TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT IN ORGANIZATIONS

Please indicate a training topic or two that interests you (scan syllabus for ideas). Consider how the topic relates to your proposed training observation. Next, identify 5 academic references that you intend to read/use as you research the training topic for your paper. Please choose references that ARE NOT ALREADY listed in the syllabus. Draft an APA 7-formatted reference page with the 5 references in *.doc(x) format (including title page)

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT IN ORGANIZATIONS
Spring 2021

Prerequisites: none.
Required textbook:  None. Primary source articles and chapters will be made available THROUGH LSU LIBRARIES.

Description of Course Content: The goal for this course is to increase your effectiveness in dealing with multiple aspects of organizational training and development – in analyzing needs for training, awareness of training theories, frameworks for developing and evaluating training effectiveness, and understanding the psychological and contextual factors that influence training practices.

The course readings are aimed at expanding awareness and knowledge of multiple issues associated with organizational training and development.  There will be analysis of organizational cases and class activities to emphasize and apply theoretical knowledge. Students should come away from the course with greater knowledge and confidence in the subject area.

Student Learning Outcomes. Successful completion of this course will result in the ability to…

1. Understand and explain basic concepts, theories, and issues related to organizational training and development;

2. Apply scientific knowledge about issues and debates presented in the academic literature; and

3. Analyze academic writing and deliver peer feedback in a timely, sensitive, and effectual manner.

COURSE ASSIGNMENTS AND ASSESSMENTS: To be able to participate fully in assignments and exams, you must:

• Have reliable and speedy internet access – You will be completing all assignments and exams online.
• Have computer competency – You must be comfortable using email and discussion boards, up/downloading documents, and accessing internet search engines and websites.

Participation    10%

Reviewer Critiques  20%

Final Exam   30%

Final Term Paper  40%

A+ = 100 – 97, A=96-93, A- =92-90

B+  = 89 – 87,  B=86-83, B- =82-80
C+  = 79 – 77,  C=76-73, C- =72-70

D+  = 69 – 67,  D=66-63, D- =62-60

F+  = 59 – 57,  F=56-53,  F- < 52

All calculations will be carried out to two decimal places; there will be no rounding of final grades.

 

Participation.

There are several activities throughout the semester. They will be graded according to rubrics that explained with each assignment. Collectively, these activities are worth 10% of your grade. Your participation in these activities is critical not only for your personal learning, but also for the learning of your classmates.  Much of the value of the class comes from prepared, thoughtful, and informed dialog between you and your classmates.  You will be evaluated on the timeliness, completion, and quality of your assignments and contributions.  Quality comments include adding new insights to the readings, offering a unique and relevant perspective on the issues, contributing to moving the discussion and analysis forward, extending rather than repeating others’ comments, and demonstrating reflective thinking.

Assignments will be announced on Monday of each week. You will have until the end of the week (Sunday at midnight, i.e., 11:59 PM) to submit your work. These assignments will draw on the required reading, materials, and case studies posted in each week’s Moodle section. Please review these materials to be able to complete the assignments to the best of your ability. If you know in advance you will be late for an activity, you are still responsible for contributing to forum discussions in advance of class (or after if necessary).  This will be a way for you to earn partial participation credit for the assignment.

Reviewer Critiques.

The peer-review process is an essential element of the academic scientific process. Not only can access to feedback improve your own capacity to learn, critically analyzing and articulating feedback to others help you to hone your own research and writing skill. Throughout the semester you will be assigned two peer-review assignments. Your abilities to accurately and sensitively evaluate your peer’s work will constitute 20% of your overall course grade.  You will be provided an evaluation form to assist you in the analytic critique of your fellow students’ writing assignments, as well as a rubric that will be used to evaluate the quality of your critique. You will be evaluated on your ability to issue timely, sensitive, and effectual written comments. Reviewer assignments will be announced on Monday mornings; critiques will be due Sunday at midnight.

Final Exam.

One structured online exam valued at 30% of your grade will be administered on Moodle. The exam will be comprised of multiple choice, true/false, and short-statement items that will assess your ability to understand, analyze, and evaluate applications of key concepts and theories in organizational change management. The exam will cover material presented in the assigned readings and discussed in weekly activities. (See next sections for more detail about missing the exam.)

Term Paper.

