ASSIGNMENT COVER SHEET
Electronic
UNIT
CODE: MAN3655
TITLE: Workplace Learning &
Development
NAME OF STUDENT (PRINT CLEARLY)
RAFFERTY
KERI
FAMILY NAME
FIRST NAME
STUDENT ID. NO.
10064179
NAME OF LECTURER(s)
DUE DATE
Tara Smith & Jenni Parker
Friday 26 August, 2011
Topic of assignment - Assignment 1 - Job Application & ePortfolio
ePortfolio URL ( eg: http://jennipeportfolio.yolasite.com) so we can access YOUR e-portfolio for marking.
URL = http://kerirafferty.weebly.com
Group or tutorial (if applicable)
Off Campus
Course
Campus
BACHELOR OF BUSINESS
EXTERNAL
I certify that the attached assignment is my own work and that any material drawn from other
sources has been acknowledged.
OFFICE USE ONLY
Copyright in assignments remains my property. I grant permission to the University to make copies of
assignments for assessment, review and/or record keeping purposes. I note that the University
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appropriate authorisation will be sought from me on the relevant form.
Submitting this paper electronically as per instructions for the unit, place an ‘X’ in the box below to
indicate that you have read this form and filled it in completely and that you certify as above. Please
include this page in/with your submission. Any electronic responses to this submission will be sent to
your ECU email address.
Agreement
X
Date
30/08/2011
PROCEDURES AND PENALTIES ON LATE ASSIGNMENTS - Refer to the University Admission, Enrolment and Academic
Progress Rule 24 and the ECU Assessment Policy
 A student who wishes to defer the submission of an assignment must apply to the lecturer in charge of the relevant unit or
course for an extension of the time within which to submit the assignment.
 Where an extension is sought for the submission of an assignment the application must :

be in writing - preferably before the due date; and

set out the grounds on which deferral is sought. ( see ECU Assessment Policy)
http://intranet.ecu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/20025/assign_ext.pdf
 Assignments submitted after the normal or extended date without approval shall incur a penalty of loss of marks. (see 39.5)
ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT Rules (Students)
All forms of cheating, plagiarism or collusion are regarded seriously and could result in penalties including loss of marks, exclusion
from the unit or cancellation of enrolment.
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ASK Job Application
Selection Criteria Response Form
(Maximum 2 pages – type your responses below each criteria)
Selection criteria 1: Justify the need for and importance of, learning and development to
support the achievement of organisational goals.
Learning and development provides a strategic advantage for any organisation. An organisation should
focus on developing the skills and knowledge of employees to achieve their organisational goals. The
need for learning and development is now a major factor within the workplace due to a number of
environmental changes, including globalisation, political, legal and technological factors. Clifford (2007, p.
7) identifies that employees are forced to adapt to without changing productivity levels. Clifford (2007) also
goes on to explain how employees are forced to adapt including having to adopt new processes, receive
additional responsibilities, master new technologies and emerge to new legal requirements.
Technological advancements are a primary cause of changes within the workplace. There is now a
consensus in governments and organisations throughout the world to increase the level of workforce
skills in line with technological developments (Winterton, 2007, p.377). Enhancements to technology result
in changes to the way tasks are performed due to new tools and practices. For an organisation to adapt to
these changes, it is imperative that their employees are provided with effective learning experiences.
These learning experiences should provide the skills and knowledge that allow staff to cope and excel with
technology that is rapidly and continuously modernized.
The results of learning and development influence an organisation’s ability to achieve their strategic goals
and objectives. Sinha and Sinha (2009, p.108) explain that the advantages of training and development to
an organisation include optimum utilization of human resources, increased productivity, improved
profitability, improvement of the organisation’s culture and the development of employee skills and
knowledge. The need for learning and development in the workplace is significant and is a supporting
factor in the achievement of organisational goals. Human resources can be an organisation’s greatest
asset. It is seemingly obvious then that any effort put towards improving the skills and knowledge of this
asset will result in the organisation achieving a competitive advantage and reaching organisational goals.
Selection criteria 2: Compare and contrast the 4 major learning theories: (Behaviourist,
Cognitivist, Humanist, and Constructivist)
Learning can be defined as any relative change in an individual’s behaviour as a result of experience
(Sinha & Sinha, (2009). The four major learning theories are behaviourism, cognitivism, humanism and
constructivism. A comparison of the four theories aims to identify the principles behind each theory and
establish the role of the teacher/trainer.
The main principle behind behaviourism is that learner’s behaviours’ are direct responses to environmental
stimuli. Under this theory, behaviours’ are conditioned as a result of applied consequences. This theory
employs the notion that teachers/trainers use either positive or negative reinforcements to achieve the
desired behaviour from learners. The role of the teacher/trainer is to reward positive behaviour and punish
negative behaviour in order to condition the learner to behave accordingly.
