Workplace learning is a term we have been throwing around in Australia for quite a few years without much explanation except that the learning is done in the workplace. At present workplace learning is probably being over shadowed by the other very popular term e learning. Workplace learning is a great delivery device but careful planning and preparation is required to get it to work effectively. No surprises there. What I see often happening in Australia is that workplace learning is just another name for let the supervisor train people on the job. It can be that but it can be a much more complex and rich experience than that. The biggest issue with the supervisor training on the job is that the supervisor may be the poorest trainer around and may not consider this to be part of their job and hence it is carried out very poorly. Some supervisors can be great trainers as well. For a modern view of workplace learning, its future and its implications here is a great website that contains a very useful PowerPoint display as well as useful text information and some great links to relevant textbooks. I hope it helps clarify the topic. Let me know if you have any questions.
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