Week 1 - 1.2: Managing your reflective learning - Part 1 - Tutor Group Forum (TGF)

1.2. (a): Help with reflections (example/s).

The hyperlinked Continuous Professional Development (CPD) outlines my experiences - of using reflection to support my learning from practice. These activities occurred as a condition of my membership of the Institute for Learning (IFL) i.e., required to submit at least 30 hrs of reflective CPD content annually. IFL: Video on membership.

Example: Qualified Teacher Learning & Skills (QTLS) status is the badge of professionalism for post-16 education and training, helping practitioners advance in their careers and demonstrate their expertise and experience to colleagues, employers and learners. This 6-month programme was sign-off my line manage and IFL.

1.2. (b): Use of theoretical models to assist reflect reflections - Kolb's experiential learning cycle.

Kolb’s Learning Style Questionnaire identified me as primary having an Active/Reflective Learning Style; the consequence of this analysis has been that I  been able to motive my reflective learning via the construction of learning technologies, such as - see hyperlinked Reflective online journal: Module B867. Ref.: Hilton (2021).

1.2. (c): Record of reflections.

The main record of my stated CPD activities where stored on the Institute for Learning (IFL) “Reflective” storage system and my employees HR department - utilised for annual review of competencies.

1.2. (d): Identification of consequential action resulting from reflections enable me to conduct various training “gap-analysis” for my role as - Business Lecturer / Grade 1: Maths Lecturer and Learning Technologist  - resulting in the following CPD activities: Continuous Professional Development (CPD) activities.

Week 1 - 1.2: Managing your reflective learning - Part 2 - Tutor Group Forum (TGF)

1.2. (e): Three practices which shall support my B867 reflective practice. 

• The absorption of a concept into personal knowledge structures, relating the concept to the person’s other forms of knowledge and experience (Leung and Kember, 2003).
• Adopting a critical perspective by making ‘a ruthless and courageous examination and deconstruction of assumptions, norms, expectations, limitations, language, results and applications of one’s work’ (Boyce, 1996: 9).
• Critical reflection as a social act of collective empowerment if it is to move beyond personal to social transformation (McLaren and da Silva, 1993).

1.2. (f): Suggestions for effective reflective practice. 

Mind-map of Units 1-3

The following hyperlinked: Reflective online journal (Module B867) can effectively accommodate the 3 practices stated in 1.3 (b). This is because of its multi-platform capability (Video, Audio, Text etc) and its navigation ability to link to other online resources. In addition, the weblog also has multi-user functionality, which afford sharing and auditing facilities. Moreover, the: "Tutorial- recording", "Bibliography", "Additional resources" and "Acknowledgement" sections, support and inform all the reflective elements below: 

Activity 1.2: Managing your reflective learning (90 minutes)

Week 1: Reflection 1.2: Part 1: Tutor Group Forum (TGF)

Hyperlink to the 1.2: Part 1

Week 1: Reflection 1.2: Part 2: Tutor Group Forum (TGF)

Hyperlink to the 1.2: Part 2

1.2. (g): Respond to Post 2: Matthew Powell 30 Apr 2021, 14:53 - on (TGF)

Matthew stated that: "Within my organisation reflection often comes after a critical incident, usually either an offence being challenged in court or a complaint. In both instances our assumptions are being challenged by an outsider. When this happens we tend to come together to informally discus the matter as a team, often at the beginning or end of a shift. We have to re-evaluate things from a new perspective. Do they have a valid point? Often the answer is no, but if the answer is yes we may alter our working practices to compensate."

"As an instructor and mentor to the new members of the team, I tend to use the example in future training to demonstrate how prior experiences have lead us to do things the way we do and what the consequences were when we used to do things differently."

Successfully illustration of (Mezirow, 1990) point on critical reflection.

Matthew, you have successfully illustrated (Mezirow, 1990) point on critical reflection.

Critical reflection (making an assessment of the validity of one’s assumptions, examining both sources and consequences) and critical self-reflection (reassessing the way one has posed problems and one’s orientation to perceiving, believing and acting).

By critiquing the presuppositions on which beliefs are built, critical reflection encourages learning at a deeper, transformative level.

Good point.

Regards

David 

2.3: Exploring talent development in practice - Part 1

For the past decade, I have be working in (Private universities/colleges), which do not particularly support comprehensive talent development. Consequently, the files below are - examples of direct/indirect - evidence of talent development initiatives (TDI), in an Further Education (FE) establishment - I work for approximately 8 years: between February 2008 and January 2017. (Click on) Table 1. to enlarge: 

(1): Organisation: 

West London College - formally known as EHWLC: (Ealing, Hammersmith and West London College) - is a further and higher education college based across four campuses located in Park Royal, Ealing, Hammersmith and Southall.

