed to accomplish its core objective. Several factors led to the success of this training program.
One of the principle factors that contributed significantly to the effectiveness of this training was proper selection and preparation of the training site by the company’s management. The firm’s management chose one of its best conference rooms as the training site. Selection of a suitable training site is vital in ensuring that trainees are not distracted during the process of training. This site had the necessary requirements for a suitable training site. It was accessible and comfortable, private, quite, free from interruptions and spacious (Noe, 2013). In relation to comfort and accessibility, the conference room was well lit, ventilated, and furnished with comfortable seats. On the other side, the aspects of quietness and privacy ensured that trainees were not disrupted during the training process. Consequently, the adequate space offered by the training site ensured that trainees had good visibility for each other. Besides, this aspect ensured that visual displays such as charts and video were used in delivering knowledge in an efficient manner (Jayakumar, 2014). In addition, the traditional classroom seating arrangement that the management selected for trainees facilitated the process of knowledge delivery. A good comprehension of the appropriate form of trainee-trainer and trainer interaction is vital in the selection of a suitable seating arrangement. Traditional classroom seating arrangement is often suitable in situations in which the process of training involves the acquisition of knowledge (Noe, 2013). As such, this form of seating arrangement was relevant to the training as the training was based on delivering the knowledge on ISO practices to trainees. In addition, the conventional classroom arrangement is usually relevant to trainings that involve lecturing and audio-visual presentation as was in the case of this training.
Training methods that trainers employ during the training process play a significant role in the determination of the effectiveness of the knowledge delivery process. Some of the factors that should be taken into consideration during the selection of training methods are the intended learning results, the needed learning environment, aspect of transferring learning, effectiveness and cost (Noe, 2013). In relation to this, lecturing, audio-visual, case studies and self-directed learning were selected for this training as they were efficient in the attainment of the core objective of the training. Trainees were required to seat and take notes on the issues that were lectured on by the trainer. To complement the learning process, trainees were allowed to ask questions on areas that were not clear. The use of the audio-visual technique was significant in the provision of visual examples to trainees. This undertaking ensured that all employees in the training comprehended what was being taught. Moreover, the training involved practical application or demonstration of the knowledge gained from the workshop. Trainees were required to demonstrate their actions in relation to various situations of production that required the application of ISO practices. Furthermore, written tests and assignments were given at the end of every training session to help in the identification of the trainees’ understanding of the topic that was under study. The trainer also employed several case studies in the teaching process so that trainees could manage to contextualize the theoretical knowledge in the real world scenario. Consequently, the trainers also used self-directed learning in the training process. Self-directed learning refers to the approach that is based on the placement total responsibility for the learning process on employees or trainers (Noe, 2013). This undertaking also involves placing responsibility on employees in terms of when the process of learning will be conducted and with whom. In this training method, the content of training is often predetermined. However, learners are always allowed to study the contents of training in their pace and way. Besides, it is recommended that when trainers use this method, they should be available to respond to questions asked by trainees and facilitate the process of learning. In relation to this, employees in the training were provided with the topics that the training was to cover and were required to conduct a prior study on them before they could be taught in class. The incorporation of these four techniques ensured that the trainer delivered knowledge to us in an efficient manner.
I was impressed by the approach that the trainer employed at the end of every training session. The trainer ensured that evaluations were conducted at the end of each training session to help in determining whether employees comprehended what they were taught. Monitoring and evaluation is a vital concept in the assessment of the learners’ or trainees’ knowledge and skills after undergoing training on a given area. Some of the methods that were used to assess the knowledge of trainees were brainstorming and experimentations (Latif, 2013). Trainees were taken to a secluded room and asked questions on various areas of training. Moreover, learners were required to display a practical demonstration of the knowledge that they gained from the training. This step was embraced to help in the assessment of cognitive outcomes. Cognitive outcomes are used in determining the level at which learners are familiar with the techniques, procedures, principles and information they have been taught (Noe, 2013). Besides, it was used in the assessment of the skill and behavior-based outcomes. Skill-based outcomes help in assessing the behaviors that learners have acquired from the training as it takes into consideration learner’s application of the knowledge gained from training (Noe, 2013). These stages were followed by assessment of learners’ skills and knowledge on the interviewed area and provision of feedbacks. The process of feedback delivery was conducted in a friendly manner that created a relaxed atmosphere between the trainers and trainees. As such, each one of us managed to strengthen areas of weaknesses on the trained topic.
Factors that Led to the Ineffectiveness of the Training on Distribution of Nets and Sanitary Pads
The training on how to interact with local community members during the distribution of sleeping nets and sanitary pads was ineffective in relation to achieving its goal. The principle objective of this training was to equipping learners with adequate interaction skills, which could help them in the process of distributing sleeping nets and sanitary pads to local community members. Accomplishment of the training objectives is vital way of determining the effectiveness of a training program (Latif, 2013). As such, this training was ineffective since many learners could not demonstrate the skills that they were taught in classroom in the field. This training ended up being ineffective due to two factors.
