COLORADO SCHOOL OF PROFESSIONAL PSYCHOLOGY



UNIVERSITY OF THE ROCKIES

Colorado School of Professional Psychology

555 E. Pikes Peak Avenue, #108

Colorado Springs, Colorado 80903-3612

(719) 442-0505 Ext. XXX

COURSE SYLLABUS

ORG8542

Advanced Seminar: Learning Strategies in Organizations

Catalog Description

This advanced seminar explores current topics in aligning educational and business strategy in organizations.  Students will explore current issues in this area, including published literature, with an emphasis on learning the implementation of educational and learning strategy in organizations.  Topics include return on investment in learning programs, selecting the optimal combination of curriculum, instruction, and technology, and evaluating the impact of learning programs on the strategic organizational performance.

Required Textbooks

Deiser, R. (2009). Designing the smart organization. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. ISBN: 978-0-470-49067-9

Elkeles, T., & Phillips, J. (2007). The chief learning officer: Driving value within a changing organization through learning and development. Burlington, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN: 978-0-7506-7925-1

Required Articles

Battor, M., Zairi, M., & Francis, A. (2008). Knowledge-based capabilities and their impact on performance: A best practice management evaluation. Business Strategy Series, 9(2), 47-56. (Database Document ID: 1440908051).

Halawi, L.A., McCarthy, R.V. & Aronson, J.E. (2006). Knowledge management and the competitive strategy of the firm. The Learning Organization, 13(4), 384-397. (Database Document ID: 1074630001).

Frigo, M. (2008). Return driven: Lessons from high-performance companies. Strategic Finance, 90(1), 25-30. (Database

Document ID: 1550271891.)

Kachaner, N., & Deimler, M. S. (2008). How leading companies are stretching their strategy. Strategy & Leadership, 36(4), 40-43.  (Database Document ID: 1510358981.)

Kontoghiorghes, C., Awbre, S., & Feurig, P. (2005). Examining the relationship between learning organization characteristics and change adaptation, innovation, and organizational performance. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 16(2), 185-211. (Database Document ID: 859795301.)

Senge, P. M. (1990). The leader's new work: Building learning organizations. Sloan Management Review, 32(1), 7-22. (Database Document ID: 812347.)

Required Websites

Videocasts

Learning Across International Borders:

Ron Lawrence, vice president, organization development at VF Corporation, shares insights on how to effectively lead learning in global organizations with evolving needs. Posted: Apr-30-2009. (Scroll down in the window just below the video window to locate this videocast; click on it to play.)

Multigenerational Challenges at Time Warner Cable:

Chief Learning Officer Pat Crull describes why focusing on the multigenerational workforce is important for today’s organizations and how Time Warner Cable is approaching this significant business challenge. Posted: Jun-04-2009. (Scroll down in the window just below the video window to locate this videocast; click on it to play.)

Recommended Articles

Ellinger, A.D., Ellinger, A.E., Yang, B., and Howton, S. (2002). The relationship between the learning organization concept and firms' financial performance: An empirical assessment. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 13(1), 5-22. (Database Document ID: 109746542.)

Hwan, Y. J. (2009). Performance, performance system, and high performance system. Performance Improvement, 48(3), 16-20. (Database Document ID: 1796408711).

Giesecke, J, and McNeil, B. (2004). Transitioning to the learning organization. Library Trends, 53(1), 54-68. (Database Document ID: 771893061.)

Malhotra, Y. (1996). Organizational learning and learning organizations: An overview. Retrieved on January 3, 2010, from:

Smith, M. K. (2001). The learning organization. The encyclopedia of informal education. Retrieved on January 3, 2010, from: .

Recommended Websites

Corporate Vision, Mission, Goals and Strategies: Traditional and New Approaches to Corporate Vision and Strategic Intent Formulation and Use:

So What is Organizational Strategy Anyway? :

Why Organizational Strategy Matters:

Measuring ROI of Training, by Y. Antariksa:

SWOT Analysis: Discover New Opportunities, Manage and Eliminate Threats:



Course Learning Outcomes

➢ Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Examine the issues and principles critical for the alignment of educational strategies with organizational business strategy.

2. Research current trends in organizational strategies for learning and development.

3. Determine the implications of diversity for learning and development.

4. Calculate the ROI for learning, organizational development, and performance improvement within an organization.

5. Evaluate the impact of learning programs on the strategic organizational performance.

6. Create an organizational plan that utilizes the optimal combination of curriculum, instruction, and technology.

Major Study Units

1. Business Strategy: Examining the issues connecting an organization’s business strategy/ies with its learning and development initiatives.

