Developed by Authenticity Consulting, LLC
All About Training and Development (Learning and Development)
© Copyright Carter McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting, LLC.
Training and development -- or "learning and development" as many refer to it now -- is one of the most important aspects of our lives and our work. (Many people view "training" as an activity that produces the result or outcome of "learning" -- and learning is typically viewed as new knowledge, skills and competencies or abilities.) In our culture, we highly value learning. Yet, despite our having attended many years of schooling, many of us have no idea how to carefully design an approach to training and development. This topic in the Library provides an extensive range of information about training and development, including to depict how the many aspects of training and development relate to each other. Also, this topic explains how training and development can be used, informally or formally, to meet the nature and needs of the reader.
Sections of This Topic Include
What is Learning and Development? Why Is It So Important?
Understanding Learning and Development
Benefits of Learning and Development
Relationship of Learning and Development to Performance
Different Types of Training and Activities
Informal Versus Formal Training, Self-Directed Versus Other-Directed
Training
Types of Activities for Learning and Development
Movements in Organizational Learning and Development
Preparation for Developing Learning and Development Programs
Examples of Programs in the Workplace
How to Ensure Transfer of Training
Suggestions to Enrich Activities of Learning and
Development
Developing Systematic Training and Development Programs
Instructional Systems Design (ISD) and ADDIE
ADDIE Phase 1 -- Assessing Your Training Needs: Needs
Assessment to Training Goals
ADDIE Phase 2 -- Designing Training Plans and Learning
Objectives
ADDIE Phase 3 -- Developing Training Activities and Materials
ADDIE Phase 4 -- Implementing Training: Conducting the
Training with Learners
ADDIE Phase 5 -- Evaluating Training and Results (ROI
of Training)
Learning and Development Programs -- Roles and Management
Management of Learning and Development Programs and Activities
Practitioners in Learning and Development
Many Forms of Development (Leaders, Managers, Supervisors,
Teams, etc.)
Resources for Teachers and Trainers
Tips and Tools for Trainers and Teachers
Starting a Training Business
General Resources
Library's Blogs Related to Training and Development
Also see Library's Blogs Related to Training and Development
In addition to the articles on this current page, also see the following blogs
that have posts related to Training and Development. Scan down the blog's page
to see various posts. Also see the section "Recent Blog Posts" in
the sidebar of the blog or click on "next" near the bottom of a post
in the blog. The blog also links to numerous free related resources.
Library's Career
Management Blog
Library's Human Resources
Blog
Library's Leadership Blog
Library's Supervision
Blog
Library's
Training and Development Blog
WHAT IS LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT? WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT?
Understanding Learning and Development
It's amazing how so many of us go through so many years of schooling, but have
such little understanding of learning and development. Before reading about
the many aspects of learning and development in this topic in the Library, including
learning and development programs and practitioners, it's best to start with
a basic understanding of what learning and development is and how to best benefit
from it. Also, it's useful to understand the common terms and the sometimes
subtle differences between them.
Basic Terms in
Training and Development (Knowledge, Skills, Training, Learning, etc.)
If you will be doing training and development with yourself (and almost every
adult will be at some time in their lives) or with others, you should know the
differences between training children and teens versus training adults. Adults
have very different nature and needs in training. Also, there are some common
beliefs about training that just aren't true. Understand those misconceptions
so you don't build your training around those illusions.
Principles
of -- and Myths About -- Adult Learning
Theories
of Learning and Development
Benefits of Learning and Development
We often think that the biggest benefit of learning is that we get a diploma
or credential. As we get wiser, we realize there are so many more benefits than
that. Knowing the benefits will help motivate you to design your own training
plans and programs, and to motivate others to participate as well. Perhaps one
of the biggest benefits is the appreciation that you can be learning all the
time, even if you are not in a formal training program.
Employment Training
and Development: Reasons and Benefits
Relationship of Learning and Development to Performance
We tend to assume that training leads to learning, which leads to doing better
in our lives and work -- it leads to increased performance. However, you will
very likely get more out of your trainings and be more successful in promoting
trainings to others if you understand more about the relationship between training
and performance. That understanding is especially useful when designing training
to increase performance or to redesign training programs that don't seem to
be as successful as you wish.
Tying Training to Performance (Performance Consulting
and HPT)
DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRAINING AND ACTIVITIES
Informal Versus. Formal Training, Self-Directed Versus Other-Directed Training
There are different, major forms of learning and development. We're most familiar
with formal and other-directed forms of learning and development, that include
the strong attention to the systematic structure and evaluation of the learning
and development, especially as used in schooling. That is somewhat ironic, because
the most common forms of learning and development are informal and self-directed
-- they occur without strong attention to a systematic design and evaluation
and without many experts guiding us through those experiences.
