ASSIGNMENT COVER SHEET
Electronic
UNIT
CODE: MAN3655
NAME OF STUDENT (PRINT CLEARLY)
TITLE: Workplace Learning &
Development
Broad
Sharon
FAMILY NAME
FIRST NAME
STUDENT ID. NO.
10083592
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://sharone-portfolio.weebly.com
Group or tutorial (if applicable)
On-Campus _____ or Off Campus X
Course
Campus
BACHELOR OF BUSINESS
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
reserves the right to check my assignment for plagiarism. Should the reproduction of all or part of an
assignment be required by the University for any purpose other than those mentioned above,
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
Date
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Progress Rule 24 and the ECU Assessment Policy
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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
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ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT Rules (Students)
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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.
In the search for evidence and examples from organizations in order to justify the importance of
learning and development to achieving organizational goals, it was evident that the function of
human resource management as a whole is extremely important to the success of an
organization. Learning and development is a subset of human resource management, along
with other activities such as recruitment and selection, workforce planning, remuneration. As
stated by Mayer in the most successful organizations “these HRM practices are not “stand
alone” notions, but part of a strategic configuration of competencies and process to support the
business strategy of the firm”. In support of this claim, Mayer’s article provide examples of
research studies linking HRM practices to results with statistics such as $3814 more in profits
on a per employee basis, $18,861 more in market value and a 7% decrease in employee
turnover. (Mayer, 2008, p. 2)
So looking more specifically at learning and development, it’s worth first defining what learning
is, in order to understand how it’s important to the achievement of organizational goals. Noe
and Winkler define learning as “the acquisition of knowledge by individual employees or groups
of employees who are willing to apply that knowledge in their jobs in making decision and
accomplishing tasks for the organization”(Noe & Winkler, 2009, p. 36). Knowledge can be either
tacit (personal knowledge based on individual experience or intuition, and difficult to explain) or
explicit (able to be formalized, codified and communicated).
So how does learning and knowledge development contribute to the achievement of
organizational goals? Noe and Winkler advise that in today’s globalised and extremely
competitive business environment, the difference in organizations can come down to the
difference in their “intangible assets and human capital” (Noe & Winkler, 2009, p. 12).
Managers are increasingly expecting training and development activities to “help the
organization to successfully implements it’s strategy and reach business goals”.
Learning and development can contribute to the achievement of organizational goals in both a
direct and indirect way. The direct impact is by developing training and learning programs
which are targeted to meet specific learning needs required to achieve business strategy. An
example quoted in Noe and Winkler of this direct impact on business strategy in a successful
organization is IBM. IBM identified the need to transform themselves into an organization that
was able to respond quickly to customers immediate needs (Noe & Winkler, 2009, p. 12). As
part of this transformation they invested US$700m to improve employee’s capabilities in this
area. The end result was an improvement in IBM’s net income.
Indirectly, learning and development in an organization helps to attract and retain talent in
organizations. This is particularly true for the current generation of employees, categorized as
“Generation Y”. McCrindle’s article on the characteristics of Gen Y states that “when deciding to
accept a job, salary ranks sixth in order of importance after training, management style, work
flexibility, staff activities, and non-financial rewards. (McCrindle, Unknown, p. 4). So obviously
in order to attract a new generation of employees with which to achieve it’s business strategy, it
is important for an organisation to focus efforts in the learning and development area. Another
demographic factor which is increasing the value of learning and development to organisations,
is the approaching retirement of the “Baby Boomers” and the knowledge they will take with them
to retirement. Learning and development activities for the employees who replace them are
crucial for an organisation to be able to continue successfully through this major transition.
An example of a successful company who has recognised the importance on learning and
development to their activities and success is Fosters Group. In 2008, they won an Award for
Excellence in Business Strategy from the Australian Institute of Training and Development.
Fosters Group developed a learning program in Advanced Packaging, which was projected to
deliver savings of greater than $500k in the first year, present a return on investment of almost
900%. The program was developed over several years, keeping closely aligned to business
needs at Fosters (Anonymous, 2008, p. 1)
Selection criteria 2: Compare and contrast the 4 major learning theories: (Behaviourist,
Cognitivist, Humanist, Constructivist)
Before starting to describe, compare and contrast the 4 major learning theories, it’s useful to explain what
a theory is, as it can be quite a nebulous concept. Dorin, Demmin and Gabel describe a theory as:





“a theory provides a general explanation for observations made over time
A theory explains and predicts behaviour
A theory can never be established beyond all doubt
A theory may be modified
Theories seldom have to be thrown out completely if thoroughly tested but sometimes a theory
may be widely accepted for a long time and later disproved”
(Mergel, 1998, p. 2)
This is important to understand as looking at the 4 learning theories of behaviourism, cognitivism,
constructivism and humanism, they all build on each other to some degree, but have contrasting points of
difference.
