Personal Development Plan

My Personal Development Plan

It  is important to develop a personal development plan.  Sure, I can go to seminars, workshops, or  take a class or two.  However, only by  reflecting on where I am and where I want to be, can I decide on the most  appropriate and effective course of action.   This means that I must identify my development needs, choose a  development goal, identify the actions that I need to take and the actions my  employer can take to help me meet my goals, determine how I will measure the  attainment of my goal, and develop a time table for the achievement of my goal  (Noe, 2010, p. 377).

My  goal is to assume the position of Technology Integration Specialist.  This is a position that has been open for the  past two years, since the last specialist left.   At the same time, I would also probably retain my current position as  Chairperson of the Business & Technology Department, splitting my  responsibilities between the two positions by teaching half-time.  After much reflection, I have determined that  the following four types of development will help me to attain my development  goals: 

1. Continue my formal  education to obtain my Ph.D. in Educational Technology (Noe, 2010, p. 350).  This would have to be through a  university.  My rationale for this is that  I need more exposure to how to effectively use technology in the  classroom.  I also need more experience  in learning how to research new technologies and their effectiveness in the  classroom.
 
2. I should also  attend management training (Noe, 2010, p. 352).   Although I have been department chair for five years, I have no formal  training in management.  I have one  employee who consistently puts in the least amount of effort needed to get  through the day.  I have requested that  he update the curriculum for two of his classes for two years, but he still has  not does this task.
 
3. In order to help  improve my management skills, I would also like to institute 360-degree  feedback (Noe, 2010, p. 361-362).  The  results of this feedback from administration, faculty, students, and parents  would help me to identify my strengths and weakness, both as an educator and in  my managerial role.
 
4. Finally, as a  result of the previous steps, my ultimate goal is to be transferred to the  position of Technology Integration Specialist (Noe, 2010, p. 368-369).  Although this would not be a promotion, I  would assume many new responsibilities that would allow me to utilize the  knowledge and skills I have gained from my education in Instructional Design  and Technology and from the degree I intend to pursue in Educational  Technology.  I look forward to the new  challenges that I will face in this position.   I also look forward to the satisfaction I will receive by helping other  educators effectively utilize technology in their classroom.

References

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

School-Wide Employee Development Plan

Companies that institute effective employee development plans rooted in their mission, goals, and values, typically have a more flexible and talented work force (Noe, 2010, p. 346).  The following PowerPoint presentation explains why our school should create a school-wide employee development plan.

Technology's Impact on Training & Education

High-Tech Training

       When new technologies are developed, they often get hailed as being the next greatest educational tool.  Technology has made it easier to connect learners at remote locations, allows trainees to access training anytime or anyplace at their convenience, allows trainees to progress at their own pace, and often offers trainees access to just-in-time training.  However, technology is expensive and trainees must be motivated to access the training (Noe, 2010, p. 337).  Often technology is used inappropriately.

        Research has also shown that different types of learning require different learning approaches.  Traditional face-to-face learning is often more effective for teaching skills that call for interaction among trainees or when they need instructional support.  Technology-training is effective to transfer knowledge.  Usually, a blended approach, utilizing both traditional and technology training results in optimized learning and transfer (Noe, 2010, p. 336).

        For these reasons, technology will continue to have an increased impact on training into the future.  Below, I will discuss the impact of five types of technology used for training will have on how people learn and interact.