Cognitivism is based on the idea that learners are information processors. This theory replaced
behaviourism as the major learning theory in the 1960’s. Cognitivism focuses on mental activities such as
thinking, memory, knowing and problem-solving. This theory generates the idea that learners should be
encouraged to actively participate throughout their training and that a further understanding of how the
mind works should be explored. Cognitivism likens humans to computers in that information goes into the
mind, is then processed and finally leads to an outcome.
Humanism, which emerged in the 1960s, focuses on the human freedom, dignity, and potential
(www.learning-theories.com). It is based on the principle that humans have a desire to learn and fulfill their
potential. Humanism can be linked to needs theories (such as Maslow’s hierarchy of needs) as it suggests
that humans place value on the achievement of some outcomes more than they do for others.
Teachers/trainers need to identify the needs of learners and create a training program that aims to fulfill
these needs. Learners are likely to respond positively if they feel that the training process will satisfy their
need to achieve certain goals.
Constructivism is based on the principle that teachers/trainers should encourage learners to construct their
own solutions to problems. The Miami Museum of Science explains that learners use “prior experience and
firsthand knowledge gained from new explorations” to make sense of new ideas. They also identify that the
stages of constructivism are; engaging; exploring; explaining; elaborating; and evaluating. Fox (2001)
explains that constructivism claims that learning is an active process, knowledge is constructed and that to
be effective, learning needs to be open-minded, meaningful and challenging. The role of a teacher/trainer
is to act as a guide and encourage learners to produce their own solutions. Boghossian (2006) defines the
comparisons between constructivism and behaviourism. He states that behavourism was the most
dominant theory 20 years ago but as now been taken over by constructivism. Boghossian explains that
behaviourism views ‘knowledge as a result of a finding process’ whereas constructivism views knowledge
as a ‘natural consequence of a constructed process’. These differences outline how views on learning
have changed over time.
To achieve training and development objectives, we need to identify the components of each theory that
would provide the most positive outcome. The theories should be combined to suit the type of work
involved and the skills and knowledge required of the employees. It is not realistic to assume that one
learning theory is more effective than another when applied to any set of circumstances.
References
Boghossian, P. (2006). Behaviorism, constructivism, and socratic pedagogy. Educational Philosophy and
Theory, 38 (6), 713–722.
Clifford, J. (2007). Workplace learning and development [Ebook library version]. Retrieved from
http://0-site.ebrary.com.library.ecu.edu.au/lib/ecu/docDetail.action?docID=10177080
Fox, R. (2001). Constructivism examined. Oxford Review of Education, 27(1), 23-25.
Learning-Theories.com. Humanism. Retrieved from http://www.learningtheories.com/humanism.html#more-39
Miami Museum of Science. Constructivism and the five E’s. Retrieved from
http://www.miamisci.org/ph/lpintro5e.html
Sinha, D. & S. Sinha. (2009). Personal growth and training development. Retrieved from
http://reader.eblib.com.au/(S(ap2rgu3ngtktx5cnggdjatqn))/Reader.aspx?p=588693&o=74&u=E51D218990
&t=1314675660&h=0CE0B3AAE0AEB173C4CEC8C7F37C8C79E2458A47&s=4715913&ut=168&pg=130
&r=img&c=-1&pat=n#
Winterton, J. (2007). Training, development and competence. In: Boxall, P., Purcell, J. & Wright, P. (Eds.),
Oxford Handbook of Human Resource Management (pp.324-343). The Oxford: New York. [Ebook library
version]. Retireved from <http://0search.informit.com.au.library.ecu.edu.au/documentSummary;dn=997906815451663;res=IELHSS> ISBN:
019928251X.
Job Application Marking Guide (10%)
Unsatisfactory
Satisfactory
Very effective
Excellent
Exceptional
Fail
Pass
Credit
Distinction
High Distinction
0
5
6
7
8-10
Selection Criteria 1: Justify the need for and importance of, learning and development to support the
achievement of organisational goals
Does not justify the
Very limited
importance of L& D
justification (a very
for the achievement weak argument) of
of org. goals.
the importance of
L& D for the
achievement of
org. goals. Paper
is descriptive.
Limited
justification (a
weak argument)
of the importance
of L& D for the
achievement of
org. goals. Paper
is mainly
descriptive.
Fairly strong
justification (evidence
of an argument) of
the importance of L&
D for the
achievement of org.
goals. Selection
Criteria demonstrates
some analysis.
Strong justification (a
strong argument) of the
importance of L& D for
the achievement of org.
goals. Selection Criteria
demonstrates strong
analysis.
Selection Criteria 2: Compare and contrast the 4 major learning theories (Behaviourist, Cognitivist, Humanist,
Constructivist)
Not all learning
theories are
addressed.
All learning
theories are
addressed, but it is
mainly descriptive.
All learning
theories are
addressed.
Some aspects
are compared
and contrasted,
but analysis is
limited.
All learning theories
are addressed. Most
aspects are
compared and
contrasted; there is
evidence of some
analysis.
All learning theories are
very well addressed.
