To Test or Not? LO15119

Gary Foreman (GFOREMAN@cow.usa.com)
Thu, 25 Sep 97 11:57

Dear Learning Org.Readers

I posted a couple of questions to the Learning Organization a few
months ago, asking for help regarding how to identify learning needs and
the prioritization of those needs. I would like to thank all of you that
responded to my questions. The information that was provided helped
tremendously. However, we have run across other roadblocks in our journey
of creating a learning organization, and they are:
Should we have written test for the classes that we offer?
Should we make the classes Voluntary or Mandatory?
Should we pay the associates for the time they spend in class?
But before I get to far along, I would like to share with you some of
our past experiences. At the beginning of this year we finished building
our brand new 1,400 square foot onsite learning center. We are a small
metal job-shop with approximately 120 employees. We broke in our new
learning center by offer a combination class on the usage of measuring
instruments, blueprint reading, and mathematics. We offered this class on
a voluntary basis without pay and testing. The class was after work
hourIs 1 day a week, for 2 hours. The classes went on for 12 weeks in a
row. We had to offer a second day class do to the fact that we had 40
people sign up.
This was a first for us, so this class was noted as a pilot class.
We finished the class as scheduled with a 90% completion rating. After
each of the first 5 class sessions, we asked for feedback on what people
liked and disliked about the class. The responses from these feedback
sessions were what I would perceive as typical responses, but not one time
did anyone ask about testing or pay. At the end of the twelve weeks, our
learning team did a complete wholelistic evaluation. We talked to
supervisors, managers, engineers, quality control, and fellow associates.
This is when a few managers brought up testing, pay, and mandatory issues.
Before we began this pilot class the learning team discussed whether
to test or not to test, the same with the pay and the voluntary verses
mandatory issues. At that time we decided we wanted people to take charge
of their own learning. We wanted them to be able to recognize when they
thought they would need extra help. The learning team felt that by having
written test it would intimidate some people and keep them from taking the
class. Several of our associates have not been in school for a fair
number of years.
We attempted to make the classes as comfortable as possible without
putting anyone on the spot. We had three instructors in the class as the
class was being taught. One instructor would be in front of the class
doing the teaching while the other two instructors would roam around the
class, guiding the teams of associates through their in-class assignments.
One of the instructors was from outside the company and the other two were
from within. We felt that this class was an amazing accomplishment for a
company our size, even a local business newspaper featured us in their
paper.
We are ready to move on now with other classes and these issues are
coming up again. Our learning team is wondering if anyone out there has
had similar dilemmas. We would greatly appreciate any help and guidance
on these issues. Our main objective is still the same. We want our people
to take charge of their own learning.

Thanks Again,
Gary Foreman

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GFOREMAN@cow.usa.com (Gary Foreman)


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