Learning Styles of People Were Learnt and Learning Questionnaire by Honey and Mumford (1982)

Learning Log:

Name: Mehreen Asif

Date of event What was the development activity? What was I expecting to learn? What have I learned? How will I apply this learning?

Feb 2011 (Week 1) Learning Styles of people were learnt and Learning questionnaire by HONEY AND MUMFORD (1982)

Was filled. I was expected to learn that it's not necessary that everyone has the same learning style and that while learning the same thing two different people can learn the same activity in altogether different way. I learnt that many times we think that we know how to learn but it is not true. Also that there are individual learning style preferences of every single individual. I learnt that I am a reflector and a theorist with a least score as an activist. This questionnaire helped me discover my learning style preference. It will make me select the learning experiences according to my preferred style of learning. It will help me in applying sequential approach to the problems in my life making me a perfectionist. This activity helped me know that I am not an Activist and that I need to improve this aspect in my life.

Feb 2011(Week 4) In a team activity designed and developed two day training programme that meets the results of training needs analysis in an organization. Also saw a training video "Fish" which is a very famous video of training. I was expected to learn how a training programme is designed taking into account all considerations like time management, having ample resources for the training programme and using different methodologies for delivering an effective training programme. I learnt that designing an effective training programme is not as easy as it is assumed. I also helped me learn that no single method for training is good alone. Every effective training programme should include a variety of activities where participants should be involved during the programme like our team gave presentations to the trainees. We also made use of video clips. Such activities help in active learning and trainees don't get bore. It will help me develop training programmes when I will be working in some HR department of any organization. It will make me remember that training is a continuous process which may be linked to the learning cycle as well. The video "Fish" also gave me inspiration to be positive. This training video helped me understand how fun, passion and energy can be brought to any workplace giving best customer services at the same time.

Feb 2011(Week 6) Belbin (1981) questionnaire was filled which use Self-Perception Inventory (SPI) and a video on team building was seen. I was expected to learn different team roles and their importance in making a winning team. I learnt that in order to develop a team right mix of people is very important. I found out that I am a team worker and a coordinator with pleasant and accommodating attitude. This activity will help me improve my weaker roles and I fill try to be flexible.

Assignment

This assignment will look into the critical aspects and evaluation of the statement "HRD is organised learning experiences provided by employers, within a specified period of time, to bring about the possibility of performance improvement and personal growth." (Gold & Holden, 2010) by considering the positive and negative aspects of the definition. Further, it will assess the validity of this definition of Human resource development by comparing and assessing the other school of thoughts who attempted to define HRD.

Numerous attempts to define human resource development (HRD) by academics, researchers and practitioners have led to confusion in the literature, illustrating the elusive nature of this concept. This suggests that a distinctive conceptual or theoretical definition of HRD has not yet been established, and this issue has hence become a subject of constant debate and discourse (Weinberger, 1998; McLean & McLean, 2001; Wang & McLean, 2007)as cited in Abdullah, H ( 2009)

Different School of thoughts defined Human Resource Development differently. Some school of thoughts defined Human Resource Development as Training and Development. Some just focused on Learning and Learning capacity of the individuals working in the organization. Some focused either on Performance of the individuals working in the

organization or on the performance of the organization singly. Few researchers have taken into account career development, training and development along with the organizational and individual performance while defining Human Resource Development.

The first definition of HRD was offered by Harbison and Myers (1964) as "...the process of increasing the knowledge, the skills and the capacities of all the people in a society. In economic terms, it could be described as the accumulation of human capital and its effective investment in the development of an economy. In political terms, HRD prepares people for adult participation in the political process, particularly as citizens in a democracy. From the social and cultural points of view, the development of human resources helps people lead fuller and richer lives, less bound to tradition. In short, the processes of HRD unlock the door to modernization" However, this definition is quite broad in as it has taken into account culture, the economy and social and political contexts rather than focusing on individuals and organizations as cited in Abdullah, H ( 2009).

L. Nadler (1970) defined HRD as 'a series of organized activities conducted within a specified time and designed to produce behavioural change' .He focused on the behavioural change of employees working in the organization. His focus was adult learning by considering the psychological theory for defining HRD. Weinberger, Lisa A.(1998) cited Craig (1976) refined the definition further by focusing on the goal of developing human potential through lifelong learning. In 1981, Jones introduced the concept of systematic expansion of people's work through attainment of organizational and personal goals. With this definition John introduced the system's concept in defining Human Resource Development.

Weinberger, Lisa A.(1998) cited McLagan (1983) defined Human Resource Development as" Training and development is identifying, assessing and - through planned learning- helping develop the key competencies which enable individuals to perform current or future jobs" (p. 25).The primary focus of her definition was training and development. But in 1989,