Five Technologies Used in Training/Teaching

Technology	Impact on How People Learn and Interact	Implications for Training
Simulations http://www.designingdigitally.com/ portfolio/simulations/firefighter-training- simulation-revas-process	Trainees can practice dangerous skills in a risk free environment.  Trainees can take risks and get immediate feedback on the results.  They can see the difference between different approaches.  They can be exposed to more situations than is possible in traditional training.  They can access the simulation anywhere, anytime.  They are meaningful and engaging.  Provide a consistent message.  (Noe 2010, p. 320)	Development costs are higher, although costs are decreasing.  Situations must be realistic or transfer will not occur.  Trainees must be provided with immediate feedback on the results of their decisions.  Best for teaching skills that can be learned through repetition.  (Noe, 2010, p. 319-320).
Electronic performance support systems (EPSS) http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl= http://www.ifen.unibw-muenchen.de/ research/Simulation_Anflug.jpg& imgrefurl= http://www.ifen.unibw-muenchen.de/research/ gnss_simulator.htm&h=365&w=500 &sz=23&tbnid =3XDD2r0BMZiTMM:&tbnh=97&tbnw =133&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dsimulation %2Bimages %26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom= 1&q=simulation+images&docid= 0D7HwWAuV6YhdM&sa=X&ei= M1Q0T767Dcj40gHZ3unlAg&ved= 0CDoQ9QEwBw&dur=5430	Allows trainees to reach desired performance levels in the quickest time possible, with the least support from other people. Trainees do not need to acquire the skills/knowledge, but are provided with an assistant, librarian, teacher, and advisor to help automate the task into a step-by-step process.  (Noe, 2010, p. 329) The provided link to the EPSS at the left actually incorporates a simulator into the system.  (Institute of Geodesy and Navigation, n.d.)	During the needs assessment, it must be determined that trainees do not need to learn the skills/knowledge, but only need assistance to perform the task. Training must be provided on how to use the EPSS.  (Noe, 2010, p. 329)
Mobile phones http://www.google.com/imgres?q= using+mobile+phones+to+deliver +training&hl=en&client= firefox-a&hs=wAg&sa= X&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official &biw=1366&bih=596& tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid =tfroYs4QaqD4KM:&imgrefurl= http://www.didmo.com/index.php/ news/34/59&docid=ks5oYCIqxlkf 3M&imgurl= http://www.didmo.com/uploads/images /Skillbuilder-phone-SML.jpg&w= 489&h=532&ei=jm80T8P sAbSv0AGs_tWqAg&zoom=1& iact=hc&vpx=809&vpy=4& dur=4106&hovh=234&hovw=215 &tx=119&ty=118&sig= 113946661045861615354&page= 2&tbnh=132&tbnw=121& start=19&ndsp=27&ved=1t:429 ,r:17,s:19	In addition to being used for communication, mobile phones allow trainees to access online courses and virtual learning programs.  This coursework can be accessed anywhere and at anytime.  Trainees have control over the pace of the courses.  (Ahmad & Orton, 2010, p. 48) IBM has found that mobile phones can be successfully used as an EPSS to increase trainee job performance. (Ahmad & Orton, 2010, p. 48-49)	It is important to only provided relevant information to the trainee.  Access to information should be achieved in three screens or less.  Information should be chunked so trainees do not have to scroll; bullets and tables work well with content on mobile phones.  Limit the use of images to improve download time; trainees tend to only wait 30 seconds for information.  Trainees prefer less information and fewer options when working on a mobile phone.  Content should be presented with a familiar user interface.  (Ahmad & Orton, 2010, p. 48-49)
Virtual Worlds http://www.google.com/imgres?q=second +life+education+image&hl=en& client=firefox-a&hs=pVM&sa= X&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official& biw=1366&bih=596&tbm=isch& prmd=imvns&tbnid=AEtOmmtlFIQwMM: &imgrefurl=http://edutechtalks.wordpress. com/2010/07/29/second-life/&docid=tuH3Ah _jH-FA4M&imgurl=http://edutechtalks.files. wordpress.com/2010/07/second-life-education.jpg &w=520&h=390& ei=nn40T5epH4ro2QX5kYH4AQ&zoom =1&iact=hc&vpx=940&vpy= 143&dur=9126&hovh=194&hovw= 259&tx=143&ty=110&sig= 113946661045861615354&page=1& tbnh=122&tbnw=158&start=0& ndsp=21&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:0	Virtual worlds are 3-D representations of the real world and are being used in training for classes, simulations, and role-playing.  Trainees learn in a risk-free environment alone or with peers.  The strength is the realistic situations that actively involve the trainees in learning. Second Life has developed actual workplaces for companies to conduct their training, such as IBM.  These realistic world workplaces help transfer learning.  Trainers, managers, and other employees can be teachers.  Employees can interact with each other and see the results of different decisions.  Trainees from multiple locations can access the virtual world from anywhere.  (Noe, 2010, p. 321-322).	The more realistic the virtual world, the better the transfer of skills and knowledge.  First-time trainees may have difficulty using the technology, decreasing transfer.  (Noe, 2010, p. 322).  Trainees should have access to the virtual world before training to gain familiarity with the technology so the novelty of the technology does not decrease learning.
Podcasts http://www.google.com/imgres?q=podcast+image &hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=AG2 &sa=X&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official &biw=1366&bih=596&tbm=isch &prmd=imvnsfd&tbnid=53sX-a2U6s K21M:&imgrefurl=http://www.amnh.org/news /2012/01/podcast-knocking-on-heavens-door-with-lisa -randall/&docid=aKpiL8YxAAXNsM&imgurl =http://www.amnh.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2009/ 12/podcast_logo.jpg&w=706&h=706&ei =2YQ0T-zQMoaosQKOzpGvAg&zoom=1&iact=hc& amp;vpx=313&vpy=97&dur=548&hovh= 225&hovw=225&tx=116&ty=103&sig =113946661045861615354&page=3&tbnh= 130&tbnw=130&start=56&ndsp=30&ved=1t:429,r:23,s:56	With podcasting, recorded material can be downloaded from the Internet and listened to at the trainees’ convenience.  The power is that the podcasts can be edited, rather than a raw, recorded lecture.  Trainees have access to information they may otherwise not have access to or can use it to review information that they do not completely understand.  Podcasts activate multiple senses for learning.  Podcasts also appeal to different learning strategies. (Scutter et. al., 2010, p. 181)	The material should be edited to include only relevant information.  The information should be useful and effective for learning.  How the trainees will be using the podcasts should be determined.  If using to listen to small segments, the information should be chunked.  If being used in conjunction with a PowerPoint presentation, the entire recording can be recorded.  (Scutter et. al., 2010, p. 187) However, using the podcasts merely to replay the lectures results in passive learning.  Therefore, it may be more appropriate to use the podcasts to explain key points (Scutter et. al., 2010, p. 189)