Ways to Look at Training
and Development Processes: Informal/Formal and Self-Directed/Other-Directed
Types of Activities for Learning and Development
There are many approaches to learning and development and many types of activities
that can be undertaken to learn. We're most used to thinking of the formal,
other-directed activities, such as attending courses or lectures. However, most
of the types of learning are informal and unstructured. An awareness of these
other types will broaden your possibilities for intentional learning and for
designing training for yourself and others.
Various Ideas
for Learning Activities
Movements in Organizational Training and Development
The field (or many would argue, the profession) of training and development
has undergone dramatic improvements, especially with the inclusion of computer-
and Web-based technologies. We're also expanding the concept of learning beyond
the learning of individuals -- we're thinking that groups and organizations
can learn, too. (Although the topics of the learning organization and knowledge
management are fairly recent and still popular, many people would disagree that
they're actually learning and development programs -- those people might assert
that they're actually forms of organizational performance management. However,
the two topics still seem to be so broad and changing, that they're referred
to here as movements.)
Learning Organization
Knowledge Management
PREPARATION FOR DEVELOPING TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
Examples of Programs in the Workplace
Before this Library topic goes on to explaining how to design and develop training
programs, it's useful to get a quick impression of various types of training
programs. A training program is an intentionally designed,
(hopefully) highly integrated set of activities that are aligned to accomplish
a certain set of results among learners. Many of us might not be used to thinking
of the following as programs in the workplace, but they are.
Overviews
of Various Formal Training Processes
Orienting
New Employees (New Hires, On-Boarding)
Corporate
Universities
How to Ensure Transfer of Training -- Training That Sticks
One of the biggest concerns of trainers -- and those paying for training --
is whether the learners will indeed understand and apply the new information
and materials from the learning and development activities, that is, whether
the new information and materials will transfer to the learners. The following
link is to many resources with guidelines to increase the likelihood of transfer
of training.
How to Ensure Transfer
of Training -- How to Reinforce Learning
Suggestions to Enrich the Activities of Learning and Development
Now we'll tie the many guidelines together into a set of suggestions that will
be useful, especially when undergoing or designing training programs for yourself
and others. The second link is to a guide you could consider when designing
a training program.
Suggestions to Enrich
Learning Any Training and Development Plans
DEVELOPING SYSTEMATIC TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
Instructional System Design (ISD) and the ADDIE Model
Formal approaches to learning and development often have the highest likelihood
of transfer of training. A formal approach to learning and development usually
follows a systematic and consistent framework. Systematic means that the framework
is designed to guide learners to achieve an overall set of goals -- goals to
address a need or situation, then associates objectives and activities to achieve
those overall goals, and evaluates the activities and results to be sure the
goals were achieved. Instructional system design (ISD) is the activities to
ensure that the design of training is very successful in achieving the goals
of the training. One of the most common ISD models is ADDIE, which is an acronym
for assessment, design, development, implementation and evaluation -- you can
discern from the acronym that ADDIES is a systematic design of training.
Formal Training
Processes -- Instructional Systems Design (ISD) and ADDIE
Example Guidelines
to Design Your Training Plan
ADDIE Phase 1 -- Assessing Your Training Needs: Needs Assessment to Training Goals
What overall results or outcomes should be accomplished by learners? Those
outcomes usually are identified from the results of assessments, or measurements,
of what a person or workplace needs to accomplish in order to achieve some desired
level of performance. An outcome might be the ability to perform a complex job.
Training Needs
Assessment and Analysis: Identifying Training Goals
ADDIE Phase 2 -- Designing Training Plans and Learning Objectives
What learning objectives must be accomplished by learners in order to achieve
the overall outcomes, and what activities must be undertaken by trainers and
learners to accomplish those objectives? The integration of the overall outcomes,
objectives and activities and also how they will be evaluated comprise the design
of the learning and development program. Learning objectives often are described
in terms of new learning -- new knowledge, skills and competencies.
Designing Training
Plans and Learning Objectives
ADDIE Phase 3 -- Developing Training Activities and Materials
Now it's important to get even more clear on what resources must be obtained
and developed in order to undertake the activities to achieve the objectives.
Resource might include certain expertise, facilities and technologies. Development
might include several trainers and learners reviewing the design of the training
to ensure it meets their nature and needs.
