1. A Capstone Project Presented
To
The School of Education
Jones International University
In (Partial) Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the Degree
Master of Education
November 2010
Image : National business.org/JIU
2. Capstone Competency Report Overview
Below are the outlined core competencies for the Master of Education-Adult Education Emphasis, which summatively
outlines the focus of my personal degree program.
This competency report will display my overall ability in mastering the core learning objectives of the M.Ed program.
The outlined objectives that I have amassed consist of being able to:
•Demonstrate and apply needs assessment for learning environments.
•Demonstrate and apply strategic planning.
•Explain and apply adult learning theory.
•Apply research methods to improve learning organizations.
•Demonstrate and apply business management for learning organizations.
•Integrate assessment strategies to improve adult learning.
Nevertheless, by mastering these core objectives, this competency will report will display my ability to identify a need
within an organizational learning community where I can reciprocate these learning events while initiating immediate
knowledge and skill enhancement improvements for trainers, facilitators, and training administrators abroad.
3. The proposed learning organization where my Capstone project is being implemented is a fast -paced contact
center environment that started as a call center outsourcing company that went through organizational changes
such as a Cooperative. Through this co-op change initiative, some positions were eliminated or combined to
maximize on restructuring to align the business entity alongside its parent company. Nevertheless, a specific
department within this realignment faced some difficult changes. The current Quality team whose focus was on
improving the quality of work and process flow, merged with the training team.
Through this, those who roles labeled as trainer became quality analyst, therefore giving them a new set of role
expectations while experiencing a title change to Training & Quality Facilitators of Customer Care. In doing so, each
of them did not have the knowledge and skill set to be effective quality analyst. In addition, those who were
originally identified as quality analyst lacked the capacity to train adults effectively. Granted this, no professional
development remediation was provided to ensure the associates maximum success in their new role.
Therefore, as a means to prove my amassed knowledge and expertise within the field of adult education, I have
decided to bridge the gap in their learning my collaboratively taking them through a professional development
series that will provide the entire team with knowledge and skills that will aid them in improving their craft. Since the
training team was fully onboard with the process of quality auditing, my proposed solution remedies the change
needed by providing development in the area of training the trainers to be effective in their ability to train adults in a
customer focused environment. My project will focus on trainer needs and development.
Proposed Organization
4. Statement of Purpose
Professional development is an important focus for all organizations to offer innovative approaches toward improving
employee knowledge and skills. Personally, the development for trainers and facilitators is important to me, as trainers
lay the foundation for all learning that takes place, which in turn ensures longevity in the success of the entire
organization.
Therefore, as a means of displaying my acquired knowledge overtime; in lieu of completing the necessary requirements
for my masters’ degree capstone project, I have decided to design a professional development training program for
improving trainer knowledge and performance within the contact center environment.
Essentials II Training-the-trainer is a three week developmental series that will be first implemented within a contact
center environment that needs immediate development opportunities for its training staff to become a world class training
team backed behind research to bring about personal growth and self development abroad.
Although, my capstone project is intended for a specific audience, it certainly does not take away opportunities for it to be
shared within other organizations seeking a structured training program for improving trainer knowledge and
performance.
5. Professional Development
ProgramEssentials II Training-the-trainer is a professional development program that will be used within a fast-paced contact
center environment where there is a critical need to improve trainer performance and knowledge toward becoming a
world class training organization. The program will be completed within three weeks consisting of activities and
strategic planning/professional development deliverables to aid in continuous learning. Although, this program can
be utilized within any organization where trainers lack the knowledge to improve their professional craft as a trainer,
the true focus is to improve trainer knowledge, based on the major themes of the program such as:
•Adult Learning Methodology
•Ideology of an Effective Trainer
•Transactional role of Trainer & Facilitator
•Trainer Knowledge within the Workplace
•Facilitating to Help Adults Learn
•Establishing Credibility through Facilitation
•Creating a Facilitative Learning Environment
•Facilitating a Dynamic Training Experience
•Addressing Problems in the Classroom
•Defining Success in Facilitative Learning
•Assessing Facilitator Effectiveness
All in all, this program will conclude by having the trainers assessed within a live training session using a learning
environment feedback evaluation , in addition to having the trainer complete a Trainer Skills Development Plan with
the training to provide on-going continuous development to ensure the entire training team is transformed into a
world class training team offering world class training solutions to associates to bring about organizational change
with much focus on quality assurance and customer satisfaction.
6. Needs Assessment for Learning Organizations
Based on the core needs of any business or workplace environment, there are constant areas of opportunity to
improve the overall performance. Within my proposed organization, a problem was identified based on organizational
restructuring which caused the training staff to be combined of Trainers and Quality Analysts.
