Action-Learning-Project (1)

PERS1630 0 1 – T r a i n i n g & D e v e l o p m e n t

Action Learning ProjectPyramid Garden – Types of Hydroponics

15April

Prepared for: Dr. Holly Catalfamo

Prepared by: Tiffany LindsayMichelle MacPhersonBianca StalteriErin Balloch

Action Learning Project – Types of Hydroponics

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

This report will provide an overview of the mission, vision, current projects and

the size/make-up of the Pyramid Garden organization. The needs analysis information

gathered to support the training design process is also outlined. Information gathered

during the needs analysis includes: An overview of the organization and their mission,

values and background; the training needs and expectations; resources for delivery of

training materials; target audience; delivery time; and overall expected outcome. This

report includes our modules training objectives, target population, delivery

methodologies, training budget and evaluation techniques.

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW

Understanding the organizations strategy, environment and resources available is

key to conduct a needs analysis, which is needed to create an effective training program

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(Saks & Haccoun, 2013). It is important to understand the vision, mission and make-up

of an organization in order to tailor the training program to fit its needs (Saks & Haccoun,

2015). This section will explore the Pyramid Garden Inc. organization.

The Pyramid Garden is a patented design that allows you to easily grow your own

vegetables, herbs, and flowers (2015). This 4 sided, vertical garden can increase your

yield/growth by 30%, while decreasing water use by 80% by allowing more sunlight with

it’s sloped design and utilizing its unique nutrient delivery method (Pyramid Garden,

2015).

Mission/Vision

Pyramid Garden Inc. is focused on promoting awareness on the importance of

agricultural autonomy (A. Murr, personal communication, February 11, 2015). Their

patented design allows users to increase their yield and decrease water usage, while

maximizing the use of growing space (Pyramid Garden, 2015). The Pyramid Garden

team is passionate about providing the education and support necessary to facilitate

homeowners and local farmers use of the Pyramid Garden (A. Murr, personal

communication, February 11, 2015).

Current Project

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The current focus of the Pyramid Garden Inc. team is to work with development

farmers in Martinique (A. Murr, personal communication, February 11, 2015). The

people of Martinique are becoming more aware of the importance of having urban

agriculture autonomy (A. Murr, personal communication, February 11, 2015). The

Pyramid Garden team is currently trying to promote awareness of agricultural autonomy

to 5 of the islands surrounding it, needing to train them in fundamentals and day-to-day

operations needed to maintain a Pyramid Garden (A. Murr, personal communication,

February 11, 2015).

Size/Make-up of Organization

Allan Murr is the inventor and co-founder of the Pyramid Garden (Pyramid

Garden, 2015). He has a background in Information Technology but moved on to develop

the pyramid shaped hydroponic system (Pyramid Garden, 2015). His focus is now geared

toward food security and he is passionate about making locally produced food products a

priority (Pyramid Garden, 2015).

Cary Schwartz is the co-founder of the Pyramid Garden and headed the

movement to adapt the Pyramid Garden for home-growing, allowing households to grow

their own produce (Pyramid Garden, 2015). Cem Guvendiren is also a co-founder of the

Pyramid Garden (Pyramid Garden, 2015).

TRAINING NEEDS ANALYSIS

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A needs analysis allows the designers of a training program to create an effective,

tailored and relevant training program (Saks & Haccoun, 2013). Saks and Haccoun

(2013) state that a needs analysis consists of an organization, task and person analysis to

identify performance gaps, create solutions for gaps, determine the target audience, create

training objectives and guide the design and delivery of the training program.

Our needs analysis was conducted on February 11, 2015. The following

information, in this section, was gathered by conducting a Skype interview between co-

founder of the Pyramid Garden and subject matter expert, Allan Murr, Professor Holly

Catalfamo and the business administration – human resources students, at Niagara

College, studying training and development during the 2015 winter term.

Business Overview, Mission and Values

The Pyramid Garden team is passionate about educating children on the health

benefits of home grown food products (A. Murr, personal communication, February 11,

2015). The Pyramid Garden allows growers to increase their yield with minimal space, in

all seasons (Pyramid Garden, 2015). The Pyramid Garden team understands the

importance of food security and not relying on big box growers (A. Murr, personal

communication, February 11, 2015). At first, the organization primarily focused on basil,

would sell live with roots and transplant them (A. Murr, personal communication,

February 11, 2015).

