1. LEARNING AND HRD Jayendra Rimal
ACE HRD 7th session - Jayendra Rimal

2. Agree or disagree
For learning to take place, the most important variable to consider is whether the individual learner has sufficient ability to learn what is being taught.
In general, people learn best and remember the most when they can spread out the time spent learning new materials.
Learning something to the point of “overlearning” is generally a waste of time and should be avoided.
If training has been effective then it really doesn’t matter whether there is support in the work environment or not.
Trainers should always seek to match the type of training delivery methods to the characteristics of the individual being trained.
Adult learners typically respond best to a lecture-style approach to training.
ACE HRD 7th session - Jayendra Rimal

3. Learning
Learning – a fundamental process and requirement of capacity development characterized by a relatively permanent change in behavior that occurs as a result of one’s interaction with the environment.
Aspects/Focus of learning:
- Change (acquiring new or modifying)
- Long lasting (recollection)
- Behavior, affect or cognition
- Individual’s interaction with the environment
Capacity development – More ability to change and adapt or adoption of new behavior or practices.
Effective learning strategies and processes – A foundation of effective HRD programs and practices thru:
Individual learning
Organizational learning
ACE HRD 7th session - Jayendra Rimal

4. Need for learning
Learning to be effective – Improve the extent to which the outputs meet the needs of the customers.
Learning to be efficient – Improve the utilisation of inputs in relation to the outputs
Learning to expand – Increase or diversify activities to meet further needs.
ACE HRD 7th session - Jayendra Rimal

5. How does learning occur?
Association – The process by which two cognitions become paired together (e.g “dozen” and “twelve items”). Some principles that influence the learning of association:
Contiguity: Association by experiencing objects together. Learning a new language may involve pairing words with pictures
The law of effect: Behaviour followed by pleasurable consequences. Congratulated by manager for carrying out a productive sales call
Practice: Repeating events will increase the strength of the association. Working on a keyboard repeatedly will help to increase the typing speed.
ACE HRD 7th session - Jayendra Rimal

6. Levels of individual learning
Knowing about
An awareness that something exists. (orientation)
Understanding
Mastery of the concepts and beyond.
Acceptance
Agreement to the underlying logic and holding of consistent beliefs
Ability to apply
Successful use of new behaviours and performance levels
ACE HRD 7th session - Jayendra Rimal

7. Maximizing individual learning
Trainee characteristics
- Trainability
- Personality and attitudes
Training design
- Conditions of practice
- Retention of what is learned
Transfer of training
- identical elements
- General principles
- Stimulus variability
- Support in the work environment
ACE HRD 7th session - Jayendra Rimal

8. Trainability
Trainability = f (ability + motivation + perceptions of the work environment)
Ability is the aptitude to perform the tasks at hand
Motivation is effort, persistence or choice
The way training is perceived
Involvement in decision about training
Manner in which individuals view own ability/skill weakness
Need for achievement or competence
Job involvement/experience of negative event prior to training
Career advancement opportunities
Expectancy of achieving desired outcomes
Freedom of choice
Characteristics of the organization
The largest component of training costs are the trainees personal costs (e.g. 20 employeesX10 days=200 work days)
Substantial costs can be saved by selecting only trainable staff
ACE HRD 7th session - Jayendra Rimal

9. Personality and attitudes
Personality - A set of personal characteristics that account for consistent patterns of behaviour
- Dimensions: Extraversion; openness to experience
- Traits: Need for achievement; activity; independence; sociability
Attitude – A person’s general feelings of favorableness or unfavorableness towards some stimulus object
- Career exploration
- Job involvement
- Expectations
- Trainee confidence
ACE HRD 7th session - Jayendra Rimal

10. Training design Conditions of practice
Active practice (repeated performance of task)
Massed versus spaced practice sessions
Whole versus part learning
Overlearning (longer retention)
Feedback (enhances learning and retention)
Task sequencing (subtasks taught in appropriate sequence)
Retention of what is learned
Meaningfulness of material (association to job)
Degree of original learning (effective initial learning)
Interference (pre and post training)
ACE HRD 7th session - Jayendra Rimal

11. Transfer of training Positive transfer – Better job performance
Negative transfer – Poorer job performance
Zero transfer – No effect on job performance
Identical elements theory - Similar training and performance situations, better transfer of learning
General principles theory – Learning the fundamental elements of a task ensures better learning
Stimulus variability – Multiple examples of a concept involving different practice situations
Support in the work environment – Peer, supervisor & organizational support (continuous learning work environment) ensures transfer of learning
ACE HRD 7th session - Jayendra Rimal

12. Modes of learning (Work related) (Case study) Action (OJT)
Ability to change Feedback
Practice Analysis
(Work related) (Case study)
Commitment Translation
to change Concept
(University education)
Concrete
Experience
Active
experimentation
Reflective
observation
Abstract
conceptualization
ACE HRD 8th session - Jayendra Rimal