The College provides training and development for over 10,000 students from entry level to postgraduate. West London College (WLC) is a member of the Collab Group, which represents 35 of the largest and most innovative colleges in the UK.

"WLC's Vision is to be the leading college in West London for technical and vocational education and skills training. Moreover, their mission and vision are backed up by our the following core values:

• Ambition: To strive to be the best in all areas of strategic importance to the College, enabling their learners, employers and staff to achieve high expectations and ambitious goals.

• Innovation: To be innovative in their thinking, striving to embed new and original practises that will underpin everything they do.

• Accountability: To take personal responsibility for driving success, overcoming barriers and finding solutions. To be constantly learning and developing.

• Inclusion: To be welcoming, supportive and our commitment to equality and diversity which will underpin everything they do." WLC (2021)

As a Business/Maths Lecturer and Tutor, I was primarily involved with: BTEC L3 Extended National Diploma in Business. WLC (2021, E)

(2): Examples of WLC's talent development initiatives

The tools required for successful talent management include workforce planning, recruiting, strategic plan and goal alignment, executive coaching, leadership development, recognition programs, diversity and inclusion, and engagement, as well as retention. Some of WLC's: Direct sources of evidence (DSE) and Indirect sources of evidence (ISE) are illustrated below:

Files: 17-24 - Table 1 - accommodated WLC's: workforce planning, recruiting, strategic plan and goal alignment, DSC and ISE talent development (TL) requirements. In particular, by including the (then) government's educational investment/expansion programme and securing Business Lecturers which had extensive work-experience as well as the necessary academic background - see File 23: Original job application document.

Files: 1-16 - Table 1 - are examples of how WLC enlisted probationary, appraisals, pay and pension rewards to meet their organisational: goals alignment, recognition programs, diversity and inclusion, and engagement, as well as retention - see File 5: Appraisal (2011) document.

Personal - Continuous Professional Development (CPD). Note: Funding for CPD and IFL membership stopped post 2010

(3): WCL's Talent development strategy

WCL's talent development strategy is not "inclusive", because it is not based on the assumption that anyone has talent; this is born-out by the fact that WCL has made most of its admin-staff redundant and encouraged teaching-staff to take-on these functions. Conversely, WCL's has demonstrated that it has an "exclusive" view that talent is only present in a minority of individuals, because it has laid-off most of its over 50s employees. Notwithstanding, a key-driver behind this action was to reduce the pension commitment to make FE more attractive to the private sector.

WCL's talent development strategy does contain a "broad" view because it considers:  workforce and succession planning, recruitment and selection, learning and development, and diversity, which includes flexible working and work–life balance (Taylor, 2014). However, at variance with this, is WLC's "narrow" view, because they are relinquishing their obligation to meet their future skill needs by outsources to recruitment agencies. 

WLC talent development strategy does have a blended approach to senior-management roles, but it is less transparent than its overall talent management initiatives. Note: "A ‘blended’ approach is often adopted with regard to the methods, scope and beneficiaries of talent management initiatives. This means that while organisations support all members of the workforce in achieving their full potential, they also have more structured talent management initiatives such as graduate schemes and leadership programmes that are directed specifically at a group of high calibre employees." (Taylor, 2014).

(4): The main strengths and weaknesses of WLC’s approach to talent development.

HRD “encompasses planned activities and processes designed to enhance organisational and individual learning, develop human potential, maximise organisational effectiveness and performance, and help bring about effective and beneficial change within and beyond the boundaries of organisations”  B867 Reading 2, (2010, P.206) - Table 1: Hamlin (2004)

Within the wider context of WCL's talent management, talent development has the following aims:

• to complement workforce planning by identifying knowledge, skills and abilities required to meet current and future business needs

• to engage and retain staff (based on the assumption that investment in employee development shows that employees are valued)

However, although WCL's stated "Vision" and "Core-values" - are seen as a strength - by support these aims. WLC's drive to commodify their education provision through outsourcing and rationalisation of age profile of staff - are seen as a short-term weakness - undermine these aims.

WLC's aims to develop learning interventions that are:

• linked to business objectives (to support flexibility in a fast-changing environment)

• smart and efficient (making good use of internal expertise and resources)

• dynamic and constantly reviewed.

Are uncertain, because the commodify of FE provision - Shukr (2017) - has yet to reach market-maturity and consequently, results in strategic gaps. The reasons lock-down and invariable unplanned conversion to the VLE (virtual learning environment) illustrated major weaknesses (IT equipment provision and quality control).