Granted this, there was a learning gap created in terms of both groups collectively not receiving training &
development to ensure the entire training staffs' success. According to the learning objectives I mastered when taking
the course on Needs Assessment for Learning Organizations, I was able to identify a training need within a workplace
organization.
With my project I was able to identify a target population that needed some immediate improvements to ensure the
training staff is stable in terms of knowledge and training skills to meet the demands of the business by being self
starters. When deciding on a topic, I decided to implement a training development program that focuses on the
Essentials II Training-the-Trainer.
The highlights of this training program provides the trainers with knowledge and skills in the area of adult learning
methodology. In preparing to design the training program, I worked with my sponsor to understand the true learning
gap, which my training agenda focuses on those areas of the training staffs' development that has gone unnoticed
since the cooperative realignment.
7. As with any workplace learning or higher education program, there has to be systematic processes for bringing about
organizational change, as it relates to learning & development. Strategic Planning allows an organization to quantify its
resources in lieu of planning change systematically. In addition, Strategic planning can help leaders and managers of
public and non-profit organizations, think, learn, and act strategically (Bryson, 2004, pg.1). Defined best by Bryson,
strategic planning is a disciplined effort to produce fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what an
organization is, what it does, and why it does it (2004, pg.6).
Granted this, in understanding my proposed organization and the change needed to improve trainer/ facilitator
performance, by capstone project strategically targets and shapes the training department through a guided approach to
fill the learning gaps in their individual development.
My capstone project has been strategically planned to guide the trainers through a 3 week developmental course that
focuses on the identification of where we are as a training entity, where we want to be after the training phase, and the
plans on how we will there, hence “Essentials II Training-the Trainer”.
Through needs assessment, I have been able to identify where the organization is, now the focus is on where we want
to be, and my project will indeed get the trainers to their final destination toward becoming a world class training entity.
Lastly, every attempt to bring about change is centered on our organizational mission, which is to exceed customer
expectations by tailoring toward the extraordinary.
Strategic Planning for Learning Organizations
8. Research is a systematic process of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting information in order to increase our
understanding of the phenomenon about which we are interested or concerned (Leedy & Ormrod, 2005, pg. 2).
Granted this, as learned in EDU 522, research initiates based on a problem and expression of a goal that is worth
achieving. Therefore, my capstone project initiates a reaction in terms of the problem worth solving within my proposed
organization.
The problem identified consists of the organizations’ trainers and quality analyst being combined into a dual role.
Through this change in organizational structure, a problem has been identified; the team lacks the full capacity to
provide world class training solutions due to the lack of professional development offered to them in lieu of their new
role as a facilitator of training & quality.
Therefore, my capstone project-based on the problem that has been identified will target developing the training staff.
In this professional development training, the trainers/facilitators will embark on an exciting learning plan that will allow
them to better understand what it takes to successful train and develop adults. The trainers will learn how to take the
level of service they provide to our organization to the next level.
Research Methods for Learning Organizations
9. Essentials II Training-the-Trainer takes learners on an exciting crash course through understanding adult education
while creating a collaborative learning experience for trainers, facilitators, and training administrators. Within this 3
Week Developmental training, learners are introduced to Andragogy-Adult Learning Theory. The focus of this
introduction is to aid them in understanding the theoretical perspective behind how adults learn, in addition to what it
takes to ensure they can be effective adult educators within the workplace. More than anything, learners are able to
understand the underlying assumptions of Matthew Knowles and the power of self directed learning.
My project by all means, explains and applies adult learning theory as a means to bring about organizational change
within a fast paced contact center environment that relies on the sustainability of a world class training organization
being able to provide world class training solutions. Therefore, this professional development being offered to the
training staff will aid them in their ability to apply various adult learning principles to their classroom instruction,
develop and understand a personal philosophy for teaching adults, while learning to embody sound concepts of adult
learning.
Granted this, each of them will be able to understand the importance of creating a successful workplace learning
environment, transactional roles of trainer and facilitator, trainer knowledge within the workplace, facilitating to help
adults learn, etc.
All in all, Essentials II Training-the-trainer will provide the training staff with a best in class experience in terms of
essentials to training adults within a fast paced environment, giving them the instruments to improve their capacity to
instill knowledge into the hearts and minds of adult learners by teaching, showing, and allowing practice.
Adult Learning Theory
10. Managing projects and implementations is a vital role for any workplace learning professional, eager to bring about
organizational change in a cost-efficient way. As with EDU 544, I learned how to identify and analyze my current
workplace organizations mission, vision, and goals by working directly with key stakeholders within the organization.
Through this interaction, I was able to determine our organizations’ unmet need as it relates training & developing
employee/associates within the workplace.
With this knowledge, I was able to measure the organizations’ return-on-investment (ROI) in terms of understanding
how closely our training innovation and objectives closely aligned with the goal of our stakeholders. Nevertheless, my
capstone project highlights my knowledge and expertise as it relates to proposing a training program that will enable
the organization to fulfill and unmet need of providing the training department with professional development to
improve their performance thereby, aiding the organization in achieving ROI.