References

Ahmad, N., & Orton, P. (2010). Smartphones make IBM smarter, but not as expected. Training and Development, 64(1), 46-50.

Designing Digitally. (2012).  Simulations: Firefighter training simulation – REVAS process.  Retrieved from http://www.designingdigitally.com/portfolio/simulations/firefighter-training-simulation-revas-process.

DIDMO. (2011). DIDMO and success associates first to extend distance learning to mobile phones.  Retrieved from http://www.didmo.com/index.php/news/34/59.

Institute of Geodesy and Navigation. (n.d.). Galileo & GNSS-2.  Retrieved from http://www.ifen.unibw-muenchen.de/research/gnss_simulator.htm.

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

Scutter, S., Stupans, I., Sawyer, T., & King, S. (2010). How do students use podcasts to support learning? Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 26(2), 180-191.

Second Life. (n.d.). What is second life? Retrieved from http://secondlife.com/whatis/#Education_&_Enterprise.

Needs Assessment for Southwest Airlines

Planning for a Needs Assessment

       Needs assessment is the first step that should be taken in the instructional design process, so it can be determined whether training is actually necessary.  The following is a needs assessment for Southwest Airlines.  To complete the needs assessment, organization, person, and task analyses were conducted.

 

Southwest Airlines Mission Statement

       “The mission of Southwest Airlines is dedication to the highest quality of Customer Service delivered with a sense of warmth, friendliness, individual pride, and Company Spirit” (“The Mission”, 1988).

 

Stakeholders Who Must Buy-In to Needs Assessment

Customers/Passengers	Community (Non-Profits)
Employees	Airports
Supplies	Government

Questions Asked During Organizational Analysis Phase

Managers

• How can training help us achieve our mission of providing the highest quality customer service?
• What organizational resources can be dedicated to training?
• Will training help us achieve our strategic goals?
• Who should develop/deliver the training?

Trainers

• How can our customers help us in developing the objectives and outcomes for our training?
• What elements in the work environment may be barriers to transfer of training?
• Whose support do we need?
• How will we get management to support the training?
• How can we design relevant training?
• How can we communicate to trainees that the training is relevant to them?

(Noe, 2010, p. 111)

 

Questions Asked During Person Analysis Phase

Managers

• Who needs training?
• How can we convey to the trainees why they are being trained?

Trainers

• Who needs training?
• Do the trainees have the ability, attitude, beliefs, and motivation necessary to learn?
• Can we offer a choice of training programs?

(Noe, 2010, p. 103)

 

Questions Asked During Task Analysis Phase

Managers

• What work activities are suffering from a performance gap?
• Are these activities performed frequently?
• Are these activities critical for successful goal achievement?
• How hard are the tasks to perform?
• Who can provide expert information on these tasks?
• Do these tasks help us to achieve our strategic goals and objectives?
• How are we choosing recipients for our charitable funds?

