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Education in the Work Environment

Updated on March 10, 2023
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Rodric has a master's degree in adult education. He has over 10 years of facilitation and teaching experience.

Using a pseudo-company to demonstrate adult education and training in the workplace removes the need to focus on a company, like McDonald's, and helps the learning process stand out. Adults never stop learning something new at work and at home. This article will focus on adult education and training at work: learning types and motivations.

The Scenerio

Typical Company seeks to educate 500 employees (ranging in ages from 17 to 70) to use a new technological system planned for activation in six months. Typical Co’s training division must complete the employee training within the specified time because the current system will no longer function after the six-month period.

For the Typical Co training division to perform the task, several learning fundamentals require attention: biological, physiological, sociocultural, and cognitive factors. This analysis contains a brief description of approaches Typical Co. can consider.

Source

Encourage Learning

People learn in varying degrees and display varying intellectual abilities. Biological factors affect the type and quality of learning that occurs in any group of adults.

Some Learn Quickly Genetically

Biological theories associated with learning ...

attempt to cover universal and individual differences in learning [1]. Biological views conclude that all humans share traits to distinguish them apart from other animals, which may have evolved with humanity for survival. A further supposition that humanity developed further into multi-social structures with genetic specifics for group survival—producing variations within the subgroups for individual genetic structure to help foster individual learning [1].

Evolution mentioned here means the ability to adapt and excel in an environment that is intrinsically biological, which mutations genetically share to the offspring. There exist no evidence that one group of people learns faster than another given the same conditions. Education is highly individualistic.

Humanity has a penchant for learning ...

etched in the DNA. Trainers expect employees naturally to learn new material because of a common genetic development predisposed for adaptation to new environments. Of course, begs the question, why explore the biological and genetic significance of education if only to use it to develop a training program for Typical Co?

The employees' ability to survive depends on their capacity to adapt to the new environment. If they want to remain viable employees, they will adapt, and the training will not need to be as extensive as in pedagogy or child teaching. The type of learning determines how effective the six-month period will pan out. Biologically, the employees are primed and ready to go. Adults tend to learn effectively when the material benefits them practically, such as retaining employment.

Action learning ...

introduces a useful tool employing multiple angles to view education to provide a basis for training. Marquardt and Waddill (2004) submit that action learning provides a problem for the learners to solve using their skills and knowledge.

Behaviorally speaking, the problem introduced to the team of learners will cause them to adjust to the stimuli and foster a change in behavior--producing learning. Cognitively the members of the team will use reflective techniques to consult and provide a solution.

This type of learning occurs in the Justice system in American courts that use juries. Learning involves the processing of new information and repackaging it into relevant data. Juries and Judges process information provided and decide the fate of defendants.

Typical Co. trainers can use this information to provide learning opportunities, such as administering tests for groups or individuals to determine the amount of information assimilated by employees or to reinforce the logic supporting the necessity of the new processes for implementation.

One need for Typical Co is to update the speed of employee workstation log-in increasing optimal hours of production. If it takes 30 minutes to prepare certain workstations for production but the new process reduces the time to 15 minutes, leaving the question to the employees will produce a logical conclusion that the new process will increase production hours. It will also, however, introduce how the new process can affect the employees' work performance.

Source

Marquardt and Waddill (2004) mention humanistic and social learning concepts stating that a team of learners will foster acceptance of each member as he or she contributes questions and ideas to solve the problem—learning from each other in the process.

Each employee will be able to help instruct one another after introduction to the new system providing a resource for trainers from which to draw on how to perpetuate learning without having to produce multiple training situations.

For independent trainers, such a resources can determine whether or not they are hired for future training opportunities. For in-house trainers, it sets a precedent, a guide to promote employee self-development. Employees who incite learning so that contributions from the learners can occur during the action learning portion of training and in perpetuity, which constitutes a social learning aspect. In-house trainers can then focus on human resource opportunities with new employees and curricular maintenance.

Before training, to prepare the students for learning, an open discussion about the new training system and how it will impact the employees will assist in garnering support for full participation among the learners.

Reference Material

  • Boyd, D. and Bee, H. (2006). Lifespan development (4th ed.). Boston: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon. [1]

  • Marquardt, M., and Waddill, D. (2004). The power of learning in action learning: a conceptual analysis of how the five schools of adult learning theories are incorporated within the practice of action learning. Action Learning: Research & Practice ,1 (2), 185-202. doi:10.1080/14767333042000264146 [2]
  • I'Anson, J., Rodriguez, S., & Wilson, G. (2003). Mirrors, reflections and refractions: The contribution of microteaching to reflective practice. European Journal of Teacher Education , 26 (2), 189. Retrieved from Education Research Complete database. [3]

  • Merriam, S. B., Caffarella, R. S., & Baumgartner, L. M. (2007). Learning in adulthood: A comprehensive guide (3rd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. [4]

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

© 2010 Rodric Anthony Johnson

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