Learning: Theories

and Program Design

Chapter 4
A Positive Learning Environment
Energizes Training!
Boring lectures, lack of meaningful content in e-
learning, and on-the-job training that doesn’t give
employees the opportunity to practice and receive
feedback—all of these methods demotivate trainees
and make it difficult for them to learn. However,
many companies are using innovative instructional
methods to make training more interesting and to
help trainees learn.
•Archives One
•Toshiba
•Colorado Springs Utilities
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 Introduction
 Certain conditions must be present for
learning to occur:
 Provide opportunities for trainees to practice and
receive feedback
 Offer meaningful training content
 Identify any prerequisites that trainees need to
complete the program successfully
 Allow trainees to learn through observation and
experience and ensure that the work environment
supports use of skills
4-3
What is Learning?
Learning is a relatively permanent change
in human capabilities that is not a result of
growth processes.

4-4
 Learning Outcomes
Type of Learning Description of
Outcome Capability
Verbal information State, tell, or describe
previously stored
information.
Intellectual skills Apply generalizable concepts
and rules to solve problems
and generate novel products.
Motor skills Execute a physical action with
precision and timing.
Attitudes Choose a personal course of
action.
Cognitive strategies Manage one's own thinking
and learning processes.
Example
State three reasons for
following company safety
procedures.
Design and code a computer
program that meets customer
requirements.
Shoot a gun and consistently
hit a small moving target.
Choose to respond to all
incoming mail within 24
hours.
Use three different strategies
selectively to diagnose engine
malfunctions. 4-5
Verbal information includes names or labels, facts, and bodies
of knowledge. Verbal information includes specialized
knowledge that employees need in their jobs. For example, a
manager must know the names of different types of equipment
as well as the body of knowledge related to Total Quality
Management.

Intellectual skills include concepts and rules. These concepts

and rules are critical to solve problems, serve customers, and
create products. For example, a manager must know the steps
in the performance appraisal process (e.g., gather data,
summarize data, prepare for appraisal interview with employee)
in order to conduct an employee appraisal.

Motor skills include coordination of physical movements. For

example, a telephone repair person must have the coordination
and dexterity necessary to climb ladders and telephone poles.
4-6
Attitudes are a combination of beliefs and feelings that predispose a
person to behave a certain way. Attitudes include a cognitive
component (beliefs), an affective component (feeling), and an
intentional component (the way a person intends to behave in regard to
the subject of the attitude). Important work-related attitudes include job
satisfaction, commitment to the organization, and job involvement.
Suppose you say that an employee has a “ positive attitude” toward her
work. This means the person likes her job (the affective component).
She may like her job because it is challenging and provides an
opportunity to meet people (the cognitive component). Because she
likes her job, she intends to stay with the company and do her best at
work (the intentional component). Training programs may be used to
develop or change attitudes because attitudes have been shown to be
related to physical and mental withdrawal from work, turnover, and
behaviors that impact the wellbeing of the company (e.g., helping new
employees).
Cognitive strategies regulate the processes of learning. They relate to
the learner’s decision regarding what information to attend to (i.e., pay
attention to), how to remember, and how to solve problems.
4-7
A Model of Learning and Transfer of
Training

Trainee
Characteristics
Transfer of Training
Training Design Learning • Generalization
• Maintenance

Work
Environment

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