AC1.1 Analyse the impact of the external environment on the organisational strategy, including the importance of horizontal and vertical alignment.
- g: Core definitions of learning and development.
- How L&D is influenced by national educational models and systems.
- The impact of the changing nature of work and talent availability.
- Links between organizational strategy and learning strategy (vertical).
- Links with people management practice strategy and policy (horizontal).
AC1.2 Critically evaluate the organisational strategy in relation to learning and development strategy and policy.
- Organization strategy, and its links and influence on and from L&D strategy, policy, and execution.
- The operational development of learning strategy and policy.
- Implications for learning resourcing, shape, size, and roles for the L&D team.
AC1.3 Evaluate the influence of the internal environment on learning and development.
- Culture and context – organizational drive for L&D.
- Organizational power and politics.
- Stakeholder management within L&D.
- Role of line managers and senior teams.
- Systems and technology.
- Employees’ engagement with learning.
AC1.4 Analyse how learning professionals may create effective business cases in order to gain investment in learning activity.
- Contents of a business case for L&D.
- Alignment to organization targets and direction.
- Use of data and metrics to create persuasive arguments.
- Gaining of key stakeholder support.
AC2.1 Evaluate a variety of methods through which learning professionals may assess learning needs.
- Performance consulting conversations.
- Interview to gather insights.
- Organizational data and metrics.
- Future organizational needs.
- Performance review approaches.
- Staff engagement surveys.
- Technology and digital considerations.
AC2.2 Critically analyse the role of learning needs analysis within the design and delivery of learning.
- Linkage between needs assessment and design/delivery of learning.
- Data related to learning needs (individual, team/group, organization).
- Sources of data available.
- Measure organizational effectiveness
- Performance consulting conversations, performance appraisals.
- Competency frameworks, professional frameworks/maps.
- Hierarchical task analysis and key task analysis.
- Approaches to learning needs analysis.
- Process limitations of learning needs analysis.
- Role in overall L&D strategy.
AC2.3 Critically evaluate the major stages in the design, delivery and impact measurement of learning, including how decisions are influenced by context.
- Common design approaches.
- Learning theories and learning styles.
- Various methods of designing learning events.
- Delivery of learning events.
- Approaches to the evaluation of learning.
- Learning transfer and the importance of workplace impact.
- Formal vs informal learning, self-directed, social, and collaborative.
AC2.4 Evaluate the importance of individual and organisational commitment to continuing professional development.
- Definitions of continuous professional development and lifelong learning.
- Embedding CPD and lifelong learning into organizational cultures.
- For diverse development opportunities: Methods of CPD.
- Support ongoing development of CPD resources.
- Measure CPD effectiveness with Outputs vs inputs approaches to CPD.
- Reflective and reflexive practices and their impact.
AC3.1 Critically analyse the concept of organisational learning and its application within organisations.
- For a theoretical foundation: Definitions of organizational learning.
- To understand its evolution: History of organizational learning.
- For practical application: Operationalization of organizational learning.
- To illustrate real-world examples: Examples of organizational learning.
- For critical evaluation: Critiques of organizational learning.
AC3.2 Evaluate the conceptual differences between organisational learning and the learning organisation.
- Definitions of the learning organization.
- Senge’s disciplines of the learning organization.
- Critiques of the learning organization.
- Conceptual differences between organizational learning and the learning organization.
- The six elements of ‘Driving the New Learning Organisation’.
AC3.3 Critically analyse a variety of factors that influence knowledge transfer processes.
- The linkage between learning and the development of organizational knowledge.
- Differences between tacit and explicit knowledge.
- The cycle of knowledge conversion.
- Methods of enabling knowledge transfer and sharing.
- Barriers to knowledge sharing.
- WeinbauerHeidel’s 12 levers of learning transfer effectiveness.
AC3.4 Examine how organisations may develop learning cultures.
- Develop cultures for learning and knowledge sharing.
- Promote continuous learning within organizations.
- The role of knowledge and learning in developing sustainable organizational advantage.
AC4.1 Critically analyse factors influencing the advance of technology within learning.
- Review of technological developments and their application within the learning function.
- The demand and drivers behind the advance of technology.
- Links with learning analytics.
- Availability of technology.
- Emerging technology trends.
- Role and purpose of technology.
- Address Human factors in using technology.
AC4.2 Assess the role of technology within the design, delivery, and impact assessment of learning.
- Role of technology in assessing learning needs.
- Introduction to private and public learning platforms.
- Relative merits of learner-generated content.
- Learning content management systems.
- LMS/LXP systems.
- Design of blended learning.
- Emerging technology trends.
AC4.3 Discuss the methods through which technology may facilitate collaborative approaches to learning.
- How collaboration can be fostered through technology.
- Social and collaborative learning platforms.
- The role and use of webinars and virtual classrooms.
- To offer accessible learning opportunities: MOOCs.
- Smart devices, social networks, and media.
- Synchronistic and asynchronistic opportunities technology offers.
AC4.4 Analyse the importance of data security and protection within the learning function.
- Types of data held within the learning function.
- Principles of data security and protection.
- Protection of intellectual property.
- Application of legal regulations.
- Access, ownership, and transparency of data.