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Project Background/ Need for Training Materials

Pyramid Garden Inc. wants the workshop created in order to have professional

material documented by a reputable college that has done research and had success with

it (A. Murr, personal communication, February 11, 2015). Allan Murr’s vision is to have

a go-to webpage for aeroponics, backed up by studies performed by Niagara College (A.

Murr, personal communication, February 11, 2015).

Target Audience

Pyramid Garden’s target audience consist of urban farmers who take an interest in

agricultural autonomy and want to go to their website to research it (A. Murr, personal

communication, February 11, 2015). The Pyramid Garden team will travel to different

geographic areas to set up pyramids for small urban farms and train groups of farmers at

the same time (A. Murr, personal communication, February 11, 2015). They have a

current project in Martinique, whose people are realizing the importance of urban

agriculture autonomy (A. Murr, personal communication, February 11, 2015). Pyramid

Garden Inc. wants to relay that information to 5 of the surrounding islands, including:

Guyana, St. Martin and St. Barts (A. Murr, personal communication, February 11, 2015).

They want to train them in fundamentals and day-to-day operations of the Pyramid

Garden (A. Murr, personal communication, February 11, 2015). The intended audience

will mostly speak French, and some English (A. Murr, personal communication,

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February 11, 2015). Their government is putting aside 3 million Euros for farmers that

want to apply urban agriculture to their culture. (A. Murr, personal communication,

February 11, 2015)

Delivery Time

The expected delivery time is a one day seminar (A. Murr, personal

communication, February 11, 2015). All materials will need to collectively be a full day

(A. Murr, personal communication, February 11, 2015).

Resources

The resources available for training delivery consist of projectors and/or tools to

facilitate a Power Point presentation (A. Murr, personal communication, February 11,

2015).

Expected Outcome

The training should be simple, easy to understand, and provide knowledge in

regards to why things are done in a certain way, wants it simplified – easy to use (A.

Murr, personal communication, February 11, 2015).

Additional Information

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As part of their initial research and development process, the organization rented

a greenhouse and set up 100 Pyramid Gardens, trying various plants (i.e. strawberries)

(A. Murr, personal communication, February 11, 2015). The organization is now moving

forward with the selling of the pyramid garden (A. Murr, personal communication,

February 11, 2015).

Pyramid Garden Inc. plans on producing a Power Garden, which will grow 83

plants and a Personal Pyramid Garden that can be used at home, indoors, with applicable

grow lights, nutrients and ventilation, or outside in the garden (A. Murr, personal

communication, February 11, 2015).

TRAINING OBJECTIVES

When introducing a new product or subject to a group of people it is important to

properly pre-plan training objectives to outline what the end result will be for the trainee

(Saks & Haccoun, 2013). Saks and Haccoun (2013), state that these objectives are put

into place to highlight the knowledge and skills that will be obtained during the program

(Saks & Haccoun, 2013). There are two major aspects that are examined when creating

training objectives, which includes learning on the job behaviours and job performance,

and both involve learning something different from each other (Saks & Haccoun, 2013).

For example, on the job behavior would result in new or updated knowledge on the

specific topic, the proper attitudes required for the job and new skill sets that would be

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beneficial to the position (Saks & Haccoun, 2013). The individual would then take the

new information and apply it to their job performance (Saks & Haccoun, 2013). Overall,

the training objectives are an important part of the training program and are continually

used throughout the other stages (Saks & Haccoun, 2013).

Upon completion of this training module, “Types of Hydroponics”, the

participants will:

Understand the fundamentals of each type of hydroponics and the way they

operate.

Be able to identify, and differentiate between, the different types of hydroponics.

Have knowledge of the necessary equipment for each hydroponic system.

Have knowledge and understanding of the different types of hydroponics.

Be able to identify the different types of hydroponics systems.

