Philosophy of Learning
Personal philosophy of how adults learn best in the workplace.
Adult learning entails the process by which adults gather knowledge, competence, and skills in their day to day activities. Importantly, according to personal philosophy, adults learn best through the help of adult learning theories. Therefore, there are several thoughtful ways in which adults in the workplace acquire knowledge and skills. Firstly, adults learn through experiments in the workplace. It is a hands-on approach that provides adult employees with an opportunity to learn through experience (Huang & Su 2016). Adults engage in active participation after an individual acknowledges the importance of learning. Experimental learning also enables adult employees to reflect upon their practice, conceptualize their experience, and use the gained knowledge from experience to improve their performance. Through experiments, the learning adults in a workplace develop systematic thinking to process the assigned tasks effectively. Importantly, experimental learning enhances the development of mechanical skills in the workplace.
Adult employees also learn better through actions. Action learning is a unique technique that mainly focuses on solves problems encountered by the adults and helps them reflect on the positive results. Actions enable adults to respond to issues affecting them for effective performance in their activities. Through litigation, adults can ask questions to clarify the issues at hand, reflect, and come up with the relevant solutions to solve the problem (Sarsar & Yılmaz, 2018). It is, therefore, an approach that promotes creativity and commitment to workplace learning. Thus, action learning helps adults uncover areas that they need to learn more about to fill the possible gaps concerning organizational knowledge. Also, actions promote team building among the adult employees hence make learning an easy task.
Role of adult learning in human resource development.
Notably, human resource management is regarded as an essential aspect that enhances the implementation of workplace tasks and activities to generate excellent outcomes and development. Therefore, to achieve effective human resource management, adult learning needs to play a significant role in the upgrading of human resources. Importantly, adult learning should sharpen the knowledge and competencies of human resource (Milana, Rasmussen & Holford, 2016). Improving the skills and experience of human resource facilitates their development and create awareness on various workplace aspects. Learning is a process that is believed to make the learner better; therefore, adult learning needs to provide new information at the workplace necessary for human resource management. Keeping knowledge fresh enables human resources to stay in track with the current news, which gives guidelines to achieve the set goals and objectives. Therefore, the provision of new and more skills to human resource enhances their development since they acquire all the necessary tools of success to complete their roles.
Another role of adult learning to promote human resource development entails the provision of employees’ motivation at the workplace. Adult learning should focus on both internal and external motivation to encourage human resources to perform delegated tasks efficiently and diligently. Motivation is an aspect that makes human resource desire to engage in better activities in achieving the set goals (Wlodkowski & Ginsberg, 2017). Without a doubt, through motivation, human resource will direct their effort on accomplishing their mission headed by the organization’s vision. The motivation provided by adult learning enables the human resource to embrace their interests in their roles, hence making them work best to fulfill their desires. Once individual attention aligns with work-interest, human resources will be valuable results-oriented individuals, thus promote resource development.
Effective instructional methods for adult employees.
Adult employee training is an important aspect that determines employee experience. Both new and existing employees require training to gain new skills and improve the existing for continuous growth. Effective instructional methods are therefore needed to offer workplace knowledge to the adult employees. The first technique for active adult learning in a workplace involves an interactive process (Smith, 2017). It is an approach that makes use of lectures provided in the classroom where interactive activities are added to the employee training experience. Interactive training is highly effective since it involves one-direction convey of knowledge offered in a lecture-style through empowering conversations and promoting group interactions. The approach provides an opportunity for adult employees to learn from each other. It is also a method that brings fun and engaging experiences in the processes of training.
Interactive methods can be implemented in training sessions in several ways. First, brief quizzes may be given to the employees on information being presented at a particular course. Exams make the adult employees stay focused and engaged in improving the overall performance score hence making the training more interactive (Smith, 2017). Secondly, establishing small group discussions to handle case studies and solve them helps the employees interact. Group discussions enable new employees to gather more information from knowledgeable employees. Also, active summaries facilitate the creation of groups of employees who come together and choose a leader. The team leaders present an overview of the lecture’s content, which creates an interactive environment for the whole class to compare their information and learn from each other.
