An evaluation of approaches to self-managed learning
Learning is a process that includes activities for imparting education to learners. In this process, learners along with trainers take active participation. Personal and professional development does not get complete shape unless learning initiatives are not taken by organizations. Subject to the effectiveness of learning process scope of development in personal and professional aspects become possible. Travel and tourism sector is a vital segment where personal and professional development depends on the better learning process. This report has discussed learning and several approaches to it. Self-managed learning is of importance and has been mentioned in this report.
Self-managed learning approaches are of several types which are used by firms as per prevailing conditions relating to talent development and confidence build up, helpful for personal and professional development in any sector. Before evaluating approaches to self-managed learning, it’s crucial to discuss the importance of self-managed learning in brief. Approaches to this type of learning are integral aspects to training programs of a firm. Since learners are engaged in their learning process, it becomes essential for them to avail opportunities which can be helpful for keeping them up to date in their working aspects. Therefore self-managed learning increases confidence and the much-needed combination of talent and confidence leading to career development and lifelong personal and professional improvement (Moon, 2013).
Self-managed abilities to learn plays as a vital system of learning used by individuals in an organization in the travel and tourism industry. Travel and hospitality sector is an important industry wherein staffs need to deliver performance for on par with industry standards. Thus it is important to achieve the required level of confidence and knowledge managed through self-learning for the benefits of the industry. As a trainee manager, it is instrumental in analyzing the approaches of self-managed to learn in relevance to hospitality organization. Since learning is self-managed it becomes imperative for individuals to focus on the goal and time frame for achieving desirable knowledge. In this respect, some elements are considered important by trainees or learners and these are the following
Self-initiation of training processes – it remains a self-driven responsibility for the learners to think about and initiate the learning process. All through the training phase, encouragement is important for them and they find this from the management (Nicholls, 2014).
Clear goal setting – this stage holds the entire learning process and session. Moreover, learners are driven by a particular goal that supports to get them the desired professional development. In this stage, learners think of some aspects such aims and requirement of the learning they are likely to opt, achievement of purposes for the personal development known as personal orientation achievement. Learning and development process is worked upon by individuals based on deadlines and this necessitates them to set a time frame within which learning can be completed and skill gets developed. Then comes the final stage named evaluation of self-learning that is in form of self-reflection based on narrative to discuss achievement, the scope of development, merits and demerits of the learning process opted by them (Alberman, 2014).
Learning approaches
There are several approaches of self-managed to learn and these are learning through research, learning from others including several options for knowledge enrichment for individuals in the travel firm in the travel and tourism industry.
Researchers who believe in self-learning for knowledge improvement often do research or conduct study and finally concludes with some observations that elevate their knowledge or learning. In the travel firm, this is fruitful but involves a long time for knowledge development.
Learning from others include the following options which are:
Mentoring/Coaching – learning through mentoring or coaching in the company is important to the source of knowledge. But this becomes only effective for the tourism firm when the person as a mentor possess some special qualities like compassion, leadership, good listeners of problems of the learners and so on (O’Grady, 2013).
Seminars – learning becomes fast and easy to access by trainers in seminars. This type of learning is addressed to a large number of employees. In the tourists firm, this remains a vital training option but cost-effectiveness must be considered.
Conferences – this is generally equivalent to seminars. Ideas are exchanged and knowledge gets sheared and developed for employees of the firm.
Secondments – this is a process that causes a firm to transfer its employees to different places of their offices on a temporary basis. This helps to exchange of knowledge and experiences for employees needing the knowledge most. For the travel firm, this process is helpful for knowledge sharing among staffs of different locations of business (Davies and Longworth, 2013).
Interviews – this is another option of knowledge development through watching and taking knowledge inputs from interviews appeared in by experts and trainers from travel and tourism industry.
Internet – this is web technology which helps to build fast and effective information growth for learners. Based on internet self-managed learning has gained much importance particularly in the travel and tourism company.
Social networks – this is another mode of self-managed to learn usually attracting internet savvy employees. This is the most effective platform for knowledge sharing and learners become benefitted from less costly and speedy knowledge development through self-managed learning through external help like social media (Pritchard, 2013).
Use of bulletin boards – this is called notice board and in this internet era, it is often referred to as a site wherein people posts their knowledge about a topic or issue. This is helpful but only as a supplementary tool for knowledge enhancement.
Self-managed learning: Self-initiation and clear goal setting
Newsgroups – this is about a forum that discusses a topic or subject. This also serves the purpose of knowledge build up but for an individual in the travel and tourism sector, this is not adequate means of knowledge enhancement unless another measure is taken for increasing knowledge.
Being a trainee manager I think that from the travel company’s perspective, internet-based learning, coaching or mentoring and conferences are suitable options for self-managed learning. So, training programs combining these types of learning tools become important to increase the knowledge base of an individual and help to improve both personally and professionally (Huffman et al, 2014).
