Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 1 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

The emergence of a knowledge economy requires an integrated approach to learning, skill building and knowledge development in contemporary organisations. MGB331 Learning and Development in Organisations is designed to meet current organisational human resource development requirements. It explores learning and development concepts and approaches and the role of learning and development as a facilitative partner to management.It develops your knowledge and skills in the design, implementation, evaluation and management issues for learning and development in organisational settings. It focuses on a strategic approach to human resource development, drawing on the empirical and theoretical work that informs contemporary professional practice.

Aims

This final year unit introduces you to the concepts and practices of learning and development in Australia and internationally. This unit analyses and addresses the influence of the organisational context as a setting for learning and knowledge building, the learners/participants¿ characteristics, program design and management, and appropriate instructional methods. You will develop skills and practical experience in the cycle of designing, developing and evaluating a learning and development program in an organisational setting.

Objectives

Course Learning Goals (Undergraduate)
The QUT Business School has established the Assurance of Learning (AOL) Goals to meet contemporary industry needs and standards. Achieving these learning outcomes will assist you to meet the desired graduate outcomes set at QUT - aligned with other internationally renowned business schools. Students will develop the following capabilities relevant to a contemporary global and sustainable business environment:

Have knowledge and skills pertinent to a particular discipline (KS)

1.1 Integrate and apply disciplinary theory and skills to practical situations
1.2 Incorporate the use of technology appropriate to the discipline and context

Be critical thinkers and effective problem solvers (CTA)

2.1 Identify, research and critically analyse information relevant to a business problem or issue, be able to synthesise that information in order to evaluate potential solutions, make recommendations or otherwise effectively address the problem or issue

Be professional communicators in an intercultural context (PC)

3.1 Communicate effectively through written tasks appropriate to varied contexts and audiences
3.2 Communicate effectively through professional oral presentations appropriate to varied contexts and audiences

Be able to work effectively in a Team Environment (TW)

4.1 Demonstrate effective team skills in order to contribute appropriately to the production of a group output

Have a Social and Ethical Understanding (SEU)

5.1 Apply ethical reasoning, standards or codes of practice relevant to the discipline and make decisions that are informed by social and cultural understanding


Unit Objectives
On successful completion of this unit, you should be able to:

1. Apply adult learning and instructional design theories to (a) design and implement a training needs analysis in an organisation, and (b) create a learning and development program that appropriately responds to the needs identified.

2. Integrate knowledge of adult learning constructs, learning processes in organisations, and instructional design theory to justify, in a report, the needs analysis and program design you have created.

3. Discuss the implications for practice of the relationship between learning and development and the organisation's strategic business objectives, in your needs analysis and training program design reports.


The specific course learning goals and unit objectives that apply to this unit are shown in the assessment section of this unit outline.

Content

The instructional design process

Adult Learning theories and their application to practice

Instructional design approaches

Government policy and practice framework

Employee and management development approaches

Ethical issues and practice in learning and development

Contemporary issues in learning and development

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

The teaching mode in this unit will vary and may use a lecture/tutorial model to encourage your active participation. Activities during workshops may include case studies, real-world examples, scenarios, group activities problem-based learning, industry involvement and a symposium. MGB331 emphasises the development of your professional design skills through multi-phase design projects as carried out in this field. Deep learning is developed through your design work and your justification of your design decisions based on research and best practice in the Learning and Development field. This unit provides opportunities to develop significant project additions to your Student ePortfolio. MGB331 will foster creativity, critical enquiry, a commitment to professionalism and ethical practice.

This unit uses the SafeAssign tool in BlackBoard. SafeAssign is a text matching tool that assists students to develop the academic skills required to correctly use and cite reference material as well as to check citations and determine possible instances of plagiarism. You will be expected to submit draft and/or final versions of one or more assignments using SafeAssign. Your Unit Coordinator will provide detailed information on how the software will be used in this unit.

Assessment

Students will receive feedback in various forms throughout the semester which may include:

Informal: worked examples, such as verbal feedback in class, personal consultation

Formal: in writing, such as checklists (e.g. criteria sheets), written commentary

Direct: to individual students, either in written form or in consultation

Indirect: to the whole class

Assessment name: Report
Description: You will carry out a training needs analysis to identify a training requirement based on a case provided. (marks incorporate self and peer assessment of group processes).
Length / Duration: 1,500 words plus appendices
Formative or Summative: Formative and Summative
Relates to objectives: Unit objectives: 1, 2, 3 and AOL goals: KS (1.1), CTA (2.1), PC (3.1), TW (4.1)
Weight: 40%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Group
Due date: Week 5

Assessment name: Report
Description: Design a learning and development program to meet the needs identified in assessment item 1 . Working individually, you will prepare a report displaying your design, and justifying your L&D program using learning and development literature.
Length / Duration:2,000 words
Formative or Summative: Formative/Summative
Relates to objectives: Unit objectives 1 and AOL goals: KS (1.1), CTA (2.1), PC (3.1)
Weight: 40%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 10

Assessment name: Report
Description: Design an evaluation for your learning and development program. Working individually, you will design and justify, using learning and development literature, an evaluation for your L&D program for the need identified in Assessment Item 1 and designed in Assessment Item 2.
Length / Duration: 1,000 words, plus appendices
Formative or Summative: Formative and Summative
Relates to objectives: Unit objectives 1, 2, 3 and AOL goals: KS (1.1), CTA (2.1), PC (3.1)
Weight: 20%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 13

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

Prescribed Text
Blanchard, P., and Thacker, J. (2013) Effective Training: Systems, Strategies and Practices, 5th ed., NJ: Prentice Hall

(Text available from the QUT bookshop, GP)

Required References
See unit Blackboard site for other resources.


A wide range of useful materials have been placed on the Course Materials Database on the unit's Blackboard site. These materials are recommended reading.

Risk assessment statement

There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks associated with lectures or tutorials in this unit. You should, however, familiarise yourself with evacuation procedures operating in the buildings in which you attend classes and take the time to
view the Emergency video.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 17-Jan-2013