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Evaluating Training
Was training effective? Was it worth the time and expense? Did I do a good job? These questions are as important today as they have ever been. To answer them, we evaluate the training process in several ways. We use the evaluation results to develop trainers, revise curriculum and improve facilities. Donald Kirkpatrick was the first educator to organize the evaluation process, beginning in the1950s. These four levels: Reaction, Learning, Behavior, and Results, apply as well today as when they were originally designed over 50 years ago.
Level 1: Reaction
Measuring a student's reaction to training is the easiest way for an organization to assess its effectiveness. Unfortunately, most organizations never evaluate their training beyond this level!
The participant completes a Student Critique form and provides feedback on the trainer's performance, curriculum, training facilities, and overall satisfaction. These evaluations are done at the end of the session or soon after. Results are compared with previous class evaluations and other learners' inputs to make improvements where needed.
Level 2: Learning
This type of evaluation measures actual learning that occurred, specifically the change in knowledge, skills or attitude (KSA) that resulted from the training.
We measure learning using knowledge tests, performance tests, and/or attitude surveys. These tests assess what a student knows or can do after training. However, to see if the training was effective a Pre-Test is needed and compare the ‘before' and ‘after' results. Sometimes we do trend analysis of the results to compare classes, instructors, and even curriculum revisions.
Level 3: Behavior
Level 3 measures whether a person changed their actual behavior on the job, and if so - how? This requires interviews and observations of the trainee, supervisors and co-workers. By its nature, the data gathered is subjective and therefore hard to measure.
The information gained from Level 3 evaluation may help improve the training, but it may also indicate that other problems exist. For example, the trainee may not be able to apply what he learned if his position does not require use of the training, or if his supervisor did not allow him to do so (have you ever heard, "that works at the school house, not at the job site"?).
Level 4: Results
The hardest question to answer about any training is, "Was the benefit of the training worth as much as it cost?" Training can be expensive; training delivery requires curriculum development, instructors and facilities. Often, the biggest cost of training is productivity lost while students are in class.
Level 4 evaluation tries to measure the organization's return on the training investment. Benefits of training can include improved product or service quality, increased productivity, fewer mishaps, reduced waste or fewer errors, and more effective leadership. The value of these factors is compared to the cost of training to determine if the training was worth the time and money expended.
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