For the travel and tourism firm employees looking forward to boosting their knowledge base can depend on self-managed learning. Hospitality or travel sector has employees who need to have better communication skills and team working capacity to utilize their talents. So for the travel company before suggesting particular ways of learning it is significant to discuss some learning styles in short.
Honey and Mumford learning styles are such concepts that are based on learning preferences by individuals. In this learning style there are four learning styles that are:
Activist – these are individuals who learn by an act or action. Brainstorming, problem-solving followed by group discussion are features of this type of learning (Moon, 2014).
Theorist – these individuals find theories for a particular action. For keeping themselves engaged in the learning system, they keep faith in this particular model.
Pragmatist – these individuals put the learned facts into practice. They learn about theories and practices and do relate those to reality.
Reflector – this category of individuals learn by watching phenomena and others and their enriched experiences help them achieve better knowledge.
Reflexive modernization theory has several aspects like features related to risk society along with reflexive modernity including uncertainty, individualization, global environmental risks along with breaking down of ideas related to industrial culture and society. Another feature is that reflexivity being considered as a concept causes wide discussion. This theory suffers from some limitations (Boud, Keogh and Walker, 2013). In this theory, risk society is considered second modernity. Risk society creation is considered as a goal in this theory. This theory only shows part of the features of new changes in developed nations. In the present era when global trend is thought of the knowledge society and knowledge economy are for a global trend. Among the global trend, the risk is only a side feature.
Approaches to learning through research and learning from others
This theory suggests that individuals learn from experiences. This learning reflection is a vital part of learning. There are four stages of this type of learning.
Experience – Kolb’s concrete experiences – learning can be enriched by experiences.
Reflect – Kolb’s reflective observation – thoughts of individuals what has been performed by them. They become thoughtful about analyzing experiences and also record them.
Conceptualise – Kolb’s Abstract conceptualization – hypothesis is developed based on inferences from experiences.
Plan – Kolb’s active experimentation – experiences ensure learning when all stages of Kolb’s learning are passed through by an individual by reflecting on experiences and testing interpretations achieved (Rienties, Brouwer and Lygo-Baker, 2013).
As a trainee manager, it can be suggested that another mode of learning is worth mentioning and this is VAK model of learning. This type of learning helps self-managed learning along with team learning. Team members are also befitted from this learning. Selection of this variant of learning is dependent on analysis of skills and strengths or personal aspects of individuals. In the VAK model, there are some types of Learning styles that are visual, auditory, kinesthetic which complement seeing as well as reading, listening and doing activities or touching for learning. Individuals with different learning inclinations need to select the option of learning inputs based on these variants of the VAK model. Learning by seeing powerpoint presentations, diagrams support an individual through the element likes visual while listening to learning inputs and knowledge presentation remain vital for them who are fond of learning by understanding speech. Among these three learning options in the VAK model, Kinaesthetic includes performance-based learning which remains most important from the rest of the training method for developing insights. The important aspect of kinesthetic learning is emotion based knowledge development including performance-based criteria of knowledge improvement. Knowledge gets higher in proportion to the performance set in learning curriculum for developing individuals’ knowledge for making the possibility of personal and professional development (Riding and Rayner, 2013).
From the analysis described above, I will suggest the firm as a trainee manager to start self-managed learning for the personal and professional development of employees. For the travel and tourism company, the most suitable learning ways will be the development of experiences and the implementation of the same in the context of the work setting of the firm they are employed in. So the most relevant and suitable learning model for the employees will be Kolb’s learning cycle and Honey and Mumford learning style and VAK model for knowledge build up. The most sought-after factor is the ability of learners and the company to efficiently adopt particular learning style while the firm will conveniently impart the learning input and individuals will be the beneficial recipient of knowledge. These types of learning programs can be arranged for an individual or for a team (Muijs et al, 2014). These learning initiatives can be continued within different context either working setting of the firm or in society by stressing on the importance of self-managed learning so that people understand about how self-managed learning benefit individuals by causing their personal and professional development. Since the internet is a useful platform for learning in the modern era this way of imparting knowledge based on any of the aforesaid learning styles could give better result in sense of better knowledge for individuals. Life-long learning becomes easy and people can learn to work in support of learned aspects in the different environment be a society, personal working platform or professional working setting that relates to working place in the travel firm.
Effective learning and lifelong learning
There are some types of ways for ensuring lifelong learning and these are skill development, continued professional development, self-directed learning, further education, connecting higher education with industry, recognition of prior learning, apprenticeship.
Skill development – this causes skill to perform in a professional domain and in the process, learning is inevitable and includes suitable learning style for personal and professional development through life-long learning.
Continuing professional development – this is an approach considering a suitable way of making individuals ready to take up professional responsibilities. This is by self-managed learning through professional development on a continual basis (Dean, 2013).
Linking higher education with industry – performance standards in hospitality industry seeks the support of educational benchmarks. Among these, a perfect balance and coordination could develop preparedness for individuals’ development in his or her professional spectrum. This needs to be looked after by appropriate authority from both industries as well as the educational field.
