Running head: PERSONAL LEARNING THEORY
Personal Learning Theory, A Corporate Perspective
Melissa A. Semeniuk
University of North Texas®i
CECS 5210 Instructional Systems Design 1 Section 080
CECS 5030 Paper Revision
Author Note
Please send correspondence questions to melissasimons@my.unt.edu
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PERSONAL LEARNING THEORY
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Personal Learning Theory, A Corporate Perspective
The Corporate Environment
Personal Learning Theory Influence
Evident generational gaps within the corporate environment increase the demands upon
the human resource department to determine an organizational need and capture human
performance strategies and knowledge bases amongst a retiring generation. In turn, internal
individual business units develop employee specific training and performance programs hiring or
using internal learning and development facilitators, instructional designers, learning and
development advisors or professionals.
The corporate learning and development atmosphere suits flexible frameworks aligning
with theoretical methodologies. The learning and development framework must consider global
cultural diversity, telecommuting, technology adaptations, and work environmental factors such
as field or office employees.
Technology advancements increase connections between subject matter experts and new
employees. A web 2.0 or 3.0 tool integrates digital communication and decreases hierarchal
boundaries and increases transparent communication between an employee, supervisor, or a team.
In essence, introducing mentor and mentee practices inside a business strategy aligns various
knowledge bases and networking practices. Therefore, learning from experience subject matter
experts (SME) to peer, peer to peer, mentee to mentor, decreases the employee’s performance
gap and the increases employee’s business base knowledge and confidence.
Corporate Environment Personal Theory
A corporate theory translates into aligning various learning theories integrating into the
Community of Practice theory supporting individual constructivist methods. For example,
PERSONAL LEARNING THEORY
constructivist suggests the learner actively engages, constructs, or scaffolds new ideas building
knowledge (Cunningham & Duffy, 1996). Multimedia and online environments offer user
engagement providing self-discovery methods increasing self-efficacy (Bandura, 1977). A
correct instructional design system develops a positive user experience translating into memory
recall and cognitive process focus.
Corporation’s technological integration should encompass different theoretical
frameworks inside mobile devices, visual literacy, and various computer bases training, digital
technology, and learning management systems. However, corporations must consider a
theoretical framework is focusing on learning and development instructional goals, business
goals, learning strategies and learning objectives before producing implementation phases. To
summarize, a learning theory compels individual learning cognition processes and developing
behaviors. In turn, technology user interfaces functions should express the learning framework.
A goal or objective stimulates or creates short-term or long-term memory associations
clearly communicating a learning strategy influencing individual performance, social
connections, or tangible application. Siemens connectivism theory suggests learning connects
various nodes through a network, “Learning is the process of creating networks. Nodes are
external entities which we can use to form a network” (Siemens, 2006, p. 29). Historical
documents reference early and current mentor and mentee relationship patterns and practices
using the community of practice theory (Lave & Wenger, 1991). Wegner (2000) suggests,
“Since the beginning of history, human beings have formed communities that share cultural
practices reflecting their collective learning” (Communities of Practice, p. 229). To paraphrase,
learning includes scaffolding knowledge using real-world strategies or experiencing different
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PERSONAL LEARNING THEORY
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environments (Merrill, 2002). In turn, community or social practices interrelate in a corporation
business environment, global networks and connecting extensive knowledge.
In addition, a mentor and mentee relationship, Srivastava, & Thakur (2013) explains, “It
involves both Individual attributes (psychological) as well as environmental attributes
(sociological)” (p.16). The relationship between the mentor and mentee proceeds beyond a
casual meeting. Mentorship practices emphasize career goals identifying performance gaps and
promote motivating behaviors and trust. Templeton & Tremont (2014) proposes, “…using
mentoring as a form of job-embedded training that aligns professional development” (Abstract,
p.54). Mentoring business strategies balance individual growth opportunities.
A community of practices theory assembles various learning frameworks expressing a
constructivist method. A knowledge gap or behavior identifies and redirect a goal or develops a
learning pattern. A mentee becomes a mentor transferring knowledge to the next employee or
generation – it is a cyclic relationship. Fundamentally, technology networks connect different
employee skill sets and knowledge bases increasing mentoring opportunities and practices
globally reaching a corresponding employee across different business units.
In conclusion, multimedia educational technology provides learners exploration and selfdiscovery opportunities during contextual engagement and social connections. Each connection,
either social or contextual, solidifies and introduces new concepts changing empirical views
guiding the learner. As technology integrates into the learner’s everyday activity, instructional
design system models and theories must adapt fitting the learner’s environment. Corporations
should consider designing key theoretical instructional design frameworks and models
combining mentor and mentee practices aligning with common business goals. In other words,
educating and mentoring internal employees is a future solid investment.
PERSONAL LEARNING THEORY
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References
Cunningham, D., & Duffy, T. (1996). Constructivism: Implications for the design and delivery of
instruction. Handbook of Research for Educational Communications and Technology, 2,
(pp.170-198).
Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological
review,84(2), 191.
Merrill, M. D. (2002). First principles of instruction. Educational Technology Research &
Development, 50, 43-59. doi: 10.1007/BF02505024
Semens, G. (2006). Knowing knowledge (pp. 1-163). EBook: Creative Commons License.
Retrieved June 29, 2014, from
http://www.elearnspace.org/KnowingKnowledge_LowRes.pdf
Srivastava, S., & Thakur, M. (2013). Mentoring and performance: testing a mediated model in
supervisory and formal mentoring in business organisation. International Journal Of
Business Insights & Transformation, 6(2), 16-35.
Templeton, N. R., & Tremont, J. W. (2014). Applying business lessons to education: mentoring
as job-embedded professional development. International Journal Of Organizational
Innovation, 6(4), 54-59.
Wenger, E. (2000). Communities of practice and social learning systems. Organization, 7: 225246. doi:10.1177/135050840072002.
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