Title: A Glossary of UK Training and Occupational Learning Terms
Author: Jeffrey Brooks (tel: 0161 483 4577)
Publisher: ITOL (The Institute of Training and Occupational Learning)
Date: 2000
Format: A5 paperback, 48 pages
Price: £9.99 to non-members
ISBN: 0 9539790 0 8
Most of me agrees with the previous TrainingZone review of this glossary. It contains terms used widely in the training industry and allows even the most seasoned practitioner to come across some new expressions.
The thing about our industry is that most people tend to specialise and the ‘buzz’ terms and expressions used in one area of training are unheard in the next. This is where this book comes to the rescue, but it is also where it lets us down. There are times where there is just enough information to tempt the reader to learn more but not sufficient to allow the learner to access any more. For example, the terms ‘androgogy’ and ‘pedagogy’ are summarised succinctly and Malcolm Knowles is acknowledged but there is no reference to further reading and, as my particular area of interest is adult learning I am aware of some of the issues surrounding these what appear to be straightforward concepts and I feel sure that others would benefit from further research.
In the same way, Hamblin is mentioned in relation to evaluation and there is a reference within the Hamblin entry to Kirkpatrick. For some strange reason, however, Kirkpatrick is not mentioned. Considering that Hamblin’s (1974) work was, as far as I am aware, based on that of Kirkpatrick (it certainly came after Donald Kirkpatrick’s original publication in 1967 and was an expansion of Kirkpatrick’s four levels) I was surprised to find that Kirkpatrick had been omitted. I know we live in an internet age where cross references and clicks take us from one place to another and I am also aware of how frustrating the vastness of information can be, but I did feel that this book would benefit from a web base and deeper research links – just to satisfy the Theorists (mentioned and referenced to the other Honey and Mumford Learning Styles)!
In terms of its usefulness as an introduction to some terms that people can then go on and research themselves, it is a valuable tool, but I look forward to its development with the benefit of references and, ultimately, a web base.
For those that are interested (I accept that this does not include everyone), here are the references to the works I have referred to:-
Knowles, MS (1980) The Modern Practice of Adult Education: From Pedagogy to Androgogy (Revised). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Knowles, MS and Associates (1984) Andragogy in Action, Jossey-Bass
Hamblin, AC (1974) Evaluation and Control of Training, London: McGraw-Hill
Kirkpatrick, DL (1967) Evaluation of Training in RL Craig and L R Bittel (Editors) Training and Development Handbook (pp87-112), NY: McGraw-Hill
Honey, P and Mumford, A (1982) The Manual of Learning Styles, Peter Honey
Jooli Atkins
Atkins Business Solutions Limited/Matrix FortyTwo Limited
A Glossary of UK Training and Occupational Learning Terms was reviewed by Jooli Atkins, Atkins Business Solutions Limited/Matrix FortyTwo Limited.