TARGET POPULATION

The target population for this training program will be urban farmers in the

Caribbean islands and the coast of the Atlantic Ocean in South America, specifically in

Martinique, Guyana, St. Martin, and St. Bart’s (A. Murr, personal communication,

February 11, 2015). The islands’ government has put three million Euros towards farmers

that want to apply urban agriculture to their community (A. Murr, personal

communication, February 11, 2015). In this area, the people are finally realizing the

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importance of urban agriculture autonomy (A. Murr, personal communication, February

11, 2015). In the Caribbean, there are farmers who may not be knowledgeable about

hydroponics or agricultural autonomy (A. Murr, personal communication, February 11,

2015). Their economies are heavily dependent on agriculture and as a result of the

recession, the Caribbean had negative growth in terms of agriculture (Chesney, 2011).

There has been realization of the importance of growing their own food and therefore, a

campaign was put into place, called the “Grow More Food Campaign”, and they are

continuing to improve and revitalize the agriculture sector of the Caribbean (Chesney,

2011). In conclusion, there is a need to target this area and implement a strategic training

plan to assist the trainees in learning the day-to-day operations required to effectively use

the Pyramid Garden.

DELIVERY METHODOLOGIES

Lecture Method

Saks and Haccoun (2013) state that when conducting a training session for a large

group of trainees, it is very efficient to use a lecture method to deliver information in a

short period of time. Many trainees will be familiar with this style of training, and

therefore it will most likely be a comfortable learning environment for them (Saks &

Haccoun, 2013). Saks and Haccoun (2013) make it clear that with this method of

training, the trainer is able to emphasize and repeat key points that they feel are necessary

for the participants to focus on to ensure transfer of learning. All the trainees will receive

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the same lecture material and details (Saks & Haccoun, 2015). The lecture requires little

participation from trainees, which will complement the following activities and

discussions that the trainees are expected to participate in (Saks & Haccoun, 2013).

Lecturing is a cost effective method for organizations because there are minimal costs

associated with it that could include the trainer, the lecture material, food and beverages

(Catalfamo, 2015b). Saks and Haccoun (2013) discuss the downfalls of the lecture

method, and although a lot of trainees will enjoy the relaxed atmosphere, this method

forces them to be passive learners and they do not receive feedback on their

understanding of the material. They also state that lecture is not effective for the

development of skills required by the trainees, nor does is accommodate differences in

trainee ability because all trainees must be able to absorb information at the same rate

(Saks & Haccoun, 2013). Most of these disadvantages will be neutralized by integrating

activities and discussions within the lecture to ensure the transfer of training (Saks &

Haccoun, 2013).

Activities

After introducing material in a lecture, there will be an activity that is entertaining

and engaging for the trainees. The activity does not have to be complex, and will be easy

for all trainees to understand regardless of their level of education. Saks and Haccoun

(2013) state that an activity can be fun and help ‘break the ice’ between trainees. This

allows trainees to get to know each other and become more comfortable in this training

environment, while also giving them the opportunity to work together and share any ideas

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or prior knowledge with other trainees on the topic (Saks & Haccoun, 2013). They also

state that the activity must involve useful and related information or the trainees will not

retain the information or key points (Saks & Haccoun, 2013). The trainer should ensure

that participants stay on track because there is a large possibility that they will focus on

winning and subsequently won’t learn the intended material (Saks & Haccoun, 2013).

There needs to be constant supervision and assistance from the trainer to the trainees, to

make certain that the trainees are learning the correct information (Saks & Haccoun,

2013). This method can be costly, depending on the activity and therefore Saks and

Haccoun (2013) have suggested that for the cost to have an associated benefit, the

activity needs to integrate the learning objectives in a meaningful way.

Discussion

Concluding a training session with a discussion is beneficial for all trainees,

because after doing the activity, they may have concepts that they are not clear about and

Saks and Haccoun (2013) note that the trainees can then recognize the areas where they

need assistance or additional information and have an opportunity to get questions

answered. It is clear that not only the trainees should have the opportunity to discuss and

clarify with the trainer but they can also share ideas and common wisdom with one

another (Saks & Haccoun, 2013). The discussion method is effective for the use of

training but can also benefit the trainee in the long term by developing their critical

thinking skills and enhancing their social and interpersonal skills (Saks & Haccoun,

2013). The need for a good facilitator is crucial for this method to ensure the trainees stay

on topic but still interested (Catalfamo, 2015b). Saks and Haccoun (2013) indicate that

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when a discussion is facilitated, trainees must be put into smaller groups to ensure

everyone gets time to speak and participate because of the possibility that some group

members will dominate the discussion and not contribute useful information that is

relevant to the training objectives. Therefore, the discussion is not effective and wastes

training time (Saks & Haccoun, 2013). A discussion needs well-planned and effective

facilitation to manage the specific outcomes (Catalfamo, 2015b).

