The Handbook for Learning and Development Professionals

K. Dave Crowder Ed.D stumbled into learning and development in the usual way: He developed a reputation of doing such a great job training new people that he became a trainer.

The chemical plant he worked for gave him a three-day train-the-trainer course and that was it. Eventually, he earned a bachelor of education degree, a master’s degree, and doctor of education degree – and now he’s written the book he wishes existed when he entered the field.

Drawing on more than twenty-five years of working in and managing learning and development in industry and corporate settings, he covers the basics from a corporate and industry learning perspective. He answers questions such as:

What can be done with instructional design to improve learner motivation?
Why can a person can be good at one thing and not very good at another?
How can competency profiles help trainers effectively develop a needs analysis?
What can person do to be a more effective teacher or coach?

He also challenges myths related to learning. Other topics include curriculum design, motivating learners, learner assessment, and program evaluation.