Employees have been said that they are the key people to making an organization run and achieve its goals. The employees are the organization's most valuable asset. It seems only logical to allow employees to participate in programs that allow them to use their skills to the fullest. There have been many studies showing that web-based training is not useful for developing complex decision making skills. As Human Resources professionals, the paradigm has shifted to teaching employees how to think instead of what to think.
Cognitive development is how learners take in and process information. Think of learning as a funnel where new knowledge enters from the top and cascades down. If that knowledge is meaningful to the learner, is related to the previous knowledge, then it will stick to the previous knowledge, or placed into memory. If it is not meaningful or useful it leaves through the bottom of the funnel.
Compeau, Higgins, and Huff (1999) identified in their study of Social Cognitive Theory and Individual Reactions to Computing Technology three cognitive factors: self-efficacy, performance-related outcome expectations, and personal outcome expectations. Self-efficacy was defined as the belief an individual has in the capability in doing a specific task. Performance-related outcome expectations was defined as those associated with improving job-performance. Personal outcome expectations were the expectations of change in image or status or to expectations that one will be rewarded in the form of raises, recognition, or promotion.
A higher level of cognitive development represents more sophisticated thinking and is associated with higher performance. There are several ways that cognitive development can be improved. One is through the use of critical reflective thinking. Higher levels of learning exist when learners are able to develop models out of what they already know. The building of a model consists of three interrelated elements: principles, constructs, and the real world. Principles represent knowledge acquisition. Knowledge is acquired through gathering information, such as through books, articles, even talking to another person. Knowledge therefore is not learning, as learning is a behavior change that results from knowledge and experience. The same goes for information. Information is not instruction, it is knowledge acquisition. It is what is done with that knowledge that results in learning. After acquiring the necessary knowledge, an individual would then develop constructs which is the interpretations of the knowledge. It is through critical reflection, which this interpretation of knowledge occurs. Critical reflection is looking within your self at your values, beliefs, and attitudes toward a particular subject matter. After critical reflection can those meanings or constructs be applied to a real world situation? If any one of these elements is missing, we cannot build a model. If the principles are missing, then there is nothing to critically reflect about and therefore no constructs and nothing to apply to a real world situation.
About The Author
Nick Roy is an HR Researcher, Consultant, and freelance business writer. He currently holds a Master of Business Administration and Master of Arts in Human Resources Management from
Hawaii Pacific University, and a Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management from
Florida Metropolitan University, Fort Lauderdale. He is also currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Organizational Change from
Hawaii Pacific University, with theses research on "The Impact of Technology on Human Resources and Organization Effectiveness."