All aspects are
compared and
contrasted; there is
evidence of significant
analysis.
Selection Criteria
demonstrates very
limited evidence of
any academic
research (textbooks
only or poor journal
articles).
Selection Criteria
demonstrates
limited academic
research (1 or 2
journal articles).
Only the basic
aspects are
covered.
Selection Criteria
demonstrates
some research (3
or 4 journal
articles). Most
aspects are
covered.
Selection Criteria
demonstrates
sufficient research (5
or 6 journal articles).
All aspects are
covered.
In-text and End-text
contains many
serious errors.
Referencing is very
poor, and does not
follow ECU
guidelines.
Selection Criteria
presentation is
unprofessional.
In-text and Endtext contains a
number of serious
errors.
Referencing is
poor, and does not
follow ECU
guidelines. Some
aspects of the
Selection Criteria
are professionally
presented.
In-text and Endtext contains
minor errors.
Referencing is
adequate. Not all
ECU guidelines
are followed.
Most aspects of
the Selection
Criteria are
professionally
presented.
In-text and End-text
contains a few very
minor errors.
Referencing is good.
Most ECU
referencing
guidelines are
followed. Selection
Criteria are
professionally
presented.
Selection Criteria
demonstrates the use
of quality research
articles (7+ journal
articles). Justification of
the importance L&D is
clear. Demonstrates a
depth of thought and
insight into the subject.
In-text and End-text
contains no errors.
Referencing is very
good. ECU referencing
guidelines are followed.
Selection Criteria are
very professionally
presented.
Academic Skills
ePortfolio Marking Guide (10%)
Unsatisfactory
Satisfactory
Very effective
Excellent
Exceptional
Fail
Pass
Credit
Distinction
High Distinction
0
5
6
7
8-10
ePortfolio – essential items included


Home page - introduction
About Me page – bio & ECU email


Blog page – min 2 posts
Job Application page – selection file attached
ePortfolio Design
No images or links
to other resources.
Text is unclear
&/or has serious
punctuation and
spelling errors.
Some images or
links to other
resources.
Text lacks clarity
&/or has some
punctuation and
spelling errors.
Some images or
links to other
resources.
Text is fairly
clear &/or has
some minor
punctuation and
spelling errors.
Many images or links
to other resources
are provided that are
appropriate.
Text is clear, one or
two very minor
errors.
Significant appropriate
Images or links to other
resources are used to
enhance the eportfolio.
Text is clear, exact and
engaging. No errors.
Analysis conveys
evidence of personal
response to the
issues or concepts
raised. Beginning to
reflect on workplace
training &
development in a
different way.
Analysis conveys
extensive evidence of
personal response to
the issues or concepts
raised. Demonstrates
personal growth and
workplace training &
development
awareness.
Demonstrates an
ability to reflect on
most of own work.
Begins to
demonstrate good
meta-cognition and
provides examples
consistently.
Reflects well on all own
work, demonstrates a
range of meta-cognitive
practices and provides
many examples.
eJournal (blog)
Personal Response to class material, activities and readings
No personal
response is made to
the issues or
concepts raised in
workplace training &
development
Analysis
demonstrates very
limited evidence of
personal response
to the issues or
concepts raised in
workplace training
& development
Analysis conveys
some evidence of
personal
response to the
issues or
concepts raised
in workplace
training &
development
Personal growth (preparation of assignments, class activities)
Does not reflect on
own work at all and
no examples are
provided.
Reflects on own
work improvement
on occasion but
limited examples
are provided.
Demonstrates an
ability to reflect on
some of own
work but
examples
provided are
minimal.
Critical Reflection (thinking and linking concepts to the big picture of workplace learning & development)
No reference to
workplace, or
outside of class
learning.
No reflection on
new concepts.
Minimal reference
to workplace, or
outside of class
learning.
Reflects on new
concepts but does
not demonstrate
how it fits in the
bigger picture.
References to
workplace, or
outside of class
learning, but does
not clearly link
theory with real
practice.
Reflects on new
concepts and is
beginning to link
them to the
bigger picture.
Significant references
to workplace, or
outside of class
learning, and is
beginning to link
theory with real
practice.
Clearly reflects on
new concepts and
links new concepts in
the bigger picture.
Significant references
to workplace, or outside
of class learning, and
clearly links theory with
real practice.
Clearly reflects on new
concepts and
demonstrates a clear
understanding of how
this fits in the bigger
picture
Very limited
discussion of your
own learning
and/or problem
solving strategies
used in MAN3655.
Some discussion
of your own
learning and/or
problem solving
strategies used in
MAN3655.
Substantial
discussion of your
own learning and/or
problem solving
strategies used in
MAN3655.
Extensive, reflective
discussion of your own
learning and/or problem
solving strategies used
in MAN3655 including
reference to both the
technical and
workplace learning and
development concepts
covered.
Learning strategies
No discussion of
your own learning
and/or problem
solving strategies
used in MAN3655.