Overview

In this course you will be creating your own training program. In Weeks 1 through 5, you will complete a different element of the program. In Week 7, you will compile all of the information in to a single, unified document. Your final submission will contain at least 16 references, and will be a completed training program project. As the term progresses, you will submit pieces of your training program to me and I will provide you with a grade and feedback on the pieces – you will then incorporate my suggestions into your final program (Week 7).

Due in Week 1 – Project Topic (50 points)

This week you will need to select an organization and a problem/event/reason for your project. You may use your own organization or an organization with which you are familiar.  For example:

Local Hospital LLC Nursing ER staff:  ER patient intake HIPAA update training
Retirement Village Bingo Hall Staff: CPR/defibrillator training
Let’s Take a Trip sales staff: new American Airlines flight scheduling technology training

Note that failing to turn in this assignment may jeopardize your grade throughout the project over the term. Review the “late work” section of the syllabus to ensure you understand the late policies enforced in the course.

Please utilize APA formatting when you turn in this project – you can review the template in doc-sharing for an example of the proper use of APA formatting – and the syllabus also has a link to the APA handbook. Further, you can utilize the Smarthinking tutor source (under Course Home) and request assistance on your papers this term. I recommend it!

In your Week 1 submission, include this information. Answering these questions will help you tailor this into something specific. Then, throughout the entire term, your project should apply to THIS particular training project.

1. The name of the company your training will be used in (real or fictional)
2. A bit about what the company does…
3. In what department will the training be used?
4. Which employees will attend
5. Who will be involved in creating the training? (title of person)
6. Who will provide the training? 
7. What is the MAIN purpose – goal – and problem you are solving with the training? (i.e. the “Gap”)

Total points for the assignment: 50 points (42 points for answering the 7 questions; 4 points for using proper APA formatting and 4 points for your resource/reference!)

Use ONE resource this week – and cite it properly as part of your APA formatting. (If nothing else, cite the textbook and use it as a reference…but I recommend you use something about your company you will use for training, if possible.)

Submit your assignment to the Dropbox located on the silver tab at the top of this page. For instructions on how to use the Dropbox, read these Step-by-Step Instructions or watch this Dropbox Tutorial.

See Syllabus/”Due Dates for Assignments & Exams” for due date information.

Due in Week 2 – Training Needs Assessment (50 points)

Once you have received approval for moving forward with your project, this week you will conduct a TNA (Training Needs Assessment) on your organization for which your training program will be formed. Your submission this week will include the following:

1) an organization analysis; 
2) a task analysis; and 
3) a person analysis. 

You will  explain the techniques used for these analyses and the individuals who will be involved in this process. Include an example of at least one technique or method for your analyses and include a sample of that in your appendix. 

For example, if you use a questionnaire, be sure to include the questionnaire in the appendix. If you prefer to use an observation method, then explain how that will work (who, what, where and when.) Provide pro’s and cons of the method. You must include an example of one method from your analyses above.

Finally, you will also need to include the desired training outcomes of your program. This is essential to the rest of your project so be sure to include them. (i.e. what do you want your trainees to leave training knowing how to do.) 

Anticipated length of body of this assignment: 3-4 pages. Include at least 4 outside references in this portion of your paper, and properly cite them using APA formatting. This will be graded with the following rubric:

APA formatting and references – 10 points
Org analysis – 10 points
Task analysis – 10 points
Person analysis – 10 points
Example in Appendix – 10 points

Your content grade on the analyses will be based on including both theory in your description of methods and applying that to your project topic itself.

Due in Week 3 – Lesson Plan and Transfer of Training (50 points)

Organize your training “day” or “days.” You will create a schedule for your training, and justify it in this document. Your document will be read by higher management – and this is the part which will explain to them the schedule of training, who will be attending and who will be doing the training, the cost-benefit of your training, and your ROI (return on investment). In the theory section of this, explain how the design of your training will lead to transfer of training. Your detailed lesson plan and schedule used to conduct the training will be an Appendix item. (See your textbook table 4.12 on page 157 for an example.)

Anticipated length of body of this assignment: 3-4 pages. Include at least 4 outside references in this portion of your paper, and properly cite them using APA formatting.

Grading for this part of the project will be:

Theory of transfer of training and training design – 15 points
Cost benefit/ROI analysis – 10 points
Lesson plan and schedule in Appendix – 15 points
APA formatting and references – 10 points 

Due in Week 4 – Evaluation (50 points)

This week you will describe the training evaluation that you will use to prove and determine your program’s effectiveness. You can find some sample evaluation methods in doc-sharing but these are simply generic samples – you MUST make them tailored to your project to get full credit.  State the method of evaluation you are planning to use for your project and support that choice using research and applying to your project goals. Present the evaluation design. Provide a hypothetical evaluation to show how the evaluation process would work for your program and include the evaluation instrument in your appendix. Anticipated length of body of this assignment: 3-4 pages. Include at least 4 outside references in this portion of your paper, and properly cite them using APA formatting.

