CIPD 5LD01 Lux-stay Informal and Self-Directed Learning Sample Answers 2026

For information and reference only – not to be submitted as your own work. This is a partial extract of model answers (Task 1 Q1, Q2, Q6 and Q8, plus the curation principles from Task 2), not a complete submission.

This extract covers the CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma in Organisational Learning and Development, unit 5LD01 Support informal and self-directed learning (assessment ID CIPD_5LD01_26_01). The learner works in the L&D team of Lux-stay, an international hotel chain, and answers colleagues’ questions in writing. Answers below are written in that voice, with Harvard referencing. Word counts are shown so you can see how much weight each answer carries.

The full question set for the general 2026 version of this unit sits on our 5LD01 assessment brief page. If you are weighing up how to structure your own answers, read the companion guide, how to answer CIPD 5LD01.

Task 1, Question 1 (AC1.1): formal and informal learning (about 300 words)

Several colleagues have told me that formal learning means qualifications and informal learning means everything else. That is a common shortcut, but it is not quite right. What separates the two is how far the organisation designs, sequences and assesses the learning, not whether a certificate follows.

Formal learning is planned in advance, has defined objectives, is usually led by a trainer or provided through a structured programme, and is normally assessed or recorded. A classroom course on fire safety in our hotels is formal even though it ends in an attendance record rather than a qualification. Informal learning happens through work and relationships. It is largely unplanned, driven by the individual’s need of the moment, and rarely assessed (Marsick and Watkins, 1990). A night receptionist who learns a faster way to handle a group check-in by watching a colleague is learning informally. Eraut (2004) adds a useful point: much workplace learning is implicit, so people may not even call it learning.

Between the two sits non-formal learning, which has a loose structure but no formal assessment, such as a lunchtime session run by a head chef. The table summarises the differences.

The distinction is a spectrum, not a wall. A qualification-bearing apprenticeship contains plenty of informal learning, and an informal buddy chat can be structured by a manager. For our team, the practical point is that the most useful learning in a hotel often falls outside anything we currently record.

Read the full CIPD Level 5 assignment help page if you want to see how we support learners working on this unit.

Task 1, Question 2 (AC1.2): learning from and with others (about 400 words)

Three ideas explain why people learn from each other, and each has limits that I would want to be honest about.

Bandura’s (1977) social learning theory proposes that people learn by observing others, remembering what they saw, and reproducing it when they are motivated to do so. Observation matters most when the model is credible and similar to the learner. At Lux-stay, a new room attendant in Bratislava watching an experienced colleague turn a room is a clear case. The weakness is that observation passes on bad habits as readily as good ones.

Lave and Wenger (1991) describe learning as participation in a community of practice. Newcomers start at the edge, doing simple tasks, and move towards full membership as their skills and identity develop. This fits concierge teams and kitchen brigades well, because the knowledge is held in the group, not in a manual. It fits less well in a chain spread across London, Paris, Bratislava and Dubai, where teams rarely meet, so we would need to build communities across sites on purpose.

The 70:20:10 reference model suggests roughly 70 per cent of learning comes from experience, 20 per cent from others and 10 per cent from formal input. It is popular, but it needs care. The figures trace back to managers’ own reflections on what helped their development (Lombardo and Eichinger, 1996), and critics point out that the original work never set out the ratio as a rule and that it cannot be tested precisely (Jefferson and Pollock, 2014). I would use it as a prompt to look beyond courses, not as a budget formula.

Applied to Lux-stay, I would suggest a shadowing scheme where a Paris front-of-house supervisor is paired with a colleague from the Dubai hotel for a short exchange, plus a regular group chat where supervisors post a problem and a fix. Both draw on observation and community learning. To stop poor habits spreading, the L&D team would give supervisors a short checklist of the standards that must not change.

Task 1, Question 6 (AC2.2): encouraging use of the new Staff Learning Platform (about 350 words)

Our old learning management system is only opened when a health and safety module is due, and many staff wait for their manager to tell them what to learn. Managers, in turn, are unsure what else to suggest and tend to book people onto courses. A new platform will not change that on its own. The steps below address the habits as well as the technology.

1. Start with a real problem. Launch with content tied to tasks staff already struggle with, such as handling a guest complaint or using the booking system, so the first visit is useful.
2. Separate it from compliance. Keep mandatory modules in a clearly labelled area, so staff do not associate the platform only with obligation.
3. Make it easy to start. Mobile access, single sign-on and short items of five minutes or less suit people working shifts without a desk.
4. Give permission and time. Agree with managers that a small amount of paid time each week can be used for learning, and say so in writing.
5. Recruit local champions. One respected person per hotel who shares a useful find each week does more than a central email.
6. Coach managers. Offer a short guide on asking staff, “What do you want to get better at?” and pointing them to resources, rather than defaulting to a course.
7. Let staff contribute. Invite people to add tips and short videos, which turns the platform from something done to them into something they own.

