Prepared By – Sheik Shami Ullah Chowdhury

Id – 2012121015,

HND Business Intake 1, 2012

Course Name – Human Resources Development

Course Instructor – Sabreen Siraz

Topics of Speaking

- Different Learning Styles- Role of Learning Curve & Importance of Transferring Learning To the Workplace- Contribution of Learning Styles & Theories When Planning & Designing a Learning

Event

Learning Styles (David Kolb’s model)

David Kolb outlines two related approaches toward grasping experience:

Concrete Experience and Abstract Conceptualization,

And two related approaches toward transforming experience:

Reflective Observation and Active Experimentation.

In order for learning to be effective, all four of these approaches must be integrated.

As individuals attempt to use all four approaches, they are likely to develop strengths in one experience-grasping approach and one experience-transforming approach.

The resulting learning styles are combinations of the individual's preferred approaches.

These learning styles are as follows:

1. Converger;2. Diverger;3. Assimilator;4. Accommodator;

Convergers are characterized by abstract conceptualization and active experimentation. They are good at making practical applications of ideas and using deductive reasoning to solve problems.

Divergers tend toward concrete experience and reflective observation. They are imaginative and are good at coming up with ideas and seeing things from different perspectives.

Assimilators are characterized by abstract conceptualization and reflective observation. They are capable of creating theoretical models by means of inductive reasoning.

Accommodators use concrete experience and active experimentation. They are good at actively engaging with the world and actually doing things instead of merely reading about and studying them.

4 Stages of Learning

Unconscious incompetence: the individual does not understand or know how to do something and does not recognize the deficit.

Conscious incompetence: Individual recognizes the deficit and value of the new skill.

Conscious competence: individual knows how to do something but requires concentration.

Unconscious competence: the skill becomes natural and can be performed easily.

Learning Curve

A learning curve is a graphical representation of the changing rate of learning in the average person for a given activity.

The learning curve also represents at a glance the initial difficulty of learning something and how much there is to learn after initial experience.

Different Learning Theories

Behaviourist Approach:

Behaviourism assumes, when born our mind is a blank slate and afterwards our mind is shaped through punishment, positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement from our environment.

Positive Reinforcement – Involves the adding of something. Negative Reinforcement – Involves the removal of something. Punishment – Behaviour which is punished so that it is less likely to occur in the

future.

According to this theory there is little difference in the learning process of humans and other animals. Therefore same research can be carried out on animal as well as humans.

Here, learning is defined as a change in behaviour in the learner.

Cognitive Concept:

The cognitive concept assumes that our mind is an information processing system like the computer and how we see the world depends on our mental processes such as pattern recognition, perception, problem-solving and mental imagery.

Here, knowledge is seen as a symbolic mental construction and learning is recognized via change in learners plan.

Social Learning Theory:

According to social learning theory, people learn from each other via observation, imitation and modelling.

The modelling process involves several steps:

1. Attention – in order for an individual to learn something, they must pay attention to the features of the modelled behaviour.

2. Retention – humans need to be able to remember details of the behaviour in order to learn and later reproduce the behaviour.

3. Reproduction – in reproducing behaviour, an individual must organize his or her responses in accordance with the model behaviour. This ability can improve with practice.

4. Motivation – there must be an incentive or motivation driving the individual’s reproduction of the behaviour. Even if all of the above factors are present, the person will not engage in the behaviour without motivation.

Since this theory encompasses attention, memory and motivation it can be viewed as a bridge between behaviourist and cognitive learning.