Web 2.0

What is Web 2.0?

"Web 2.0 is the business revolution in the computer industry caused by the move to the internet as platform, and an attempt to understand the rules for success on that new platform. Chief among those rules is this: Build applications that harness network effects to get better the more people use them." By Tim O'Reilly, the founder of O'Reilly Media.

In other words, Web 2.0 is web-based services that can be used for all types of communications over the network.

Are we using any Web 2.0 applications in class?

Yes, we are using thee applications; blackboard, wiki and blogs.
How do you feel about using these Web 2.0 applications?
It adds a new meaning to technology. It is so great that you can do anything over a private network. The user has the control to who would have access to that private network. Just by creating your space, you can share about any files or data specially customized based on your desire.

Which 3 Web 2.0 applications do you think will be the killer apps of 2007? Why?

It is hard to tell what Web 2.0 applications will be the killer apps of 2007. There is about a thousand or even more of Web 2.0 applications used today that we are not familiar with yet. Almost every application is unique in some way. There is no application that has all users needs and expectations. For instance, here is a list of some Web 2.0 websites that I think would be on top of others based on their area of expertise:

Videos: YouTube is the most popular free video website. And I think it would continue to be the leader in this field.

Blogs: Blogger is one of the easiest websites available for writing sharing thoughts; It is also great for interacting with people and more.

Wikis: Wikipedia is the biggest multilingual free-content encyclopedia over the internet. There are more than two million articles available and it is still growing.

Chapter 4 "Learning: Theories and Program Design"

1. What learning condition do you think is most necessary for learning to occur? Which is least critical? Why?

I think providing opportunities for trainees to practice and receive feedback is the most necessary condition for learning to occur. Trainees would be more familiar and comfortable doing their jobs if they have been going through practice programs. That gives the trainees the opportunity to encounter what they are going to go though and might face when performing their duties. in contrast, allowing trainees to learn through observation and experience is the least important because not everything can be skilled or taught by observation.

2. What value would it be to know that you were going to be training a class of persons between the ages of 20 and 35? Would it influence the approach you would take? How?

Training a class of persons between the ages of 20 and 35 will definitely make me take a different approach than if I were going to train persons between the ages of 40 and 60 or 10 and 16. Age matters but I wouldn't give it a major value because I would have to go though what they already know and what they don't know to define their weaknesses and needs. However training someone who is age is close to yours put you in a better understanding relationship and less challenge.

3. How do instructional objectives help learning to occur?

Instructional objectives help learning to occur by providing the proper training environment and letting the trainees to be familiar with what the employee is expected to do, what the quality or level of performance that is acceptable and what condition under which the trainee is expected to perform the desired outcome.

4. Can allowing trainees to make errors in training be useful? Explain.

Off course they can. By allowing trainees to make errors, they will get to learn how to fix them. Moreover, they would be more familiar with the job environment; therefore, if a problem occurs in the job, they won't panic and they would be ready to fix the error.

5. Detailed lesson plans have important information for trainers. List the different types of information found in a detailed lesson plan. Also, indicate the importance of each type of information for learning.

Detailed lesson plans have the sequence of activities that will be conducted in the training session and the identification of the administrative details. The lesson plan also has the following information:

· The course title
· Learning objective
· Topics to be covered
· Target audience
· Time of session
· Instructor activity
· Learner activity
· Any prerequisites.

Chapter3 "Needs Assessment"

1. Which of the factors that influence performance and learning do you think is most important? Which is least important?

I think the most important factor is person characteristics and the least important is consequences.

2. If you were going to use online technology to identify training needs for customer service representatives for a web-based clothing company, what steps would you take to ensure that the technology was not threatening to employees?

I will make sure that they know how to use the new technology and be familiar with it. I will also help them feel comfortable and secure about their jobs by offering the help they need to get the job done properly, which could be done by training if necessary.

3. Needs assessment involves organization, person, and task analyses. Which one of these analyses do you believe is most important? Which is least important? Why?

I think that the Organizational analysis is the most important because it engages in determining the appropriateness of training, giving the company's business strategy, and allocating the resources available for training. In contrast, the least important needs assessment is Task analysis because it shares some of the person analysis such as skills and knowledge.

Chapter 2 "Strategic Training"

1. What do you think is the most important organizational characteristic that influences training? Why?

It is hard to choose one. I think they are all important but I guess identifying the company's business strategy is the most important because that where everything is planed, the mission, the vision and the values as well.

2. How could SWOT analysis be used to align training activities with business strategies and goals?

It gives the company the knowledge it needs to compete with others by knowing the weaknesses and strengths it has and what the opportunities or threats the company might run into. Basically, SWOT analysis gives the company a better view of how it should train the employees and what department might needs it the most by looking at the weaknesses and the other SWOT factors.

3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a centralized training function?

Advantages:

• The ownership of training goes to one organization.
• Elimination of course and program variation and duplication in the training system.
• Helps drive stronger alignment business strategy.
• Allows development of a common set of metrics or scorecards to measure and report rates of quality and delivery.
• Helps to streamline processes.
• It gives the company a cost advantage in purchasing training from vendors and consultants because of the number of trainees who will be involved.
• Helps companies better integrate programs for developing leaders and managing talent with training and learning during time of change.

Disadvantages:

• Training and development programs, resources and professionals are primarily housed in one location.
• Hard to apply if the company is on many different geographic locations.
• Decision about training, investment, programs, and delivery methods are made from one department.

Chapter 1 "Introduction to Employee Training and Development"

1. Describe the forces affecting the workplace and learning. How can training help companies deal with these forces?

• Globalization
• Need for leadership
• Increase value based on intangible assets and human capital
• Focus on link to business strategy
• Attracting and retaining talent
• Customer service and quality emphasis
• Changing the demographics and diversity of the work force
• New technology
• High-performance models of work systems
• Economic changes

Training can help companies deal with these forces by simply making the big picture clear to the employees by showing them the way they can help the company accomplish its goals. Moreover, training makes the employees achieve better communication, talents, creativity and build confidence.

2. What steps are included in the training design model? What step do you think is most important? Why?

• Conducting needs assessments
• Ensuring employee’s readiness for training
• Creating a learning environment
• Ensuring transfer of training
• Developing an evaluation plan
• Selecting a training method
• Monitoring and evaluating the program

I think creating a learning environment is the most important because it gives the employees the courage and desire to learn which would make them more affective and efficient at work.

3. What are intangible assets? How do they relate to training and development?

Intangible assets are defined as those non-monetary assets that cannot be seen, touched or physically measured. It is one of the most important values for companies continued existence.

4. Which of the training professionals' roles do you believe is most difficult to learn? Which is easiest?

I think the hardest is Professional specialist and Business partner. In contrast, learning strategist is the easiest.

5. How might technology influence the importance of training professionals' roles? Can technology reduce the importance of any of the roles? Can it result in additional roles?

Technology without doubt will have a great influence on the training professionals' roles. It will ease the data flow and fasten the business's seat built. Basically, everything is going to be faster and more efficient, which could cause some roles to be substituted and others added to the training professionals' roles.

6. Describe the training courses that you have taken. How have they helped you? Provide recommendations for improving the courses.

I have never had any training courses before.

7. What are the implications of the aging work force? What strategies should companies consider from a training and development perspective to best utilize older employees and prepare for their retirement?

It would be a good idea for a company to create a strategy that would benefit both the older and younger persons. For example, training could pass the knowledge that the older people have to the younger employees. Also, in the other direction, the elders could gain a great knowledge from the younger employees such as technology.