I would pilot this in one hotel first, collect feedback after eight weeks, and adjust before extending it to the other sites. Our contracts vary, so part-time and casual workers need the same access and the same assurance that learning time counts.

Task 1, Question 8 (AC2.4): assessing impact and using reviews (about 300 words)

Informal learning is hard to measure because nobody signs an attendance sheet. I would not try to measure everything. A few well-chosen strategies are more realistic.

First, ask individuals to keep a short learning log with three prompts: what I tried, what happened, and what I will change. Reflection is what turns experience into learning. Second, use platform data (visits, completions, shares) as a rough signal of interest, but not as proof of impact. Third, link learning to a work measure the team already tracks, such as guest feedback scores on a particular service, and look for changes over time. Brinkerhoff’s (2003) success case method suggests interviewing a few people who applied learning well and a few who did not, which gives rich evidence from small numbers.

For performance and development reviews, I would add two questions to the existing form: “What have you learnt on your own initiative this period?” and “How have you applied it?” This signals that self-directed learning counts, not only attendance on courses. Managers need guidance so the conversation is supportive, not a test. Entries should describe outcomes, such as a smoother check-in process, not hours spent.

There are risks. Over-recording can make informal learning feel like another form to complete, and managers may reward whoever writes the best entries. I would keep the evidence light, review it twice a year, and ask staff what they find helpful.

Task 2, Question 1 (AC3.1): curation and its principles (about 350 words)

Curation of learning resources means finding, selecting, organising and sharing existing material so that learners can find what they need without searching alone. A curator does not create everything; they add judgement. It differs from simply collecting links, because the curator explains why each item matters and for whom. Jarche (n.d.) describes a useful cycle of seeking, sensing and sharing, in which making sense of material is the step that adds value.

Three principles underpin good curation.

• Relevance and quality. Every resource should link to a defined learning need and come from a credible source. Fewer, better items beat a long list. For a Lux-stay supervisor, a short, reliable guide is worth more than twenty loosely related articles.
• Context and sense-making. The curator adds a brief note saying what the resource covers, how long it takes and how to use it at work. Without that guidance, learners may not know where to start.
• Accessibility and currency. Resources should be available in varied formats, reachable on a phone and checked regularly for accuracy. Out-of-date material damages trust in the collection.

Quinn (2014) argues that L&D should support learners in the flow of work, which is exactly what curation does when it is done well. An example of the approach in practice is shown below, using a subject of building self-directed learning habits.

Together these combine research, summary, method, theory and tools, so no two items do the same job. They would be shared through the Staff Learning Platform, with a short note on each.

About the expert

Rachel Kim

Rachel Kim holds a Master’s degree in Psychology from the University of Edinburgh, with subject expertise in social psychology, including social influence, group dynamics and social cognition, which underpin the social learning ideas in this unit. She has been an academic writer at Students Assignment Help UK for the past two years. View Rachel Kim’s profile. For related unit samples, see our CIPD 5OS03 Learning and Development Essentials example, or browse CIPD assignment help. To discuss your own brief, submit your assignment details.

References

• Bandura, A. (1977) Social learning theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
• Brinkerhoff, R.O. (2003) The success case method: find out quickly what’s working and what’s not. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler.
• CIPD (2023) Learning at work 2023. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. Available at: https://www.cipd.org/en/knowledge/reports/learning-at-work/ (Accessed: 20 October 2026).
• CIPD (2025) Methods of delivering learning interventions. Factsheet. Available at: https://www.cipd.org/en/knowledge/factsheets/learning-factsheet/ (Accessed: 20 October 2026).
• Eraut, M. (2004) ‘Informal learning in the workplace’, Studies in Continuing Education, 26(2), pp. 247–273.
• Hart, J. (2026) Top 100 Tools for Learning 2026. Available at: https://toptools4learning.com/ (Accessed: 20 October 2026).
• Jarche, H. (n.d.) Seek > Sense > Share. Available at: https://jarche.com/pkm/ (Accessed: 20 October 2026).
• Jefferson, A. and Pollock, R. (2014) ’70:20:10: where is the evidence?’, ATD Blog, 8 July. Available at: https://www.td.org/Publications/Blogs/Science-of-Learning-Blog/2014/07/70-20-10-Where-Is-the-Evidence (Accessed: 20 October 2026).
• Lave, J. and Wenger, E. (1991) Situated learning: legitimate peripheral participation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
• Lombardo, M.M. and Eichinger, R.W. (1996) The career architect development planner. Minneapolis: Lominger.
• Marsick, V.J. and Watkins, K.E. (1990) Informal and incidental learning in the workplace. London: Routledge.
• Quinn, C.N. (2014) Revolutionize learning and development: performance and innovation strategy for the information age. Alexandria, VA: ATD Press.