James Eison in his chapter in the book Academic Leadership (Edited by Robert M. Diamond) listed the following 10 characteristics of what he considers as learning:
1. Learning is fundamentally about making and maintaining connections
2. Learning is enhanced by taking place in the context of a compelling situation
3. Learning is an active search for meaning
4. Learning is developmental, a cumulative process involving the whole person
5. Learning is done by individuals who are intrinsically tied to others as social beings
6. Learning is strongly affected by the educational climate
7. Learning requires frequent feedback if it is to be sustained, practice if it is to be nourished, and opportunities to use what has been learned
8. Much learning takes place informally and incidentally
9. Learning is grounded in particular contexts and individual experiences
10. Learning involves the ability of individuals to monitor their own learning
Most corporate trainers/consultants would have had the question : "How effective is your training" thrown at them. I suppose it is a valid question although I sometimes wish the party asking that question rephrase it into maybe : "What new things will we learn from your program?"
You see, to answer "how effective is your training" puts a corporate trainer or consultant at a no-win situation as what he/she is going to deliver is only as good as the minds that are going to receive it and the environment that is going to allow the new knowledge to flourish. Training at the essence of it is learning and if we take the above 10 characteristics of what constitutes as learning, I think we now should have a good benchmark on whether a training program has been effective or otherwise.
I believe it was Reg Revans who once said that "Learning must be equal to or greater than the rate of change". How is it in your organization? Are you learning enough to face the changes? Are you learning more than you need? Sometimes in my programs, I come across managers who become uncomfortable when they come to realize that they are learning more than what they thought they needed from the program. Their excuse : I can't use all these new knowledge in my present company....its just not ready for this". I think most of you readers would have already seen through the fallacy of this argument.
For any learning to be effective, a host of factors must fall into place. So, how effective are my training programs. Well, they are all ALWAYS effectively developed and delivered. You got to ask the learners for the rest!