Trainers

• Do the trainees lack the knowledge and skills needed to successfully complete their work activities?
• Do the trainees need training under special conditions, such as long delays or in-flight emergencies?
• What tasks must be successfully performed to be certified in the job?
• How can we develop competencies that will help us be a leader in the airline industry?

(Noe, 2010, p. 124-126)

 

Documents/Records Required for Needs Assessment

Government Regulations	Performance Standards
Safety Commitment	Donation Records
Safety Records	Volunteer Records
Flight Records	Contract of Carriage
Customer Complaints	Customer Service Commitment
Environmental Commitment	Tarmac Delay Contingency Plan
Procurement Policy	Training Manuals/Records
Supplier Diversity Program	University for People Records

(“Our Commitments, n.d.)

 

Employed Needs Assessment Techniques

• Observation of employees at work (easy to be a passenger/blend in with passengers)
• Questionnaires to suppliers and charitable funds recipients
• Focus groups of passengers
• Study of above documentations

(Noe, 2010, p. 108)

Importance of Analysis Phase in Designing Training Programs

        The needs analysis phase of designing training programs is the most crucial phase.  Without a proper needs analysis, training may be developed that is not needed, training may be developed that is not effective or does not align with an organization’s strategic goals and objectives, employees may not be ready for the training, many resources may be wasted, and the training program’s reputation may suffer.

        The needs analysis phase may determine that training is not the answer to correct the performance gap.  If training is called for, the needs analysis pinpoints the tasks for which training is needed.

        The results of the needs analysis phase will be essential for the following steps in developing the training program.  Learning objectives and outcomes will be based on the results.  The results will be used to determine the most effective way to design, develop, and implement the training program.  Finally, the results will determine the appropriate evaluation criteria needed to ascertain the successfulness of the training program.

(Noe, 2010, p. 103-105)

References

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

Our commitment. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.southwest.com/html/about-southwest/index.html?int=GFOOTER-ABOUT-ABOUT.

The mission of Southwest Airlines. (1988). Retrieved from http://www.southwest.com/html/about-southwest/index.html?int=GFOOTER-ABOUT-ABOUT.

 

Elevator Pitch

It is important to educate workers at all levels of an organization of the importance of training and development.  Although there are many reasons why training is essential to achieve business strategies, I would like to focus on three reasons in my elevator speech:  globalization, diverse workforce, and technology's impact on work structures.  Organizations that can link training and development to their strategic goals are the ones that will be best positioned to survive in the rapidly changing business environment that faces all industries today.  If you do not believe me, please listen to my elevator pitch for more details.

90SecondElevatorPitch by suejohn

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Text for 90 Second Elevator Pitch

Training and development is essential for our company to gain a competitive advantage.  After all, workers represent the largest cost to our company.  Even slight improvements in productivity can increase return on investment dramatically.

Today, I would like to discuss the following three reasons why training is needed:  globalization, diverse workforce, and technology’s impact on work structures.

Globalization means that we have more American managers working overseas with local employees.  Often, the culture in these countries differs significantly from ours.  Training is essential so these managers know how to attract, motivate, and retain highly qualified workers (Noe, 2010, p. 12).

Also, our workforce at home will continue to become more diverse.  Workers will have different work values.  Managers must know how to properly motivate and engage all workers.  Workers must be provided with training opportunities that will develop their skills, interest them, and give them a balance between work and home life (Noe, 2010, p. 17-19).

Technology impacts the need for training because it changes the work structure.  Workers must have the skills and knowledge to work the computers that control the robots that now assemble the goods.  Employees must have the skills to use new technology to communicate effectively with customers and provide outstanding service (Noe, 2010, p. 32).

Training definitely supports our organization’s strategy.  After determining the competencies needed by our workers to achieve our strategic drivers, we can definitely base our training on programs that will directly support achievement of those competencies and increase performance success.  These opportunities will develop a continuous learning environment in which our company will be poised to take advantage of the quickly changing business environment that we face today (Noe, 2010, p. 65).

Reference

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

EIDT 6501 Introduction

Hi everyone

It's great to be starting a new year with you.  I look forward to learning more about effective and efficient training in the workplace. 

