Learning Styles and Theories for Employees

This assignment examines the importance of understanding various learning styles and theories for enhancing employee skills and performance. It analyzes how different learning preferences influence training effectiveness and highlights the significance of the learning curve in evaluating employee experience and knowledge acquisition within organizations.

Human Resource
Development

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
TASK 1............................................................................................................................................1
1.1 Comparison of different learning styles ...............................................................................1
1.2 Learning curve and importance of transferring learning to workplace ................................2
1.3 Contribution of learning styles and theories when planning and designing a learning event
.....................................................................................................................................................2
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................3
REFERECES...................................................................................................................................4

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INTRODUCTION
The term ‘Human Resource’ (HR) development improves the productivity of
organization by developing skills, capabilities and knowledge of employees. To attain the goals
and objectives of the business entity, manpower is essentially required. Human Resource
Management (HRM) framework mainly deals with the development and training of personnel
who works in firm (Schmeck, 2013). In order to understand the concept of Human Resource
Development (HRD), McDonald's restaurant Ltd. organization is considered. It is the largest
chain of fast food restaurants in world. The present report will help in understanding the concept
about different types of learning styles, theories, role of learning curve and importance of
transferring learning at the workplace of this fast food chain.
TASK 1
1.1 Comparison of different learning styles
To enhance the information and skills of employee, McDonald prefer various types of
learning styles such as Kolb model, VARK style and Myers Briggs type indicator etc. to train
and develop their skills. The comparison of different types of learning styles is such as:
VARK style Kolb model Myers Briggs Type Indicator
This style describes the four
types of learners such as
visual, aural, reading and
writing and kinesthetic (VARK
Learning Styles, 2015). In this
context, the learners prefer to
gain the information through
audio, video, graphics or
reading and writing the content
(Wilson, 2005). Kinesthetic
learners gain information by
touching and performing the
things (Pritchard, 2013).
This theory defines the
learning style of four types of
learners such as assimilating
type who requires the clear
logic and its explanation. The
diverging type of learners is
very sensitive and looks at
things from various
perspectives (David Kolb's
model, 2016). Further,
converging type learners
mostly prefers technical tasks
and accommodating type
This learning style uses the
“Type indicator tool” to
measure and evaluates the
psychological type of learners.
This tool includes various
types of questions (Holt,
Ghormoz and Szarek, 2015). By
using this questionnaire tool,
learning style of McDonald's
employees could be
recognized. This theory
defines sixteen types of
personalities such as ESTJ

learners who prefer to take
experiential and practical
approach. By doing this, they
feel attracted towards new
experiences and challenges
(Kolb, 2014).
(Extra-Version, Sensing,
Thinking and Judging)(Bratton
and Gold, 2012).
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1.2 Learning curve and importance of transferring learning to workplace
Learning curve defines the increment of experiencing and learning through graphical
representation. In this, experience is represented on horizontal axis and learning on vertical axis.
It is a type of continuous process of learning. In order to enhance the skills, performance and
learning of employees, McDonald uses learning curve at their workplace. With the help of this
learning curve, employees are tending to focus on their development and career path. This curve
helps the employees by representing their increment and experience as a whole (Saga, Qamar and
Trali, 2015). The cited firm can use this curve as a tool to evaluate the impact of training and
development programs. McDonald Company puts their effort, money and time to train human
resources and in return, firm expects that employees to transfer their learning to workplace. The
importance of transferring learning to workplace is such as: Overcome on challenges- To enhance the knowledge and skills, past cases related to
practical challenging situations can be explained to employees. In this context,
transferring of learning may help human resources to face critical situations and
challenges (Argote, 2012). Cost utilization- In order to enhance the performance of employees, cited company pools
their funds and efforts in training sessions. In return, learning is transferred to workplace
for example; if their productivity does not increase then, money and efforts spent are not
utilized in optimum manner (Dar-El, 2013).
 Values- To add value, cited firm conducts training and development programs. However,
if learning is not transferred then, no values would be added to McDonalds.
1.3 Contribution of learning styles and theories when planning and designing a learning event
To meet the strategic objectives and goals of McDonald, learning styles are essentially
required to train the employees in effective manner. At the time of designing and planning the
learning event for cited firm, learning theories and styles are required to be considered because it
would make the event more successful (De Rijdt, Stes and Dochy, 2013). By using the different
types of learning styles and theories, the learning preferences and patterns of employee would be
recognized. Each employee prefer to gain the information in different way such as by watching
presentation or listening lectures etc. So, it is important for McDonalds to consider different
types of learning styles (Takahashi, 2013). By focusing on objectives and motives of cited firm, it
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is important to analyze the impact of different types of styles. This step should be considered
before planning and designing the learning event. For the success of learning event, various types
of learning style should be considered because if only one style is selected then there are chances
of problem occurrence.
CONCLUSION
With the help of present research report it is articulated that human resource development
plays an important role in achieving the strategic objectives of organization. This research study
defines the deep insight knowledge of various types of learning styles and theories which helps
the employees to enhance their skills, abilities and performance. Further it is also evaluated that
learning curve helps the human resources to analyze their level of experience and leanings.
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REFERENCES
Wilson, P. J., 2005. Human Resource Development: Learning & Training for Individuals &
Organizations. Kogan Page Publishers.
Schmeck, R.R. ed., 2013. Learning strategies and learning styles. Springer Science & Business Media.
Entwistle, N.J., 2013. Styles of learning and teaching: An integrated outline of educational
psychology for students, teachers and lecturers. Routledge.
Holt, J.T., Ghormoz, J., Sung, Y.J., White, M.W. and Szarek, J.L., 2015. Medical Student Benefit from
Learning Objectives Correlates to Specific Myers-Briggs Types. Medical Science Educator, 25(3),
pp.249-254.
Bratton, J. and Gold, J., 2012. Human resource management: theory and practice. Palgrave Macmillan.
Kolb, D.A., 2014. Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. FT press.
Saga, Z., Qamar, K. and Trali, G., 2015. LEARNING STYLES-UNDERSTANDING FOR LEARNING
STRATEGIES. Pakistan Armed Forces Medical Journal, 65(5).
Dar-El, E.M., 2013. Human learning: From learning curves to learning organizations (Vol. 29). Springer
Science & Business Media.
Takahashi, N., 2013. Behind the Learning Curve. Annals of Business Administrative Science, 12(4),
pp.167-179.
De Rijdt, C., Stes, A., van der Vleuten, C. and Dochy, F., 2013. Influencing variables and moderators of
transfer of learning to the workplace within the area of staff development in higher education:
Research review. Educational Research Review, 8, pp.48-74.
Argote, L., 2012. Organizational learning: Creating, retaining and transferring knowledge. Springer
Science & Business Media.
Pritchard, A., 2013. Ways of learning: Learning theories and learning styles in the classroom. Routledge.
VARK Learning Styles, 2015. [Online]. Available through:
<http://psychology.about.com/od/educationalpsychology/a/vark-learning-styles.htm>.
[Accessed on 8th March 2016].
David Kolb's model, 2016. [Online]. Available through :
<http://www.businessballs.com/kolblearningstyles.htm>. [Accessed on 8th March 2016].
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