The second approach of practical adult employee training entails a hands-on training method. The hands-on technique of training employees is determined and focused on the practical part of the workplace. It is a training method that allows employees to have a hand regarding what is offered in learning. Most of the adult employees prefer hand-on training method since it enables active participation in the workplace (Wait & Frazer, 2018). The technique is also advantageous to employees as it is a quick process where one can dive in on the first day and make an impact. Hand-on training method boosts recollection of knowledge since it involves focus that improves retention of information in the workplace.
The experimental training is techniques are easily implemented in training situations for the employees to have a variety of practical approaches to expand on their experience. Cross-training is one of the criteria of hand-on training. Employees have the opportunity to know about other jobs hence enhancing their skills to perform more than one task in the organization. Cross-training also enables employees to understand their co-workers’ efforts and appreciate their work (Wait & Frazer, 2018). Secondly, coaching facilitates hands-on training. Coaching is done to have an insight on employees’ individual needs to offer support and encouragement to conquer the mechanical task. The use of drills is also a way of promoting experimental training since drilling gives the employees a chance to practice skills obtained in several work areas. Notably, evacuation drills are implemented in areas where employees are receiving training on emergency preparedness.
A computer-based method of training is another approach of administering active adult learning in a workplace. It is a method that does not require a personal facilitator to the trainees. The plan embraces any form of training that may be performed on a computer (Kizilcec, Pérez-Sanagustín & Maldonado, 2017). The training method has become a prevalent technique due to the increasingly widespread technology and its convenience. Traditional training methods have also been enhanced by the technological solutions embraced in contemporary society. Computer-based training promotes technologies that supplement the already prevalent training programs and the potential programs that can be developed. The method composes of varying training formats starting from the simplest to the sophisticated applications.
Similarly, computer-based training can be implemented in several ways in a training situation. Firstly, the use of a text-only program enables adult employees to access training in self-paced learning through the text-only format. Text-only is a simple format easily understood by the employees since it has an exciting interactive feature. Secondly, the training method is facilitated by the utilization of CD-ROM, which provides a wide range of workplace programs relevant to the employees (Kizilcec, Pérez-Sanagustín & Maldonado, 2017). Programs contained in the CD-ROM offers information concerning the needs of a particular department in the organization. Thirdly, multimedia enhances a computer-based instructional approach since they offer advanced training materials to adult employees. Multimedia are sophisticated computer materials and provide interesting training information through videos, graphics, audios, and animations. The provocative characteristic of multimedia quickly stimulates an adult mind; hence the employees embrace a computer-based approach.
Strategies for motivating adults to learn in the workplace.
Motivating adult employees to engage in learning exercises in the workplace is crucial to both the employees and the organization. Many organizations employ several strategies for motivating employees to continue and embrace the acquisition of knowledge in the workplace. One of the essential motivation strategies is providing an opportunity for the employees to shape adult learning according to their preference (Bauer et al. 2016). Since trainees in the workplace are adults, the organization needs to treat them as such. Therefore, giving the learners the ability to engage in explanatory learning to share their ideas on what they feel should be covered in the training process for them to benefit. Allowing employees to take part in essential activities such as decision making facilitates their growth and development. It is a strategy that creates room for identification of workplace gaps, which improves the learning process. Importantly, trainers can gather information regarding the areas adult employees are interested in learning and make courses related to the topics of concern.
The strategy can be made useful in the workplace by identifying and strengthening the learner’s motivators in an organization. Employees have several reasons as to why they keep up with adult learning, and one of the reasons is the kind of information to get from their motivators. An organization needs to encourage learner’s motivators to support and guide the learners smoothly go through their training (Bauer et al. 2016). Internal and external motivators can easily influence employees; therefore, an organization focuses on implementing the positive aspects learners receive from relevant motivators. The motivational strategy is maximized by embracing employee’s opinions, and ideas contributed to improving workplace performance. The ability to shape training is also facilitated through social relationships, which bring personal development. In doing so, employees develop a cognitive interest to attain professional advancement to deal with competitors efficiently.