Further education – through promoting education and practice of further education learning facility is offered and carried out by trainers. This is a way of taking learning initiatives forward but only takes complete shape when suitable learning styles are adopted for knowledge up gradation among individuals (Gold et al, 2013).
Recognition of prior learning – it gets through several stages and similarly learning initiatives are also taken through phases like learning need identifications among learners. Early identification of learning necessity for learners could better and expedite knowledge preparation among them. This creates learning smooth and easy to adopt since learning in this respect generally starts from early stages in someone’s professional or academic fields. Recognition of learning needs for individuals also helps in understanding the learning styles suitable for making knowledge achievement possible for individuals making them able to deliver performances required in their professional fields (Rogowsky, Calhoun and Tallal, 2015).
Apprenticeships – this is another way of knowledge delivery for overall learning arrangement for individuals in the line of the purpose of personal and professional development. This works on the belief that training and performance along with learning inputs from training could bring out the best possibilities for knowledge preparation. This makes knowledge arrangement for individuals easy and suitable options and styles for learning are chosen for them through programs of apprenticeship. This helps firms to keep their employees ready to perform as per industry standards.
Effective learning looks for some conditions for becoming fruitful for individuals to serve the organizations they are employed in. Through self-managed learning based on life-long learning efforts, individuals are likely to grow personally and professionally in terms of knowledge achievement followed by performance delivery to their organizations. There are several benefits of self-managed learning for personal and professional development if the evaluation of learning progress and performance is performed by organizations and their leaders to be certain of long-term effectiveness. Planning of learning and its management includes another part that is an evaluation process of learned aspects among learners and based on this evaluation and feedbacks of educators and learners’, learning that is self-managed process becomes most effective for such individuals. The hospitality industry is always customer centric that demands a high level of professionalism as well as talents and customers service skills including soft skill presentation for guests’ satisfaction (Hopkins, 2015). If these are ensured by educators and their learners then benefits of self-managed learning remain higher leading to professional development and personal satisfaction. Assessment of learning is hugely important for firms and individuals. This finally improves ranges of ability, personal learning, display of improved skills from learning and learning related feedbacks from seniors and trainers and others regarding learning and its achievements for individuals and firms. The scope of disappointments is evaluated which helps also in minimizing the possibility of disappointments.
Assessment of learning across personal and professional contexts
Individuals remain attached to their organizations due to self-managed learning. By this type of learning it becomes possible for individuals to find means for achieving learning objectives keeping organizations and the concerned persons satisfied. Self-managed learning and level of motivation are supportive of each other as self-managed learning increases motivation among individuals. They only when are motivated in their jobs chose self-managed learning. In connection with this, the main beneficiaries are organizations they are associated with (Kostelnik et al, 2014).
For the travel and tourism firm also this logic is applicable. Ways of learning are several for individuals and these ways are determinants of choices for selecting the better way to learn efficiently and fast. Learning with help of technology such as internet and social media along with formal and informal learning is a most vital aspect of self-managed learning. Individuals find this learning process suitable to their needs and convenience. From the perspective of trainee manager of the firm it can be said, there are loads of benefits of self-managed learning as long as are learning goals are met with by the learning outcomes (Vu et al, 2014). Learning is possible from different sources like watching others perform, mentoring of someone, reading and performing while taking up training programs for learning and development. Another side of usefulness is confidence development and problem-solving skills achievement from the learning aspects that are required in the professional sector like travel and tourism sector.
Apart from individuals organizations like the travel and tourism form also has higher possibility to stay benefitted from the learning that is self-managed learning. Self-managed to learn in several times is referred to as an approach that works as an umbrella and staffs from any hierarchy at their organizations are benefitted in context of talent and knowledge enhancement (Poore, Cullen and Schaar, 2014). For the travel company, self-managed learning is deemed cost-effective and the learning makes individuals confident enough to take responsibilities for performing their duties in their organizations. For the travel and tourism firms also this is vital and as a trainee manager, it is required to acknowledge to the fact that knowledge arrangement and knowledge delivery like performance based on knowledge is helpful for the firm along with the training programs meant to be undertaken. Since organizational vision and mission are taken into the ambit of considerations this becomes more fruitful when the vision and mission of the firm could be incorporated into the self-managed earning curriculum for the development of employee in the travel tourism sector (Manuti et al, 2015). Self-managed learning develops individuals to take effective decisions in their organizations. Problems are also complex in nature in course of business operations and individuals are often entrusted with responsibility like problem-solving. This requires them to make decisions which are a combination of confidence developed by self-managed learning cause problem-solving possibility. From the trainee managers’ perspectives, this is also expected that problem-solving skills and decision making are of better importance caused by self-managed learning leading to better performance in the travel and hospitality company.
Conclusion:
Travel and tourism sector seeks skilled and talented professionals who match up to industry standards in terms of talent requirement and performance delivery. This report is significant considering discussion of several aspects of self-managed learning and evaluation of learning for an overall understanding of benefits related to personal and professional development in the sector like travel and tourism industry.
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