Behaviourism was the first established learning theory (emerging in the early 1900’s) and assumes that a
learner is essentially passive, and simply responds to environmental stimuli. The brand new learner starts
off as a clean slate (i.e. tabula rasa) and their behaviour is modified through positive (the application of a
stimulus) or negative (the withholding of a stimulus) reinforcement. Positive and negative reinforcement
increase the probability that the antecedent behaviour will re-occur, while positive or negative punishment
decreases the probability that the behaviour will occur again. In behaviourism, “learning is defined as a
change of behaviour in the learner”. (Learning Theories Knowledgebase, 2011a)
Cognitivism replaced behaviourism in the 1960’s, and argues that the “black box” of the mind should be
opened and understood in order to understand how people learn. Knowledge can be seen as scheme or
symbolic mental constructions. In contrast to behaviourism, constructivism believes that people are not
“programmed animals”, but rational beings that require active participation in order to learn, and whose
actions are a consequence of rational thought. In cognitivism, “learning is defined as the change in the
learners schemata”. (Learning Theories Knowledgebase, 2011b)
Humanism emerged around the same time as cognitivism, but was not the dominant theory of the time.
Humanism focuses on human freedom, dignity and potential, and a central assumption is that people act
with intentionality and values. This contrasts with the behaviourist view that all behaviour is the result of
the application of reinforcement or punishment, and also with the cognitivist view that discovering
knowledge or constructing meaning is central to learning. In humanism, “learning occurs to develop selfactualised people in a cooperative, supportive environment”. (Learning Theories Knowledgebase, 2011d)
Constructivism builds on all of these theories and supports the position that “learners construct their own
reality or at least interpret it based on their perceptions of experiences, so an individual’s knowledge is a
function of one’s prior experiences, mental structures and beliefs that are used to interpret objects and
events”. In constructivism, learning is “an active, contextualized process of constructing knowledge rather
than acquiring it” (Learning Theories Knowledgebase, 2011c)
Behaviourism
Emerged in the early
20th century
Learner is passive
Cognitivism
Replaced behaviourism
as the most popular
learning theory in 1960’s
Learner is active
Learning is a result of
cause and effect and
consequence behaviour
Learning is based on
the meaning learners
bring to the environment
Humanism
Emerged at same time
as cognitivism, but not
as popular
Learner is extremely
active
Learning is an extension
of cognitivism with
maximum involvement
of the learner
Constructivism
Emerged in the 1930’s
Learner is extremely
active
Learning is based on
personal experiences
and hypotheses of the
environment
Anonymous. (2008). Business strategy profits through learning. Training and Development in Australia, 35(3), 10-11.
Learning Theories Knowledgebase. (2011a). Behaviorism at Learning-Theories.com Retrieved 20 August 2011, from
http://www.learning-theories.com/behaviorism.html
Learning Theories Knowledgebase. (2011b). Cognitivism at Learning-Theories.com Retrieved 20 August 2011, from
http://www.learning-theories.com/cognitivism.html
Learning Theories Knowledgebase. (2011c). Constructivism at Learning-Theories.com Retrieved 20 August 2011, from
http://www.learning-theories.com/constructivism.html
Learning Theories Knowledgebase. (2011d). Humanism at Learning-Theories.com Retrieved 20 August 2011, from
http://www.learning-theories.com/humanism.html
Mayer, S. J. (2008). Strategic Human Resource Management - Practices of High Performing Organisations. Innovative
Human Dynamics - Developing Human Capacity for Innovative Organisations. Retrieved from
http://www.innovativehumandynamics.com/Strategic.pdf
McCrindle,
M.
(Unknown).
Understanding
Gen
Y.
Retrieved
from
http://www.learningtolearn.sa.edu.au/Colleagues/files/links/UnderstandingGenY.pdf
Mergel, B. (1998). Instructional Design and Learning Theory
Retrieved 20 August 2011, 2011, from
http://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/802papers/mergel/brenda.htm
Noe, R. A., & Winkler, C. (2009). Employee Training and Development for Australia and New Zealand. North Ryde,
NSW: McGraw-Hill Australia Pty Ltd.
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
importance of L& D
for the achievement
of org. goals.
Very limited
justification (a very
weak argument) of
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.
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 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.
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.