13. Modes of learning, contd…
Concrete experience (CE)
- An intuitive preference for learning through direct experience, emphasizing interpersonal relationships and feelings as opposed to thinking.
Reflective observation (RO)
- A preference to learn by watching and examining different points of view to achieve an understanding.
Abstract conceptualization (AC)
- A preference for learning by thinking about an issue in theoretical terms
Active experimentation (AE)
- A preference for learning something by actively doing it and judging its practical value
ACE HRD 8th session - Jayendra Rimal

14. Learning styles Convergent
- A combination of abstract conceptualization (AC) and active experimentation (AE) (thinking and doing) with a focus on problem solving, decision making and practical application of ideas.
Divergent
- CE and RO (feeling and watching) emphasizing imagination, an awareness of values and ability to generate alternative courses of action.
Assimilation
- AC and RO (thinking and watching) that stresses inductive reasoning, integration of observations into explanations and creation of theoretical models
Accommodative
- CE and AE (feeling and doing) demonstrated by accomplishment, executing plans and involvement in new experience
ACE HRD 8th session - Jayendra Rimal

15. Learning strategies Rehearsal strategies
- basic learning tasks (repeating items on a list)
- complex learning tasks (underlining text, copying notes)
Elaboration strategies
- basic (forming a mental image)
- complex (taking notes, paraphrasing, summarizing)
Organizational strategies
- basic (grouping information to be learned)
- complex (outlining articles, creating a hierarchy)
Comprehensive monitoring strategies (self questioning)
Affective strategies (increase alertness, relax, reduce test anxiety)
ACE HRD 8th session - Jayendra Rimal

16. Individual differences in the learning process
Different rates of trainee progress
– learning curves
Attributes treatment Interaction (ATI)
- cognitive ability and motivation interaction
Training of adults
- Pedagogy: instructional methodology for educating children
- Andragogy: instructional methodology for educating adults.
assumptions: adults are self directed; knowledge and experience; readiness to learn relevant tasks and motivated to learn
ACE HRD 8th session - Jayendra Rimal

17. Learning curves P P (Trainee 1) Time (Trainee 2) Time P P
(Trainee 3) Time (Trainee 4) Time (P=proficiency)
ACE HRD 8th session - Jayendra Rimal

18. Organizational learning
A process of continuous testing of experience and transformation of that experience into knowledge -accessible to the whole organization and relevant to its core purpose.
A process of coordinated systems change with mechanisms built in for individuals and groups to access, build and use organizational memory, structure and culture to develop long term organizational capacity
ACE HRD 8th session - Jayendra Rimal

19. Organizational learning, contd…
Is there a continuous testing of experience?
- willingness to examine everything, structures for testing, treatment of people spreading negative information
Is knowledge (capacity for effective action) being produced?
-New capabilities, qualitative differences
Is the knowledge shared?
- Accessibility to all
Is the knowledge relevant?
- Usability, focus on core purposes
ACE HRD 8th session - Jayendra Rimal

20. Principles of organizational learning
Need for a powerful and cohering vision of the organization and its communication
Need to develop strategy in the context of the vision
Frequent dialogue, communication and dialogue
Continuous re-examination and challenges of things that are taken for granted
Development of a conducive learning and innovative culture
ACE HRD 8th session - Jayendra Rimal

21. Types of organizational learning
Single loop learning: Expectation-action-review-correction process; improves the organization's capacity to achieve known objectives; the organization learns without significant change in its basic assumptions.
Double loop learning: Expectation-action-review-re-evaluation/re-definition of expectation-correction process; the organization learns something new about what has been achieved in the light of changed circumstances and decides how this should be applied
Adaptive learning: Adopting to environmental changes
Generative learning: Going beyond just adapting to change, to being ahead of and anticipating change; total reframing of an organization’s experiences and learning
ACE HRD 8th session - Jayendra Rimal

22. Learning organization
An organization that continuously improves by rapidly creating and redefining the capabilities required for future success
An organization that is continually expanding to create its future
An organization which facilitates the learning of all its members and continually transforms itself
An organization that is skilled at creating, acquiring and transferring knowledge and at modifying its behaviour to reflect new knowledge and insights.
ACE HRD 8th session - Jayendra Rimal

23. Characteristics of learning organizations
Presence of tension
- Gap between vision and reality, questioning/inquiry, challenging the status quo, critical reflection
Systems thinking
- Shared vision, holistic thinking, openness
Culture facilitating learning
- Suggestions, teamwork, empowerment, empathy
ACE HRD 8th session - Jayendra Rimal

24. Characteristics of learning organizations
Learning organizations are good at
- systematic problem solving
- experimentation
- learning from past experience
- learning from others
- transferring knowledge quickly and efficiently throughout the organization
ACE HRD 8th session - Jayendra Rimal

25. Characteristics of learning organizations
A learning organization has
shared vision that enables to identify, respond to and benefit from future opportunities
enabling structure that facilitate learning
supportive culture that encourages challenges to the status quo and the questioning of established ways of doing things
empowering management that believes in devolved decision making and team working result in improved performance
motivated work force that want to learn continuously
processes and policies to encourage enhanced learning for all
ACE HRD 8th session - Jayendra Rimal

26. Thank you !