The Term Paper is the major deliverable for this course. It will be developed in a cumulative fashion with each week’s homework assignment helping to advance thought and written skill in the completion of the term paper. Do the weekly assignments and you’ll have a complete final paper by the end of the term. Drafts will be submitted periodically to allow for opportunities to acquire feedback about the paper. The final term paper will be submitted Sunday (11:59p.m.) April 26th and is worth 40% of your grade. A grading rubric will be made available at the time the paper assignment is announced.

The paper should follow this outline:

• Observe organizational training practices in situ
• Apply disciplinary terminology, principles, and theories to describe the training
• Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of the training approach
• Recommend evidence-based, practical suggestions for improving the training process

Identify an organizational training context you wish to observe and critique. Over the course of the semester, conduct two observations of training being administered. These events will serve as your primary data collection method, but you should also include information gathered from the organization’s website, interviews conducted while onsite, and/or other “benchmarking” resources (e.g., government agency, professional association) that may help you to better understand the training history, demands, and norms for the selected job or function.

Refer to existing course material and related academic literature to make use of disciplinary terminology, principles, and related theories. Be sure to cite and provide references for: (a) the empirical support you use to back your assertions, and (b) the conceptual and operational definitions you use when evaluating the training program.

The Draft Paper should clearly identify the training context and job title/function being trained. It should provide enough description so that the reader can understand who, what, how, and why training occurs based on your observation and investigation. It should also provide a theoretical basis for interpreting the training (i.e., choose a theory or two to explain what you’ve observed). Citations and references should be included in the draft, which will likely be about 4-6 double-spaced pages in APA format. The grading rubric is described below.

The Final Term Paper will incorporate your synthesis across two training observations, and will include a comprehensive assessment of the organization’s approach to Training Needs Analysis, and your training critique using the ADDIE Model as an analytical guideline. You should conclude with recommendations to the organization for how to improve its training program. The final written product will be approximately 12-15 pages in APA format

TIPS:

• I expect that your paper will make a number of references to class readings and discussions. While you do not need to footnote, you should cite the reading by putting the author’s name and the date of the publication in parentheses following the reference. Where quotes are used directly, put the page number the quote appears on. A list of all readings you referenced in the paper should appear at the end of the paper.
• Use of supplemental material to support the paper: Please include graphs, process flow diagrams, organizations charts, survey results, etc. that help tell the story more vividly. Present these materials in APA format.
• Use supporting data.  If you make an assertion such as “Morale at my company was at an all-time low,” on what do you base this? If you suggest, “This project has had an enormous impact on customer satisfaction,” how do you know this to be true? While it is acceptable to occasionally insert some subjectivity into the analysis – be clear to identify what is subjective opinion and what is based on more objective data sources.

ASSIGNMENT RULES: (More information about these facets can be found in the COURSE OVERIVEW on Moodle)

1. General Rules:

·  Your computer and connection MUST be reliable.

·  Assignments and graded materials will be available for submission during announced windows of time. Your work must be submitted during those time frames.

·  Once you begin a test, you will be given a certain amount of time to finish it before it “closes” for you. During the times that the test is “open” you WILL be able to revised answers.

1. Academic Integrity:
   • You must work alone and without notes or other resources as you take the exam.
   • Do not discuss test questions with your peers or attempt to copy the test in any way. Violation of this code will result in being reported for academic dishonesty.
   • Report breaches of honesty if you know they have occurred.
2. Missed Assignments:
   • Graded materials must be submitted within the prescribed time frame.
   • The exam and/or activities assignments may be made-up at a later date for full credit provided PS-22 documentation. Such documentation must be provided to Dr. Rizzuto within 48 hours of the missed assignment. The make-up work must be completed without one week of the assignment deadline.
   • Failure to submit a Term Papers or Draft Paper for reasons that are NOT authorized by PS-22 will result in 0% for the graded assignments. Draft or Final Papers that are submitted late will be subject to the following grade deductions:

i.  Immediate deduction of 15 points (out of 100) upon missing the deadline

ii.  A total of 25 points (out of 100) will be deducted for papers submitted within 24 hours of the deadline.

iii.  A total of 35 points (out of 100) will be deducted for papers submitted within 48 hours of the deadline.

iv.  Late papers will not be allowed after 48 hours. Failure to submit papers within 48 hours will result in 0% for the graded assignment

• Course exercises and activities will be graded within one week of the due date. Course exams and papers will be graded and returned within two weeks of the due date.