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Here is the latest edition of HRD Alert! to which you subscribed.

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Robin Henry

PS: I'll send everyone on my subscriber list a free copy of Important Updates for Human Resources Specialists when it goes to wire.

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In the last few years we have seen an increasing focus on capability, in particular, improving organisational capability. Courses are now appearing across the marketplace to help managers and others improve their capability, understand capability, assess organisational capability and so on. Now, some of the leading tertiary institutions are considering rewriting their curricula to be capability-based.

What does this mean and how different is it from the traditional curriculum model?

Essentially, the traditional model focused on people learning facts, skills concepts, and theories (FSTs). While all the facts, concepts and theories were ideal, graduates  went to work and found that they weren't immediately productive because they lacked  the following skills which were required by employers (Identified by ACNeilsen 2000):

• creativity and flair
• communication
• problem-solving
• interpersonal
• business practice

A capability-based approach addresses these issues and is seen as '... the integration of knowledge, skills, ethics and judgement in a given context for action (Stephenson, 1998 in Doncaster and Lester, 2002).

An example of successful integration of abilities written into educational curricula is Alverno College in the US. The college has identified eight (capa)abilities that are central to all professional and liberal education programs:

• communication
• analysis
• problem solving
• valuing in decision-making
• social interaction
• developing a global perspective
• effective citizenship
• aesthetic responsiveness

The essential thrust of capability-based curricula is that content and learning processes in an educational program need to reflect what graduates need at work to deal with existing and novel problems at work and their lives as citizens. Therefore, during curriculum development, designers establish what capabilities are needed (probably most commonly aligned with the above) and the integrate them with the content of disciplines.

By modelling the performance of high performers in particular disciplines, designers can identify the capabilities they demonstrate and then attempt to convert them into assessable learning objects. Assessment in workplace settings or simulated settings is preferred to achieve that integration.

I recall doing an in-basket exercise assessment while in the Air Force. That was years ago, but is an example of the type of in-office simulation that is used in capability-based learning. For those unfamiliar with this type of exercise, a manager is presented with a number of incoming 'challenges' that appear in the inbasket. How you deal with them is assessed to determine whether you have handled them properly. It's an interesting process.

With capability-based learning curricula will imitate workplace activities and be assessed using real-to-life workplace functions. Given the focus during the past few years on outcomes over outputs, this makes a lot of sense.

Keep your eyes on the university marketing materials and real soon you are sure to see some adverts for leading edge capability-focused programs.

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Reference: Doncaster, K and Lester, S (2002). Capability and it's Development: Experiences from a work-based Doctorate. Studies in Higher Education 27, 1, pp 91-101

Next time you are responsible for arranging a conference or information session, think about using an Audience Reaction Team (ART).

Of the numerous options, ARTs have an important place to play when audiences are large and it would be difficult or impossible to take questions from the floor. In this case questions can be prewritten to preempt the types of questions listeners might ask - in the same way that Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are used on Internet sites to preempt user questions. Alternatively, the questions can be contextual, arising from the content delivered.

Three to five people sit on stage with the speaker and clarify points which might not otherwise be understood. Their questions can be asked during the presentation or at the end of it, depending on what is more suitable. The advantages of using an ART are that it can help a presenter who is not a skilled communicator get the message across and help to stimulate audience interest.

It is easy to organise ART members; they can be organised beforehand according to different types of expertise or they can be drawn randomly from the audience by selecting ticket numbers, birthdays, or perhaps seat numbers.

Of course, wherever they come from, you have to be careful you don't get a person who wants to be the centre of attention - he/she could take over the show! And you need to ensure the speaker has agreed to an ART beforehand otherwise it can be unsettling having someone interrupting while one is speaking. It could have unexpected results.

Before commencing the presentation the audience needs to be told how the session will proceed. The chairperson introduces the speaker and explains the routine. At the agreed time(s) the ART begins questioning.

Perhaps another method is to ask those who have indicated they are attending to submit questions by email. These questions can then be fed to the ART and raised at the right time.

With a little creativity, other methods of engaging audience and speaker can be proposed. The aim is to provide good content and try to answer anything likely to come from an audience. This is a big ask, but not impossible.

When will you have your next ART?

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Training Courses in Australia
Want to know about courses in Australia? Here's the two best sites available:

http://www.courses.com.au/index.cfm
http://www.ntis.gov.au

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