Over the past year we have been publishing extracts from The New Learning Architect. We continue with the fourth part of chapter 11:
You can now start to shape your solution, starting with those needs that are best addressed, at least in part, through formal learning interventions.
A formal solution is likely to be your most appropriate option when:
- the organisation can only achieve its objectives if the employees in question possess the relevant knowledge and skills;
- the organisation needs to be able to demonstrate compliance to an external regulator;
- a high degree of proficiency is absolutely vital to avoid the chance of an expensive error, damage to the organisation’s reputation, or risk to health and safety;
- the employees in question are complete novices and are likely to depend on a structured approach to their initial training;
- the attainment of a formal certification or qualification can make a big difference to the career prospects of the employees in question.
Top-down interventions, such as classroom courses, self-study e-learning, outdoor learning, collaborative distance learning, computer games and simulations, and blended learning, are likely to be the preferred choice in most situations. Bottom-up approaches, such as professional and postgraduate qualifications and formal adult education, are more likely to be used for medium-to-long term employee development.
Coming next: Step 4: Decide what can be addressed using non-formal approaches
Return to Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10
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