AC 1.1 Explain the concepts of, and connections between self-directed and social learning
5LDO1 Supporting Self-Directed and Social Learning
Assignment Writing Guidance
You must include both long and short references
You should refer to the case study where possible in your answers
You should use relevant theory where possible in your answers
TASK ONE. Briefing Report (2,900 words)
AC 1.1 Explain the concepts of, and connections between self-directed and social learning (approximately 400 words) |
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KEY FOCUS AREA. Adult learning theory (Andragogy) states that as adults we prefer self-directed learning and that learning is not just an individual experience, it is a shared process which takes place through observing, working together and being part of a larger group. |
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Provide a definition (referenced) of Self-Directed and Social Learning. For example
Explain how these theories are similar There are quite a few different adult learning theories, but all of them start with the same idea: Adults learn differently than children. Identify at least 2 connections between self-directed and social learning. Explain how these theories are different Identify at least 2 differences Focus on things like: Collaborative, Collective and Cooperative learning |
AC 1.2 Assess underpinning theories related to self-directed and social learning (approximately 400 words) |
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KEY FOCUS AREA. Adult learning theory highlights the fact that effective learning programmes must be developed with adults in mind. There is no one unified adult learning theory, however, there are different theories that will fit the needs of different organisations. Here you choose and explore 2 theories in more detail. |
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Following on from AC 1.1 you now need to assess: [make a judgement about the quality, value, strengths, or weaknesses of something]
- Explain the theory – what is it, what is your opinion of it? - Discuss how it helps to create learning programmes and events that will engage learners, save time, and lead to better employee performance.
Where possible refer to your own organisation or experience to demonstrate how these theories are used and their value / benefits |
AC 1.3 Evaluate the potential benefits and risks of self-directed and social learning for both individuals and organisations (approximately 350 words) |
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KEY FOCUS AREA. Adult Learning theories clearly show the value of employees taking a lot of responsibility for their own learning as it leads to greater ownership, responsibility autonomy and self-fulfillment. However, if it is not managed correctly by an organisation with clear signposting, communication and procedures then it can lead to confusion, frustration and a lot of unfocused time and resources (both organisational and individual). |
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We suggest you use sub-headings for clarity
For example: empowering employees, learner self-awareness and self-reliance; …
For example: non-engagement; cognitive learning not utilised or developed into skills or behaviour change;
For example - greater individualisation of learning; potential for greater targeting of development activities in relation to unique learning needs; potential for wider awareness, sharing, signposting of development opportunities; learning accessed just-in-time etc. Explain the concepts of, and connections between self-directed and social learning
For example - lone learners and lack of stimulation from others; challenges of less support; lack of networking opportunities; failure to recognise ‘mistakes’ in learning or reinforce poor practice; lack of alignment between individual choices and organisation requirements etc.
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5LDO1 Supporting Self-Directed and Social Learning
AC 2.1 Explain the steps that can be taken by the organisation to encourage informal and self-directed learning (approximately 350 words) |
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KEY FOCUS AREA. The best People Development Professionals recognise the importance of balancing formal learning with supporting and encouraging everyday informal learning to stay on top of emerging industry trends, attract talented employees, produce innovative results, and encourage collaborative learning. Understanding how to build informal learning habits in the workplace and creating a learning culture which embraces informal learning needs to be actively planned and managed – it doesn’t just happen! approximately 350 words. |
What is it, why is it important (to the organisation and individuals), what are the benefits (for the organisation and the learner), and how does it support formal learning?
Where possible refer to your own organisation or experience to demonstrate how learning types |
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AC 2.2 Explain the steps that can be taken by the organisation to encourage social learning (approximately 350 words) |
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KEY FOCUS AREA. Social Learning is the active process of learning from our observations and interactions with others and has been proven to strengthen learning communities, create a thriving knowledge economy and ultimately drive business productivity. It is key for People Development professionals to understand this concept and find ways to actively encourage and support it. |
For example - forming communities of practice, promoting the benefits, encouraging the use of adjacent/linked professional communities |
AC 2.3 Critically assess theories of learner differences in relation to ways of accessing and undertaking self-directed and social learning (approximately 350 words) |
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KEY FOCUS AREA. It is important People Development Professionals understand the evidence behind how people can best access and respond to different types of learning and know how best to apply it in an organisational setting, rather than follow the very popular concept of Learning Styles. You can have a learning preference but applying it won’t result in better learning experiences. Research into learning styles suggests that they have a negligible impact on our capacity for learning. |
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Critically assess means to make a judgement about the quality, value, strengths, or weaknesses of something.