2. Trends: Identifying, researching, and predicting the future of current and emerging trends.

3. Diversity: Ensuring the consideration of all members of a diverse workforce.

4. Alignment: Ensuring that learning and development initiatives are aligned with business needs.

5. Evaluation: Creating objectives at the Reaction, Learning, Application, and Business Impact levels.

6. Needs Assessment: Planning and conducting a formal needs assessment; analyzing the data.

7. ROI: Calculating return on investment for a learning and development initiative.

8. SWOT: Performing a detailed SWOT analysis.

9. Implementation Plan: Creating a plan for implementing a training/non-training intervention, using an optimal combination of curriculum design, instructional development, and technology.

10. Final Project: Developing a formal proposal for a new training/non-training initiative.

Instructional Strategies

Reading assigned text and articles, and conducting critical analyses of articles and written materials are fundamental activities for this course. Students will also learn by participating in discussions and preparing written reports demonstrating critical thinking applied to course concepts.

The instructor provides additional research and case study examples for students to use in learning to apply the concepts and skills taught in the course. The final project is a culmination of all the concepts presented in the course.

Course Requirements

Multiple measures of evaluation are used in the course, allowing students opportunities to demonstrate their learning in more than one way and giving consideration to individual learning styles. Assignments are due weekly, some to be integrated into the final project; students are expected to manage their time and stay current with these assignments.

Methods of Evaluation

|Discussion Forums |25 points |

|Written Assignments and Learning Activities |30 points |

|Final Project |45 points |

| |Total: 100 points |

Course Grading Breakdown

|Letter Grade |Percent |

|A |90-100 |

|B |80-89 |

|U |79 and below |

Institutional Outcomes for University of the Rockies – Psy D

CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS – Demonstrates the ability to use higher order critical thinking skills.

Program Learning Outcomes for University of the Rockies – Psy D

1. Evaluates and applies psychological research in organizations

2. Evaluates the impact of social and cultural diversity in organizations and formulates assessment plans and strategies

3. Assesses, plans and executes appropriate interventions in complex organizational systems

4. Demonstrates leadership skills appropriate for a variety of settings and complexities

POLICY ON LATE WRITTEN OR ORAL ASSIGNMENTS:

If you have extenuating circumstances such as an illness or an accident on the way to class, call your professor as soon as you know you will miss the class. Remember that Incompletes are for serious life circumstances and not for instances where time has not been planned properly to finish work when it is due. If a serious circumstance requires taking an Incomplete in the course, please review the Incomplete policy in the Student Handbook, talk to your advisor, and the Registrar, who will help you fill out the appropriate paper work.

Any lateness or absence from class should be reported as soon as you know you will be late or absent.

INCOMPLETE POLICY:

An incomplete (I) is a temporary grade given for incomplete work in a specific course and must be granted by the professor teaching the course. An Incomplete will not be granted for reasons of poor academic performance or failure to use efficiently the time allotted to a course. Rather, it may be given when a student is unable to complete the requirements because of extenuating circumstances. Incomplete Forms are available from the Registrar’s office and must be completed by the professor, and the student, and include the student’s plan of completion. This form must be completed prior to the end of the term in which the student is currently enrolled. The grade of I must be removed by the end of the term following the receipt of the I. Failure to remove the I prior to the end of the next term automatically results in an Unsatisfactory (U) on the student’s transcript. Upon completion of the course requirements, the I may be replaced by the earned grade on the transcript. Two concurrent Incompletes automatically place a student on academic probation. Military service and other unavoidable circumstances are taken into consideration by members of the administration.

STUDENT ACCOMMODATION PLANS:

To comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and with other applicable laws, UoR will provide reasonable accommodations to complete requirements.

Prior to the beginning of the course, students with needs for accommodation should make those needs known by completing an accommodation form, which is submitted to the Dean of Students. Students will receive a signed copy of the accommodation plan. Students are then responsible for providing instructors with a copy of the accommodation plan prior to the beginning of the course if they desire to receive accommodations in that course. If they do not provide a copy of the plan to the instructor prior to the first class, this may limit the instructor’s ability to comply with the request. The school is not responsible for providing accommodations if they are not presented to the instructor prior to the course.

Rev. 1/14/07

CLASS CANCELLATION AND SCHOOL CLOSURE POLICY:

There are times when it is prudent to close the school because of hazardous weather or other safety related situations. In most cases, UoR will close if the evening programs of Colorado Technical University (CTU) and/or the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (UCCS) have announced on television and radio that they have closed.

The President, Vice Presidents, and or any Dean can also make a decision to adjust normal operation procedures or close the School or the Switzer Community Counseling Center under adverse situations. If there is a question, the student may call the school. Students who drive in from any distance are cautioned to put their safety and the safety of others first. It is the student’s responsibility to notify the instructor when weather prevents attendance.

MAINTAINING A COPY OF THE COURSE SYLLABI:

Students should be aware that they may need a copy of course syllabi when applying for licensure and other future academic or professional circumstances. Students are responsible for maintaining an electronic and/or hard copy of the course syllabus for each course they take.

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