First, the selection of the training site was not done in a proper manner. The training was conducted inside a tent in park that was located next to a busy highway. As such, this training site was uncomfortable and did not provide for quietness and privacy, which are essential for a suitable training site. The location of the training site next to the highway exposed learners to interruptions from the honking or sounds of the passing vehicles. I remember several instances when learners were being interrupted by hooting of the vehicles during the learning process. Besides, the training room was not well ventilated and learners could complain of excessive heat in some occasions. Second, the training methods that were used in the teaching process were not effective in equipping learners with the desired skills and knowledge. In this training, the trainer focused mostly on the presentation methods such as lectures and audio-visual. This approach was not effective as these methods did not focus on the practical aspect of learning (Latif, 2013). The interaction process required training that was based on hands-on-methods such as on-the-job training. Using presentation methods led to a situation in which learners could not apply the knowledge gained from the classroom in the field. This inefficiency was evident in the fieldwork in that many employees experienced problems relating to members of the local community. In some instances, some of the workers received harsh treatment from local community members who perceived our mission as an insult. This issue was caused by the learners’ inability to express themselves and the mission of our program correctly. Lastly, there was not evaluation conducted to ascertain the learners’ understanding of what was taught in the training. Therefore, the trainer could not manage to identify whether learners had comprehended what they were taught.
Learning Theory that Guided the Training
Learning happens to be among the significant activities in which people often engage as it exists at the core of the educational process. Effective training requires that trainers comprehend the various theories that help in guiding the learning process (Noe, 2013). In the two trainings, behavioral theories such as operant conditioning and classical conditioning played vital role in guiding the process of learning. Operant conditioning aids in the illustration of the information acquisition rate and establishment of behaviors or actions that are conducive for a classroom environment. On the other side, classical conditioning played a significant role in explaining why learners react emotionally to various stimuli (Noe, 2013). For instance, in the training that focused on how to interact with local community members, learners were seen to react angrily to the condition of the classroom that was hot.
Assessment of the Knowledge, Skills and Competencies of both Trainers
In the two trainings, trainers had different levels of skills, knowledge and competencies. The trainer that focused on ISO practices had more skills and knowledge than the one that taught on interaction methods. This trainer selected the training methods were relevant in the delivery of knowledge on ISO practices to students. Moreover, this trainer accompanied the training process with evaluations, which help in the revelation of areas in which learners lacked experience. The trainer had adequate knowledge on the area of study and this helped in the selection of appropriate training methods. As such, this trainer can be considered competent. On the contrary, the second trainer did not select the appropriate training methods that could help in delivering the desired knowledge to employees. In addition, this trainer lacked as system of monitoring the performance and understanding levels of learners. I, therefore, consider this trainer incompetent.
The Transfer of the Knowledge Gained from Both Trainings
Application of the knowledge gained from training can be categorized into near or far. Near transfer refers to the application of the knowledge gained from training in the real work set-up. Thus, the training on ISO practices involved near transfer of knowledge (Noe, 2013). Moreover, trainings that focus on near transfer can involve the following of standardized processes and procedures as was in the case of ISO practices’ training. On the contrary, far transfer involves the teaching of broad principle and key behaviors as in the case of the training on interaction methods, which focused on teaching learners how to behave as they interacted with local community members. My transfer of the knowledge gained from the training on ISO practices was successful. This success was attributed to the effective methods of training and evaluations that the trainer employed in the training process. Furthermore, the proper selection of the training site also facilitated my understanding of the topic under study. In contrast, I did not manage to transfer the knowledge that I gained from the training on interaction methods in the field effectively. This failure was lined to poor selection of training site and training methods. Besides, the ineffectiveness of this training resulted from the lack of assessment.
Recommendations
Trainers should ensure that they have adequate skills and knowledge on the topic they want to teach as this can help select appropriate training methods (Noe, 2013). Besides, they should ensure that the training sites selected offer comfort, privacy, and quietness as this helps in ensuring that learners are not interrupted during training
References
Ameeq-ul-Amee, H. (2013). Impact of Training on Employee’s Development and Performance in Hotel Industry of Lahore, Pakistan. Journal of Business Studies Quarterly, 4(4), 68-82.
Jayakumar, S; Sam, D; Sulthan, A. (2014). Modelling: Employee Perception on Training and Development. SCMS Journal of Indian Management, 11(2), 57-70.
Latif, K. (2013). Association of Training Satisfaction with Employee Development Aspect of job Satisfaction. Journal of Managerial Sciences, 7(1), 59-178.
Noe, R. (2013). Employee Training and Development. New York: McGraw-Hill Education
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