The second motivational strategy to adult learning entails making learning relevant so that employees do not ignore the process. The policy is implemented by directly linking the adult learning practices to the outcomes in the workplace (Edmondson, 2018). A clear link is created between the training and the employee’s job for the trainees to understand the value of adult learning and focus on positivity. The strategy also ensures that adult learning remains relevant to the individual growth aspirations in their career path. Training needs to offer an education that indicates real-life experiences and case studies, making the learners interested in exploring more useful information. Notably, once learners are enthusiastic, they are easily motivated to achieve their learning goals. The strategy encourages the creation of learning experience pre and post-tests for the employees to identify where their knowledge lies and, therefore, motivate them to improve on the possible gaps.
The strategy of making learning relevant is optimized in the different work environment through teaching and facilitating the appropriate information. Knowing when and what to teach makes adult learning more relevant. Impacting the proper knowledge to learners enables them to acknowledge the value of continuing with workplace learning. Trainers create a conducive learning environment that encourages self-exploration among the employees. Helping trainees learn how to learn for themselves makes them identify the significant learning materials hence maintaining a relevant adult learning process (Edmondson, 2018). Educators assist adult learners in locating and mastering learning resources to sharpen their creativity, thus strengthen the strategy. Formalizing the necessary workplace actions and implementing them is another way of making the strategy effective. Real transformation of the plan takes place when meaningful opportunities are designed at the right time to retain the relevancy od adult learning to the employees. Providing tangible results to the employees motivates them to continue learning; hence the motivational strategy upholds its relevance.
Thirdly, making adult learning convenient and easily accessible is another motivation strategy to encourage them to continue with adult learning. Adult learners have tight schedules; therefore, making education suitable, motivates them to create time and engage in the training process (Kizilcec, Pérez-Sanagustín & Maldonado, 2017). The strategy enables organizations to provide easily consumed learning information that may be in the form of short videos and infographics to simplify learning even further. The technique is often regarded as microlearning and helps employees quickly learn new skills at convenient places or schedules. Comfortable learning supports and encourages self-directed learning, enabling employees to decide what is relevant that one to familiarize with and when they can get the knowledge hence motivating them to participate in developmental training.
A convenient and accessible adult learning motivational strategy becomes active when an organization creates and nurtures a collaborative community for the employees to get learning information. The approach is enhanced by strengthening adult learning in a network or the community. The sense of belonging facilitates the aspect of convenience where trainees develop the feeling of belonging to something which enhances the experience provided by the quick accessibility of learning information. Fostering flexible engagement is another technique of optimizing the strategy (Kizilcec, Pérez-Sanagustín & Maldonado, 2017). Designing a training process that facilitates engagement flexibility, such as allowing employees to participate in online learning, advances the strategy’s suitability. Also, contextualization of employees’ activities improves convenience and accessibility factors since employees engage with the content of their choice at their comfort. Flexible engagement also enhances the success and progress of the strategy through a well-structured training approach used.
References.
Bauer, K. N., Orvis, K. A., Ely, K., & Surface, E. A. (2016). Re-examination of motivation in learning contexts: Meta-analytically investigating the role type of motivation plays in the prediction of key training outcomes. Journal of Business and Psychology, 31(1), 33-50.
Huang, W. R., & Su, C. H. (2016). The mediating role of job satisfaction in the relationship between job training satisfaction and turnover intentions. Industrial and Commercial Training.
Kizilcec, R. F., Pérez-Sanagustín, M., & Maldonado, J. J. (2017). Self-regulated learning strategies predict learner behavior and goal attainment in Massive Open Online Courses. Computers & education, 104, 18-33.
Milana, M., Rasmussen, P., & Holford, J. (2016). Societal sustainability: The contribution of adult education to sustainable societies.
Smith, S. P. (2017). Adult learners: Effective training methods. Professional safety, 62(12), 22-25.
Wait, M., & Frazer, M. (2018). Investigating retention and workplace implementation of board game learning in employee development. Acta Commercii, 18(1), 1-7.
Wlodkowski, R. J., & Ginsberg, M. B. (2017). Enhancing adult motivation to learn: A comprehensive guide for teaching all adults. John Wiley & Sons.
Edmondson, A. C. (2018). The fearless organization: Creating psychological safety in the workplace for learning, innovation, and growth. John Wiley & Sons.