Focus group interviews with 33 training and development professionals elicited 5 themes related to how they determine the quality of work-related self-directed learning: quality is judged by product and process; judgments evolve over time; the learner is the primary judge; quality is not a precise judgment, but has variations and levels; and…

Any organized activity centered on human development could legitimately be seen as human resource development (HRD). A more holistic view defines HRD as a wide range of integrating processes aimed at developing greater purpose and meaning, higher performance, and greater capacity to respond to change, leading to more effective individuals, teams,…

An annual survey of corporate trainers (n=2,054) found a 4% rise in salaries. Women's salaries rose an average of 8%; female trainers (51% of respondents) now earn 82% of what male trainers earn. Trainers in the Northeast and Pacific Northwest were the highest paid, and the overall salary rise was largely in organizations with the highest revenues…

Interviews with 96 participants indicated that employees, managers, and human-resource-development staff use different strategies to organize work-related learning networks. Choice of strategy (extended training, directed reflection, reflective innovation) was partially related to type of work (machine-bureaucratic, entrepreneurial, professional).…

Depicts the following aspects of training and development in the United Kingdom: public-policy strategy and infrastructure, corporate policies and strategies, organization and delivery of training, the training and development profession, and trends in the use of training. (SK)

As technology becomes more pervasive and complex, employees who know how to use it are being tapped to train their colleagues. Novice trainers should not be expected to take on the role without guidance. (JOW)

Discusses the need for trainers to evaluate the training requests they receive to determine whether they are appropriate for the situation. Suggests how trainers can prepare themselves for roles as performance consultants. (JOW)

A British study of 29 providers of competency-based management training to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and a survey of 591 SMEs revealed that the value of National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) was unclear to both groups. Providers felt NVQs lacked relevance to SMEs and were time consuming. Some SMEs participated only because…

Responses from 80% of a sample of 300 employment and training specialists identified influences on participation in professional continuing education: competence, professional development, demographic characteristics such as organizational role and gender, and attitude toward the profession. Recommendations for instructional design that…

Transcripts of interviews with trade union trainers in Australia identified contradictory discourses: discourse of struggle and discourse on the economy. Some training activities focused on consensus building in workplace relations, but trainers' informal theories acknowledged the power imbalance between the working class and management. (SK)

Forces that will affect trainers into the next century include rapid change, information overload, globalization, downsizing, empowerment, and remote worksites. Key characteristics of a 21st-century trainer include performance orientation, technical skills, social skills, self-employability, bilingualism, and international competence. (JOW)

A study was conducted of trainers in 15 organizations to determine whether there were characteristics that differentiated exemplary instructors (n=27) from those who were average (n=26). Results found little difference with regard to their perceived competence. However, exemplary instructors were better able to use their instructional skills. (JOW)

Looks at professional development ideas and opportunities for trainers. Stresses the need to keep up with the latest technologies. Discusses traditional and distance methods of getting the necessary training. (JOW)

The authors share findings, insights, and implications from "Going Virtual! The Status of Professional Development for K12 Online Teachers," a 2007 report supported by the North American Council for Online Learning (NACOL, now known as iNACOL). The authors conducted a national survey of 259 K-12 online teachers, administrators, and professional…

As part of a larger multimethod evaluation, the present study examined the effects of a uniquely intensive rape education program. Participants included 74 undergraduates (53 women and 21 men) enrolled in Campus Acquaintance Rape Education (CARE), a semester-long university course designed to train peer facilitators to conduct rape education…