Common Learning & Development methods used in the organization

Now more than ever, individuals and organizations must continuously gain knowledge to remain competitive (Sheikh 2008). The author argues that “new knowledge may perhaps be the only remaining and one of the most critical sources of competitive advantage available to an organization in the 21st century” (Sheikh 2008).

Training and Development is an important function of Human Resource management. It aims to improve employees’ skills by making them learn new techniques of doing work. It helps, updating their knowledge of doing work which results in increasing their efficiency and hence, results in increasing productivity of an organisation. Since Human resource is the most important asset of an organisation so, making best use of them is possible with the help of training which leads to their as well as organisation’s development (Raheja 2015).

There are several training methods used by organisation’s. Each method has it’s own unique characteristics which, depending on the content of the training programme, learners’ professional background and experience, it can be an advantage or a disadvantage with respect to the quality and effectiveness of training. Upon these factors the trainer shall select a suitable training method and execute his programme (Martin, B. O., Kolomitro, K., Lamb, C. M. T. 2014).

Flowing methods are used by organisations commonly to carry out training and development sessions.

Case Study – Provides the participants an opportunity to develop skills by presenting a problem, without a solution, for them to solve or with a solution, as an exemplar of how to solve it (Bruner, Gup, Nunnally & Pettit 1999; Elam & Spotts 2004; Meadow 2000).

Games-based training – Trainees compete in a series of decision-making tasks which allows them to explore a variety of strategic alternatives and experience the consequences  which effect the other players, but with without risk to the individuals or the organisation (Brown 2004; Gentry 1990).

Internship – Involves supervised, practical training while on the job where the trainees is permitted to work in the position for which they are training, but with some restrictions and with substantially less pay or no pay (Ballard & Carroll 2005; Stedman 1997).

Job Rotation – Involves training for a job by working in the job for a limited duration, while still maintaining the original job (Barbain 2002; Ho Chang,Shih & Liang 2009; Wilson 2000).

Job Shadowing – Involves a trainee closely observing someone perform a specific job in the natural job environment for the purpose of witnessing first-hand the details of the job (Tylor,2008).

Lecture – Involves the dissemination of training material by a trainer to a group of trainees. By meaning of verbal instructions (Zhang,Zhao,Zhou & Nunamaker 2004).

Mentoring & Apprenticeship – Involves a one-on-one partnership between a novice employee with a senior employee. Mentorship aims to provide support and guidance to less experienced employees whereas apprenticeship is for the development of job skills (Andrew & Chilton 2000).

Programmed instruction – Involves the delivery of training through instruction that is delivered by a programme via some electronic device without the presence of an instructor, the electronic device can be a computer, DVD player or CD player (Gist, Rosen & Schwoerer 2006).

Role Modeling – Involves the live presentation of skills to an audience of trainees (Kirby, Bennnette, Smith, Parker & Thompson 2008; Verma & Singh 2010).

Role Play – Requires trainees to assume a character and act out the role in a make-believe scenario or series of scenarios; learning comes by way of reflection on the play (Sheets 1998).

Simulation – Involves the use of a simulator where specific skills are developed through repeated practice with a multisensory experience of imitated conditions. A special form of simulation training is virtual reality training which entails total sensory immersion (Kneebone 2003).

Stimulus-based Training – Using some type of stimulus (i.e. music, works of art, narratives) to motivate the leaner to learn. The training induces a state of being (e.g. relaxation or awareness) in the participants to achieve learning (Lam, Kolomitro & Alamparambil 2011; Kumagai 2008).

Team Training – Intended exclusively for group of individuals that behave interactively, to either improve mutual knowledge within a team or to train the team on a team-specific skill (Wheelan 2005; Craig 1996).

Figure 1 – Lecture Training

Source - Beijing Patent Attorneys Association (2015)

The organisation I’m employed in, also utilize these methods in order to carry out different training sessions. Since it’s a financial institute, training sessions are mostly based on Basic Banking, Bank KPI’s and Central Bank regulations. However, “Customer Satisfaction” given the priority in the banking industry, training on Regulatory Framework and Human Factors is given utmost importance as well. Hence, training on these aspects related to the banking industry also takes place very frequently.

E-Learning       

E-learning can best be defined as the science of learning without using paper printed instructional material. E-learning is the use of telecommunication technology to deliver information for education and training. With the progress of information and communication technology development, E-learning is emerging as the paradigm of modern education. The great advantages of E-learning include liberating interactions between learners and instructors, from limitations of time and space through the asynchronous and synchronous learning network model (Pei-Chen Sun et al., 2008). E-learning is commonly referred to the intentional use of networked information and communications technology in teaching and learning. A number of other terms are also used to describe this mode of teaching and learning. They include online learning, virtual learning, distributed learning, network and web-based learning. The term E-learning comprises a lot more than online learning, as the letter “e” in E-learning stands for the word “electronic”, E-learning would incorporate all educational activities that are carried out by individuals or groups working online or offline (Som Naidu, 2006).

Table 1 – E-Learning systems used by the Banks in Sri Lanka

Bank	E-Learning system
Hatton National Bank PLC	HNB Talent Space
Commercial Bank	E-Learning Management System
Sampath Bank	Sampath E-Learning System
Seylan Bank	Seylan E-Learning Academy
Bank of Ceylon	BOC E-Learning Portal

Source – HNB Annual Report 2019/Com Bank Annual report 2018/Sampath Bank Annual report 2018/Seylan Bank Annual report 2018/BOC Annual report 2018

Figure 2 – E-Learning Methods

Source – Amith S (2015)

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