Grading for this:
APA formatting and references – 10 points
State and support method of evaluation: 10 points
Evaluation design provided, explained, and tailored to your project: 15 points
Hypothetical evaluation provided – 5 points
Evaluation instrument in Appendix – 10 points

Due in Week 5 – Training Methods (50 points)

In this segment you will need to consider the method of delivery for this training. For this section, choose three different training methods discussed in the textbook or which you have found via outside research. Research your three methods and conduct and write an analysis, identifying the advantages and disadvantages of each method with regard to your program’s learning outcomes. From this analysis, you will identify the method that will work best. Explain in your conclusion how the training method you choose will work with your project. Provide a table or chart to compare your three methods to include in your appendix as an easy reference, but provide the details of the analysis in paragraph format. Anticipated length of body of this assignment: 3-4 pages. Include at least 4 outside references in this portion of your paper, and properly cite them using APA formatting.

Grading for this section:
Analysis of 3 methods for training: 20 points
Choice of method and support for your project: 10 points
Table/chart in your appendix comparing the 3 methods: 10 points
APA formatting and references: 10 points

Due in Week 7 – The Final Comprehensive Submission (70 points)

This final piece of the assignment will allow you to combine all of the elements in the training process. While there is no new research that needs to be conducted for this week’s assignment, you should apply feedback from the previous week’s assignments and update your work to present a clean, final draft.  This project should be submitted as a single, cohesive Word document (not multiple files). Use section breaks or page breaks to separate the different elements. You will provide a single reference list (at least 16 sources total.) 

Appendixes will be formatted at the end of the overall document – not the end of the section. You can’t simply cut/paste the different elements from your prior work into a single document and consider it to be complete. There must be unity, flow, and cohesiveness including the use of an Abstract,  Introduction and Conclusion. Finally, be sure that you are using uniform formatting for this document. Check margins, font, etc. prior to submitting. Anticipated length of body of this assignment: 12-16 pages, including title and reference pages, as well as your Appendixes. Include headings and a table of contents.

Sources/Formatting

A note on sources: You will be expected to conduct research outside of our classroom and beyond your own experiences to complete this assignment. For Weeks 2-5, you will be expected to use at least four unique documented sources outside of our classroom (the textbook does not count as an outside source). You are not required to conduct additional research for Week 7 but may add to your list if you’ve found additional sources on your journey. If you do use the textbook, you will need to give credit to this source. While sources may be used from week to week, you will be expected to find at least four new sources for each of the Week 2 through 5 assignments. I would urge you to use the DeVry Online library to seek out scholarly and current journal articles. Additionally, you might seek information from reputable organizations such as the Society for Human Resources Management or interview a Human Resources Professional.

A note on formatting: You will be expected to complete each assignment using APA formatting. This will include the use of appropriate font, margins, section headers, etc. You will be expected to provide a complete APA formatted reference list for each weeks’ assignment. Additionally, per APA you will be expected to give credit to these sources in-text. This project should be written in the third person.

Grading Rubrics

The following rubric will be used for Week 7:

Category	Points	%	Description
Documentation & Formatting	7	10%	A quality paper will include a title page, an abstract, table of contents, proper citations, reference list, and appendixes. APA formatting will be employed.
Organization & Cohesiveness	21	30%	A quality paper will include an introduction, body, and conclusion. In a quality paper, the conclusion will summarize the reasoning you employed in your analysis and any outstanding conclusions you can reach about the companies analyzed.
Editing	10	14%	A quality paper will be free of any spelling, punctuation, or grammatical errors. Sentences and paragraphs will be clear, concise, and factually correct.
Content	32	46%	A quality paper will have significant scope and depth of research to support any statements. Relevant illustration or examples are encouraged. A quality paper will employ sound use of reasoning and logic to reinforce conclusions. Proper ratio calculations and conclusions on analysis. Your program will reflect incorporation of the instructor feedback from each of your weekly submissions as well. 16 outside sources will be utilized in the reference page and in your paper.
Total	70	100%	A quality Paper will meet or exceed all of the above requirements.

For Weeks 1 through 5, the emphasis is placed on content as you develop your training program. For Week 7, the emphasis is placed on your ability to present a reasonable and thoughtful program, a key need in any organization.