Self-Directed Learning in a Post-Covid Work Environment

IMPACT ON STUDENT LEARNING

COVID had a highly significant and demonstrable negative impact on student learning. Classrooms and teaching went virtual and admissions for the 2020/2021 academic year were fraught with confusion (Azoulay, 2020). Declines were observed in the US and across the world in all grade levels. According to the Education Recovery Scorecard, a collaboration between Harvard and Stanford, the average U.S. public school student in grades 3-8 lost the equivalent of a half year of learning in math and a quarter of a year in

IMPACT ON EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT

There is less information on how COVID impacted learning and employee development within organizations. Clearly leadership and development approaches needed to adapt to an increasingly remote workforce. Organizations needed to pay attention to E-Leadership and E-Learning processes:

  • E-leadership theory studies leadership in work environments dominated by technology enabled interactions and communication networks (Putriastuti & Stasi, 2019). E-leadership is a new paradigm that provides a variety of new opportunities, namely, the ability to communicate directly one-on-one with employees, customers, and suppliers using technology to improve performance (Hema & Gupta, 2015). Leaders can communicate with their employees even though they are not in the same office, and they must understand new technology to meet employee needs and build relationships between employees (Mohammad, 2009).
  • E-training is defined as a process of distance training using the Internet or Intranet, giving individuals the required knowledge about various subjects chosen (Amara & Atia, 2016). E-learning typically has a shorter learning timeframe designed specifically to achieve a particular learning goal or skill (Ramayah, Ahmad, & Hong, 2012).

While the adaptation of leadership and learning approaches to remote workers is ongoing and lessons are still being learned, we have learned a lot about how to best develop talent in those circumstances.

LEVERAGING EXISTING TECHNOLOGY

Leveraging technology is a core strategy for developing remote workers. Two clear technologies to leverage include:

  1. Online learning courses – Self-directed online learning would seem to be an obvious option for developing remote workers. It allows the learner to learn at their preferred pace and repeat content as often as they like. It is also more cost-effective and efficient compared to face-to-face approaches such as classroom learning. E-learning requires 40-60% less time to learn than traditional classroom, and on average learners retain 25-60% more material when learning online compared to only 8-10% in a classroom (Li & Lalani, 2020).
  2. Video Conferencing technologies – These technologies facilitate Interacting remotely. Zoom and Teams are two popular platforms. Both provide several useful features for interactions with remote workers such as screen/app sharing, white boards, chat, break-out rooms, and recorded sessions.

SELF-DIRECTED LEARNER COMPETENCY

An overlooked factor in a strategy for developing remote workers is the importance of “self-directed learner competence”. Self-directed learner competence is required to optimize self-directed learning. Self-directed learner competence is defined as “the ability to pursue self-directed learning with success and efficiency: to proficiently direct one’s own learning means and objectives in order to meet definable personal goals” (Morris, 2019b, p. 302). SDL competence may afford a person a number of advantages, including “enabling a proactive process of remaining up-to-date with knowledge and skills throughout one’s life” (Dunlap and Grabinger, 2003; Morrison and Premkumar, 2014). This is a critical competency for the future which should be included in both talent selection and development processes.

NEEDED EFFICIENCIES THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

Leveraging existing technologies will only take you so far. There are tremendous opportunities for new technological support in performing key developmental processes.

There are four core developmental processes where technology needs to be applied to gain significant learning efficiencies:

  1. Creating an Individual Development Plan – Creating a development plan provides learner focus and helps organize both developmental efforts and communications. It defines development goals, strategies, and planned actions, as well as captures a record of coaching discussions and obtained results. Often, individual development plans are created based on some form of competency assessment such as a multi-rater survey or 360 process. There is a real opportunity for an application that manages the 360-assessment process and converts individual results into an actionable individual development plan.
  2. Keeping the Dialogue Alive – Too often development discussions drop off after an initial formulation of a development plan. It can easily be forgotten and developmental efforts wane. Development needs to be reviewed and discussed on a periodic basis to maintain energy, enthusiasm, and action. Technology can facilitate the regular scheduling of developmental discussions and the capture and reporting of observed progress and any updated actions.
  3. Getting Good Feedback – It is difficult to develop or shape behavior in a vacuum without feedback. Remote workers and their managers have reduced contact with each other. Remote workers also have reduced contact with co-workers. To give meaningful feedback, it is important to consolidate the observations of everyone. Traditionally this would be done with a 360 process. However, that would not be practical because of the drain on organizational resources involved in a typical 360 assessment. Technology is needed to provide a quick and easy process for consolidating observations on a small number of target developmental behavioral targets from a small, focused team of observers.
  4. Evaluating Progress – Finally, technology is needed to easily measure developmental progress, both individually and as a process. Without measurement, it is impossible to determine ROI and improvements in developmental processes. Evaluation also provides much needed recognition of achievement. Technology can facilitate the capture, processing, and reporting of evaluation data.

SUMMARY

COVID has changed the employment landscape forever. Remote workers are going to be a permanent component of the future. Retention and development of remote workers is going to be critical with baby boomer retirements. New learner and leadership competencies will be required and new approaches to employee development adopted. Technology will be at the core of the new strategies but needs to evolve further to provide needed additional efficiencies.

REFERENCES

Amara, N. B., & Atia, L. (2016). E-Training And Its Role In Human Resources Development. Global Journal of Human Resource Management, 4(1), 1-12.

Azoulay, U. (2020): 290 million students out of school due to COVID-19: UNESCO releases first global numbers and mobilizes response. https://en.unesco.org/news/290-millionstudents-out-school-due-covid-19-unesco-releases-first-global-numbers-and-mobilizes (Accessed 21 November 2020).

Dunlap, Joanna C.; Grabinger, Scott (2003). Preparing Students for Lifelong Learning: A Review of Instructional Features and Teaching Methodologies. Performance Improvement Quarterly, v16 n2 p6-25.

Fahle, E., Kane, T., Reardon, S., & Staiger, D. (2024) The First Year of Pandemic Recovery: A District Level Analysis. https://cepr.harvard.edu/education-recovery-scorecard.

Hema, G., & Gupta, S. M. (2015). Adversity Quotient for Prospective Higher Education. The International Journal of Indian Psychology, 2(3).

Li, C. and Lalani, F. (2020). The COVID-19 Pandemic Has Changed Education Forever. This Is How. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/coronavirus-education-global-covid19-online-digital-learning.

Mohammad, K. (2009). E-Leadership : The Emerging New Leadership for the Virtual Organization. Journal of Managerial Sciences, 3(1), 1-21.

Morris, T.H. (2019b). An analysis of Rolf Arnold’s systemic-constructivist perspective on self-directed learning. In Rohs, M., Schiefner-Rohs, I., Schüßler, I. and Müller, H.-J. (Eds), Educational Perspectives on Transformations and Change Processes, pp. 302. WBV Verlag: Germany.

Morrison, D., & Premkumar, K. (2014). Practical strategies to promote self-directed learning in the medical curriculum. International Journal of Self-Directed Learning, 11(1), 1–12.

Putriastuti, B. C. K., & Stasi, A. (2019). How To Lead The Millennials: A Review Of 5 Major Leadership Theory Groups. Journal of Leadership in Organizations, 1(2), 96-111.

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Ramayah, T., Ahmad, N. H., & Hong, T. S. (2012). An Assessment of E-training Effectiveness in Multinational Companies in Malaysia. Journal of Educational Technology & Society 15(2).

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