Sue

Analyzing Scope Creep

Project Description

When I was pregnant with my son, I wanted to convert one of the bedrooms into a nursery.  At that time, the room was being used as an exercise room.  We had another room downstairs that could easily be changed into the exercise room.  I was fine with moving the exercise equipment downstairs, replacing the carpet, painting the walls, and decorating the room.

Scope Creep Issues

My then husband and I moved all the exercise equipment downstairs and started to rip up the old carpet.  As we were working, we discussed how small the room was and how we could use another small bedroom next door as a playroom when our son got older.  This room was now being used for storage.  The two rooms were connected by a common closet that could be accessed from each room.  My ex-husband decided to remove the closet and combine the two rooms into one larger bedroom.  In order to do this, he would also have to remove parts of the wall around the closet.  As the work progressed, he also decided to rewire the rooms as the wiring was old and 110 volts.  He wanted to update to 220 volts (I am remembering this from 19 years ago, so I may be wrong).  He wanted to complete all this work with just him and the help of his brother.  My ex-husband is not the handiest of men, but his brother has remodeled a few homes.  The only problem was that my husband worked the night shift and had Tuesdays and Wednesdays off, while his brother worked days with weekends off.  The project ended up costing a lot more than what I had envisioned.  Most importantly, the project was not completed until my son was almost ready to sleep in a toddler bed – two years later.

Dealing with Scope Creep Issues at that Time

My son ended up sleeping in a crib in our bedroom.  This was not too much of an inconvenience, since my husband worked night shift.  The bedroom also had room for a changing table and rocking chair, although it was a little cramped.  My ex-husband and his brother would try to get together on the weekends to work.  My ex-husband would come home from work and try to sleep for a few hours and then get up to work.  However, his brother could only come one or two weekends each month, as he was also remodeling his own house at the same time.  My ex-husband did not have the skills to do the construction and rewiring work on his own.  Since the project took so long, we were able to come up with the extra money as it was needed.  The project did create some tension between us, as I did not really want all that work to be done.  It was also hard to convince my son to sleep in his own room once it was ready.  He was scared to be in a room by himself.  It took about a year until he stopped coming to our bedroom during the night.

Vince Budrovich (n.d.) asserts that every project requires the management of five variables:  time, resources, expertise, quality, and scope.  Scope is the variable that balances the other four variables until it begins to grow (creep).  Once scope creep occurs, the project team needs to trade-off among the first four variables.  The scope creep of this project increased the time, money, and people needed to complete the project.  My ex-husband and I could have done the work that I originally wanted.  Since neither of us had the skills necessary to do the work that my ex-husband wanted, this also increased the need for expertise.

Better Management & Control of Project Scope

In retrospect, if I was the project manager, I would have known that it is natural for people (clients) to want to improve the outputs of the project as it progresses (Portny, Mantel, Meredith, Shafer, Sutton, & Kramer, 2008, p. 346).  I could have told my ex-husband that I was really excited about all the new ideas, but maybe we could complete my plans first and then we could commit to redoing the rest of the work (Stolovitch, n.d.).  I would have had my ex-husband and brother make a plan of how much time and work effort would be needed for the changes to the project (Portny et. al., 2008, p. 346-347).  We should have then analyzed how the impacts the change would have on the project’s schedule, quality of finished product, costs, and work effort (Greer, 2010, p. 36).  We should have discussed any added benefits or drawbacks and consequences to the targeted completion date (McGriff, 2000, p. 62).  If this would have been a formal project, we should then have updated the project scope statement and project plan and obtained written sponsor approval of the change and revised plan (Greer, 2010, p. 36).

References:

Budrovich, V.  (n.d.).  Practioner voices:  Barriers to project success.  Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer).  Video.

Greer, M. (2010).  The project management minimalist:  Just enough PM to rock your projects!  (Laureate custom ed.).  Baltimore:  Laureate Education, Inc.

McGriff, S. J. (2001). Project management for instructional design in higher education. Retrieved from http://wgraziadei.home.comcast.net/~wgraziadei/PM/PMHigherEd.pdf.

Portny, S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., & Kramer, B. E.  (2008).  Project management:  Planning, scheduling, and controlling projects.  Hoboken, NJ:  John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 

Stolovitch, H.  (n.d.).  Project management concerns:  Scope creep.  Laureate Education, Inc.  (Producer).  Video.