HRD and the challenges of assessing learning in the workplace

Abstract

Increasingly the different ways in which learning can be conceptualised alongside debates within the field of human resource development (HRD) regarding its nature and purpose, potentially lead to confusion regarding how learning is to be assessed in the workplace. This article identifies some of the complexities associated with assessing learning in today's workplace and presents empirical findings suggesting that different aspects of an organisation's training and development system are likely to differentially determine the extent to which either formal or informal learning is assessed. Explanations as to why this may be the case are put forward.

Influence of Training on Employees Performance in Public institution in Tanzania

“…The conclusion reached was that in most cases a well designed training programme can be linked to improvements in business results and that return on investment in training programmes is very high. A national survey of training evaluation in specialized healthcare organizations (hospices) conducted by (Clarke ,2004) showed that while there appeared to be some links between training and performance it was not possible to reach firm conclusions about causality. However, the study reached the important finding that where organizations undertake assessment of their training and development (both formal and informal learning) then there is a greater belief in the positive impact training and development has in the organization.…”

The developing field of workplace learning and the contribution of PIAAC

“…Other authors argue that learning related to work can only be truly understood if it is also studied by means of quantitative methods in addition to qualitative (Clarke, 2004;Marsick & Watkins, 2003).…”

Inventário de Suporte Organizacional à Aprendizagem: Desenvolvimento e Evidências de Validação

“…A presença desse item confirma os estudos de Lohman (2009), Coelho et al (2005) e Cheng, Wang, Yang e Peng (2011), que mencionam a variável tempo como relevante para o suporte à aquisição de novas competências. Também convergiu com a literatura a validação de itens relacionados a palavras de estímulo de superiores hierárquicos (Balarin et al, 2014;Clarke, 2004;Coelho et al, 2005;Ellinger, 2005) e de colegas de trabalho (Balarin et al, 2014;Cheng et al, 2011;Coelho et al, 2005;Lohman, 2005). O fator material da ESOAC é composto por itens que reforçam aspectos de estudos anteriores, tal como a promoção de "cursos, treinamentos e oficinas" para indivíduos adquirirem competências.…”

“…Cultura de aprendizagem, incentivos organizacionais, disponibilização de ferramentas, de recursos materiais, de recompensas financeiras (Choi & Jacobs, 2011;Ellinger, 2005;Lee et al, 2004), de tempo, relações com colegas de trabalho (Cheng, Wang, Yang, & Peng, 2011;Lohman, 2005), apoio dos chefes (Clarke, 2004;Cohen, 1990), feedback à busca de aprendizagem, auxílio em dúvidas (Coelho et al, 2005), tolerância a erros (Catino & Patriota, 2013) são alguns aspectos contextuais relacionados à aquisição de novas competências e à percepção de utilidade de novas aprendizagem por parte dos indivíduos (Choi & Jacobs, 2011;Cohen, 1990) que se associam, por sua vez, a novos comportamentos no trabalho e a novas maneiras de executar antigas tarefas.…”