Developing
Training Activities and Materials
ADDIE Phase 4 -- Implementing Your Training Program
Now you're ready to have trainers and learners participate in the program,
to undertake the activities and evaluations of learning. Implementation often
results in refining the original design of the training program.
Implementing
Training: Conducting the Training with Learners
ADDIE Phase 5 -- Evaluating Your Training Program
As trainers and learners participate in the program, evaluation should occur
of the quality of the activities and the extent of achievement of the objectives.
After the program, evaluation should occur to assess the extent of achievement
of the overall goals of the program. Evaluation might focus on short-term, intermediate
and long-term outcomes.
Evaluating
Training and Results (ROI of Training)
LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS -- ROLES AND MANAGEMENT
Management of Learning and Development Programs and Activities
Learning and development activities must be carefully led and managed -- many
people would argue that they're not unlike other functions in organizations,
such as planning, marketing and financial management. The following roles might
be utilized, especially in well-established organizations with extensive resources.
Learning Management
Systems
Role of Chief Learning
Officers
Role of Management
in Learning and Development
Role of Learners
in Training and Development
How to Know When to Facilitate, Train or Coach
Practitioners in Learning and Development
The following links are to numerous types of positions that often have official
responsibility for various forms of learning and development.
Chief Learning Officers
Coaches
Facilitators
Human Performance Technologists
Human Resource Specialists
Organization
Development Practitioners
Popular Education for Learning and Development
and Social Change
Performance
Consultants
Trainers (Corporate
Trainers) (includes guidelines about training)
Do You Need An Instructional Design Degree?
Forms of Development (Leaders, Managers, Supervisors, Teams, etc.)
It might help to broaden your understanding of how learning and development
is applied in life and organizations by considering various forms of development.
Development is often referred to as the activities to raise the performance
of a person, team, process or organization to another level. Development include
a wide variety of forms of learning and development. The following links are
to a wide variety of forms of development in people and organizations.
Organization Development
Board Development
Leadership Development
Management Development
Supervisoral Development
Team Development
Personal Development
Sales Training
Training
Solutions for the “Dumbest Management Concepts of All Time”
RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS AND TRAINERS
Tips and Tools for Trainers and Teachers
Before reading about more specific tips and tools for trainers
and teachers, it's important to have a basic understanding of
training and development, in general. So be sure to at least scan
the list of topics listed at the top of this page in order to
understand the broader aspects of training and development. Then
see
Tips
and Tools for Trainers and Teachers
Starting a Training Business
This topic assumes that you already have some expertise in
training and are thinking about starting a business to be a professional
trainer. The guidelines in this topic are focused on helping you
to start a new organization, expand a current organization, or
start a new service. If you do not yet have expertise in training,
you should review much of the contents of the topic Training and Development, and then certainly
practice training in a variety of venues, including with evaluation
from other trainers and participants in your trainings.
How to Start a Training Business
General Resources
Online Resources for Training and Development
Online Educational Directories
Free Training
Programs
For the Category of Training and Development:
To round out your knowledge of this Library topic, you may
want to review some related topics, available from the link below.
Each of the related topics includes free, online resources.
Also, scan the Recommended Books listed below. They have been
selected for their relevance and highly practical nature.
Related Library Topics
Recommended Books
Basics and General Information
Orienting and Training Employees
Basics and General Information
-
Field Guide to Leadership and Supervision in Business
- by Carter McNamara, published by Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Provides step-by-step, highly practical guidelines to recruit, utilize and evaluate the best employees for your business. Includes guidelines to effectively lead yourself (as Board member or employee), other individuals, groups and organizations. Includes guidelines to avoid burnout -- a very common problem among employees of small businesses. Many materials in this Library's topic about staffing are adapted from this book.
-
Field Guide to Leadership and Supervision With Nonprofit Staff
- by Carter McNamara, published by Authenticity Consulting, LLC. Provides step-by-step, highly practical guidelines to recruit, utilize and evaluate the best staff members for your nonprofit. Includes guidelines to effectively lead yourself (as Board member or staff member), other individuals, groups and organizations. Includes guidelines to avoid burnout -- a very common problem among nonprofit staff. Many materials in this Library's topic about staffing are adapted from this book.
The following books are recommended because of their highly practical nature and often because they include a wide range of information about this Library topic. To get more information about each book, just click on the image of the book. Also, a "bubble" of information might be displayed. You can click on the title of the book in that bubble to get more information, too.
Orienting and Training Employees
The following books are recommended because of their highly practical nature and often because they include a wide range of information about this Library topic. To get more information about each book, just click on the image of the book. Also, a "bubble" of information might be displayed. You can click on the title of the book in that bubble to get more information, too.
