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What will SML do
for my organisation? |
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Organisations that have used SML have found that there are clear business
benefits including cost saving, improved customer relations, lower staff
turnover and an improved organisation culture. |
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What will SML do
for participants on programmes? |
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Individuals quote a wide range of benefits from 'It changed my life' to
the learning of the whole gamut of management skills. People talk especially
of improved self-confidence and the ability to work more effectively with
colleagues. |
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How is SML better
than other methods? |
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People need to own their own learning. We know that the statement 'The teacher
learned him' is not only grammatically wrong but also wrong in practice.
People choose what they want to learn - so we had better start with how
to help each individual learn what is going to be helpful to them. This
means that you can't have a standardised curriculum to cover the needs of
all learners. |
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Is SML tried and
tested? |
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There has now been a wide range of rigorous evaluation studies carried out
on SML programmes. All of these have shown positive results that are highly
cost effective. Some of these organisations include the BBC, Ericsson, Shell,
NOP Research Group, Arun District Council, Sainsbury's, British Airways,
London Borough of Lewisham, PPP healthcare, the NHS and Allied Domecq. Studies
have also been carried out for higher degrees and these support the value
of SML. |
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Who can learn via
SML? |
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Anyone. Programmes have been provided for Board Directors (on a consortium
basis), for new graduates (in British Airways), for secretaries and technicians
(in Cable and Wireless) and for senior managers and for customer service
staff (in PPP). The main requirement is that participants want to learn
and recognise the need to take charge of their own learning. |
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What would a typical
SML programme look like? |
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- How many participants?
A programme could accommodate as many people as needed - Sainsbury's
had 700. However programmes are usually divided up so that about 18
to 24 people might start at any one time. A cohort of 18 would then
divide into three learning groups.
- How long does
a programme last? A learning group might initially contract to meet
for anything from 6 months to a year. On qualification programmes, for
example for a Masters degree, the group is likely to stay together for
two years.
- How much time
do people spend away from the job? In SML usually most of the learning
actually occurs in the work place. The learning groups typically meet
for a half to one day every four to six weeks. The groups are, though,
a focus for working on real business needs so it is not like time away
on non-work related activity.
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Can people get qualifications
through SML? |
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Yes. The SML route is becoming increasingly popular. The Centre for Self
Managed Learning can provide advice on appropriate options. |
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How do we know SML
will work for us? |
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One advantage of using strategic learning contracts is that they provide
a measure of the pay-off from the learning undertaken. Typically learning
groups will be asked to report at the end of their programme on their achievements.
Such reporting can often be best accomplished by a presentation from groups
to the CEO and Board members. |
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What will it cost?
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Costs
vary depending on the size of the programme. Usually, though, a programme
will be significantly less cost than a formal training programme - and it
will achieve much greater benefit to the organisation. |
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Surely the rigour
of this process is dubious when it must be so difficult to measure? |
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SML can and should be considerably more rigorous than other development
interventions because here the participant is doing several things:
- Setting their own
learning objectives rather than being obliged to accept those created
by the designers of a training programme.
- Justifying these
objectives to themselves, their learning group colleagues, and their
organisational sponsor (in most cases). This is done before they embark
upon their formal learning solution.
- Identifying and
gaining agreement as to how the learning will be undertaken, measured
and proof given to the Organisation
Agreeing how to evaluate/endorse
the learning process is part of the contract that an individual enters into
when participating in a SML activity. The use of a strategic learning contract
is a powerful and demanding way of achieving commitment to undertake the
learning schedule. |
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Do you provide courses? |
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No
- we do offer a schedule of seminars and these are indicated in our diary
and in our newsletters. We are not,
however, a training organisation and we do not offer training activity.
Nor can we provide advice on training courses. |
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Do you provide distance
learning and open learning materials? |
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No
- we are not a provider of such materials - nor can we give advice on such
materials. We do produce publications
related to Self Managed Learning and information on these is on this web
site. |
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Are you connected
to Summerhill School? |
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No
- we are an independent organisation. One of our strategies is to carry
out research and as part of that strategy we carried out an independent
inquiry into Summerhill School. This inquiry was totally independent of
the school and was funded by the Centre. You may read the report
here and if you want further information about Summerhill School you can
visit their web
site here. |