According to Phillips and Stone (2002), The trainer has a significant responsibility to ensure that each participant have
learned the material through proper design, delivery, and facilitation ( pg. 118). Granted this, business management
is important in terms producing such an ROI, by making sure that too much money is not spent to gain significant
results. I feel that my project's is reasonable in a sense of the results it will create in ensuring our training staff is
efficient enough to train highly knowledgeable associates.
Business Management for Learning Organizations
11. Business Management for Learning Organizations
My project will of course initiate some operational cost such as:
Printing of Training Guides: Due to strict budget constraints, we will print the manuals in house to cut cost
and maneuver the funds to another area.
3 Week Training Session w/Lunch : $15.00 per trainer for two consecutive days = $30.00 per week
Proposed Headcount: 8 Facilitators of Training & Quality, 1 Training Manager
Total: 720.00 + 240.00 (Training Manager Lunch Cost) = $960.00
Folders: Black Binders : Basic Round-Ring Binders, 1" Rings, Black, Pack Of 2 = $2.99
Proposed Head Count: 8 trainers, 1 training manager= $ 14.95
Total Cost: $974.95
12. Assessment Strategies focuses on innovative and systematic ways of measuring change overtime. Whether this is
completed through a formative or summative assessment, the data gathered can provide the organization with the
needed knowledge of knowing how successful the change process is during the change initiative, and also measuring
the change upon completion.
Although, many organizations use assessment strategies as a means to understand certain behaviors within the
workplace or education settings abroad, regardless, my project utilizes formative assessment to gather certain
knowledge as the trainers are completing the course.
In addition, they are assessed through summative assessment by completing a Trainer Develop Plan upon
completion. In addition, they will be assessed during a training session by the training manager, who will assess their
ability to effectively train a training session, while applying all of the essentials learned from the program. In turn, this
will give the trainers the feedback to understand their individual facilitation skills in addition to identifying ways to
improve their craft.
Some of the assessments that will be used consist of:
•Trainer Capacity Measurement (Formative)
•Trainer Evaluation (Formative & Summative Combined)
•Trainer Development Plan (Formative & Summative Combined)
Assessment Strategies for Learning Organizations
13. As with every learning event and development opportunity that I have engaged in, I have considered education a
successful factor in creating a successful individual. With a changing economy, many people are forced to continue
their education to bring about change within their home, workplace, and community.
Therefore, my personal educational outlook consist of striving to teach adults innovative ways to acquire new
knowledge, show adults all the endless possibilities of the mind, based on what they can learn, while giving them time
to practice the new skills and knowledge to perform a certain task or job within the workplace or community. Much of
my perspective comes from my vision, passion, and purpose for lifelong learning.
Helping others learn is everything that I embody as an adult educator. By aspiring to obtain a masters degree, I plan
to utilize my knowledge in the field of education to transform learning within workplace learning environments,
community based organizations, and higher education.
Personal Educational Outlook
14. At the conclusion of developing a training program focused on improving trainer knowledge within the workplace, I am
confident that my contribution to the success of my current workplace organization will benefit the training team and
administrators for years to come.
My capstone project highlights key essentials to training within a fast paced contact center environment, which ideally
is objective training program that can aid all trainers in any given organization to strive for the extraordinary. Granted
this, I feel that the overall knowledge acquired while attending Jones International University has given me more than
a sense of accomplishment, but a feeling of mere gratitude and excitement about what the future holds for me in
terms of having the educational capacity to transform education abroad.
Ideally, this is only the beginning of my lifelong quest to increase self worth through continuing my education. With
anticipation of pursuing a doctoral degree in education in the near future, I anticipate on embarking on a journey in
education that will allow me to contribute to the field of education by introducing new educational perspectives, literary
work, and ideas that support the adult learning phenomenon abroad.
Conclusion & Final Considerations
15. Bryson, J. M., (2004). Strategic Planning for Public and Non Profit Organizations.
(3rd
Ed.) Sanfrancisco,CA: Jossey-Bass Publishing
Leedy, P.D., & Ormrod, J.E., (2005). Practical Research: Planning and Design. Upper Saddle
River, NJ:Pearson-Prentice Hall.
Phillips, J.J., & Stone, R.D., (2002). How to measure training results: A practical guide to
tracking the six key indicators. USA: McGraw-Hill.
Popik, B., (2008). The Big Apple. Retrieved on October 11, 2010 from
http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/
entry/givea_man_a_fish_and_he_will_eat_for _a_day_teach
_a_man_to_fish_and_he_will/
Jones International University Logo. Retrieved October 25, 2010, from:
http://www.nationalbusiness.org/newgraphics/education/JIU-logo.gif
References