How does an understanding of these theories help learners access and use appropriate materials? How would these impact the choices of social and self-directed learning? You could consider aspects such as generational stereotypes, expectations of networking, willingness to engage with technology etc
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AC 2.4 Assess how digital and technological innovation are encouraging and enabling self-directed and social learning (approximately 350 words) |
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KEY FOCUS AREA. Technology has long been used to improve how we learn, but today`s digital advances, particularly with social media, have taken learning in powerful new directions. As People Development Professionals it is important to keep up to date with existing and emerging learning technologies and explore how best to use these in organsiations. |
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AC 2.5 Discuss strategies for supporting individuals to reflect on and measure the impact of self-directed and social learning (approximately 350 words) |
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KEY FOCUS AREA. Reflecting is critical in helping employees to learn, grow and develop and review their effectiveness. It is about questioning, in a positive way, what you do and why you do it and then deciding whether there is a better, or more efficient, way of doing it in the future. And the best way to do this is by being supported by others – managers, colleagues, coaches etc. |
For example: regular meetings and discussions with coaches, mentors and line managers; access to self-assessment tools; critical self-reflection; encouragement of documented Continuous Professional Development. Explain the concepts of, and connections between self-directed and social learning Where possible refer to your own organisation or own experiences to demonstrate how these are being used and their value / benefits |
You must include both long and short references
You should refer to the case study where possible in your answers
You should use relevant theory where possible in your answers
TASK TWO. Guidance Document (1,000 words)
AC 3.1 Evaluate the principles underpinning the curation of learning resources for self-directed and social learning, covering two scenarios: where self-directed and social learning is part of a wider L&D programme, where self-directed and social learning is a ‘stand-alone’ approach (approximately 400 words) |
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KEY FOCUS AREA. The challenge for many organisations is how can they build training materials rapidly enough to catch up with the pace of organisational change? The answer is you don’t have to - instead organisations should actively curate learning content (both informal and formal) which helps organisations (and learners) to access quality and up to date online learning content, rather than always creating new learning content each time 5LDO1 Supporting Self-Directed and Social Learning |
Wider L&D programme
Stand-alone approach
You could discuss: Factors influencing the selection of materials (including relevance to purpose, quality, engagement, ease of access, cognitive and professional level), recognition that resources don’t have to be created; use/collate from a huge amount of existing materials and information available; Jarche’s ‘seek, sense, share’ model; Higgins’ ‘digital curation, lifestyle’ model; Lancaster’s ‘CURATE’ model. |
AC 3.2 Curate a range of accessible learning resources in relation to a specific area of learning using an appropriate platform/method to make them accessible to others (approximately 300 words) |
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KEY FOCUS AREA. This is all about identifying different curated resource type (such as text, video, webinars, podcast, e-learning, articles) and how to make sure learners can easily find and access them. If the learners don’t know where to look and the learning resources are not easy to access many learners won’t bother. |
Where possible refer to your own organisation, experience, or the case study to demonstrate how these are being used and their value / benefits |
AC 3.3 Develop guidance which encourages and supports learners to be the curators of resources for one another (approximately 300 words) |
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KEY FOCUS AREA. Best practice People Development Functions find ways to actively encourage individuals and community of learners to curate their own materials by providing guidance, support, and user-friendly technology |
- Encouraging learners to curate their own materials – but will need guidance from L&D - Emphasising the benefits of learners offering different perspectives in their curation of resources - Awareness of quality control – the learner may need guidance on the validity of materials before they share it – out of date – inaccurate – misleading - Awareness of copyright - Might need resources to be checked by a L&D intermediary before sharing
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Final last checks before you submit your work. Tick as completed.
Any boxes you do not tick could result in a serious delay to the marking of your reports, or result in a refer grade
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You must submit your assessments as a Word document or PowerPoint Slides (as appropriate). The Learner Assessment Brief will clearly explain the format you need to use. Is the correct format used? |
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When a PowerPoint presentation is included, this must be accompanied by the signed Learner Assessment Brief – full and clear instructions are provided on this in the Brief. LAB included? |
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The CIPD Membership Number must be completed and included in the Learner Assessment Brief together with your name and Cohort Number. |
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The ‘wet’ signature and date of submission must be included in every Learner Assessment Brief |
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If submitting a PPT, your main narrative should be in the note’s pages under each slide |
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All PPT slides should clearly state the AC number (Assessment Criteria) to which each respond. |
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You must include your name, Cohort and unit on the first slide of a PPT presentation |
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Assessment Criteria Evidence Checklists must be completed for every Learner Assessment Brief - just repeat the example already given (do not put long references here) |
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Have you included both your long and short references? Are these in the right place? |
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Have you checked your word count? You are allowed 10% + or 10% - the indicative word count. |
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Have you calculated your PPT word count using our preferred system? (NB. you are allowed +30% on PPT). |
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Have you recorded your wordcount in the correct place in the LAB? |
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