TRAINING BUDGET

Costs incurred that are directly associated to a specific training program are

known as direct costs (Saks & Haccoun, 2013). Saks and Haccoun (2013) identify course

materials, salary of trainer, food/refreshments, instructional aids, travel and equipment

rental as direct costs. These are costs that wouldn’t have been incurred had the training

not taken place (Saks & Haccoun, 2013). This will be the type of costs discussed below:

Trainers Salary and Benefits

Depending on the length of the module, amount may vary. Account for $25/hour

for trainer costs.

Equipment Rental

There may be a need to rent projectors, amount may vary depending on supplier.

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Course Materials

Although the creation of the course materials will not result in costs to the

organization, there will be printing and/or binding costs associated with this module.

There could also be a cost for writing utensils.

Facility

A facility, space will be needed for this module. If renting a facility/space, the

cost will vary by location and length of training module.

Food and Refreshments

This module contains a break. Refreshments and snacks will be provided.

Account for $5/person.

Travel

Whether or not travel costs will be incurred will depend on location and need for

staff/facilitators to travel.

Administration

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There will be a cost associated with the salary of the employee that is performing

administrative duties (i.e. Booking rooms, sending invites, managing RSVP’s, printing

materials, etc.).

EVALUATION

There are several different ways in which trainers are able to evaluate trainees in

order to determine if they have understood the training program, and that it has achieved

the pre determined training objectives.

During lecture, Holly Catalfamo (2015a) discussed why it is important as trainers

to evaluate training. This includes financial benefits and costs, quantitative and

qualitative feedback, and receiving data in order to help market different programs

(Catalfamo, 2015a).

In order to evaluate, trainers can issues questionnaires to trainees after the training

session (Catalfamo, 2015a). These questionnaires can include content based on

information that was presented to them as well as questions related to the training

program itself (Catalfamo, 2015a). For example, a question may touch on whether or not

the participants feel as if the information presented to them was clear and easy to

understand (Catalfamo, 2015a).

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Another form of evaluation is pre-tests and post-tests (Catalfamo, 2015a). These

can be done before and/or after the training program is presented (Catalfamo, 2015a).

These tests are based on the content presented to the trainees and evaluate if trainees

absorbed the material and the learning they took away from the training (Catalfamo,

2015a). Also, if a pre-test was made available, it can evaluate new content the trainees

took away from the program, if any (Catalfamo, 2015a).

Observation is another method of evaluation that trainees can use in order to

determine whether the training program has achieved its objectives (Catalfamo, 2015a).

Trainers can observe the participation level and body language of trainees (Catalfamo,

2015a). By making these observations, trainers can determine if the trainees are

absorbing the material included in the training program (Catalfamo, 2015a).

Also, by integrating activities into training programs, trainers can evaluate if the

trainees have achieved the stated learning objectives (Catalfamo, 2015a). This can be

achieved by basing the activity around training program content and evaluating responses

and participation (Catalfamo, 2015a).

REFERENCES

Catalfamo, H. (2015a). Levels of program evaluation [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved

April 8, 2015 from https://niagara.blackboard.com/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp

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https://niagara.blackboard.com/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp


Catalfamo, H. (2015b). Off-the-Job Training Methods [PowerPoint Slides]. Retrieved

April 5, 2015 from https://niagara.blackboard.com/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp

Chesney, D. (2011). Guyana. Retrieved April 8, 2015, from

http://www.cardi.org/country-offices/guyana/

Pyramid Garden. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.pyramidgarden.com/

Saks, A. M., & Haccoun, R. R. (2013). Managing performance through training and

development (6th ed.). Toronto, ON: Thomson Nelson.

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http://www.cardi.org/country-offices/guyana/

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Action-Learning-Project (1)