Evaluating Training: Why, What and How
Evaluation is … … a standard practice in training that measure changes in behavior that occur as a result of the training. Evaluations can be used to measure whether or not specific objectives were met, the students' opinions of the experience, the training environment, and the trainer's performance. Why are you evaluating the training? ___ To determine the effectiveness of a training class. ___ To measure benchmarks in the training program. ___ To show value of program to leaders, directors and communities. ___ To evaluate whether the objectives were achieved. ___ To find out if material was relevant to the students. ___ To find out if content met students' needs. ___ To find out if facilities were adequate. ___ To learn more about what students want in the future so new classes can be created. ___ To find out how the trainer did and what he or she could improve on. What will you evaluate? Students' Reaction - How do students feel about the experience? Sample Questions:
Excellent Good Fair Poor
Very useful Useful Somewhat Useful Not Useful Students' Learning - Did students' knowledge increase and/or skills improve? Sample Questions:
Low 1 2 3 4 High
With ease With difficulty With assistance Not at all
Content - What were students' impression of the class layout and materials? Sample Questions:
NA 1 2 3 4 5
Trainer's Performance - How did the trainer do? Knowledge? Skill? Pace? Voice? Sample Questions:
The trainer was well prepared. NA 5 4 3 2 1 The trainer involved participants. NA 5 4 3 2 1 The trainer answered questions appropriately. NA 5 4 3 2 1 Facilities - What did students think about the learning environment, classroom setup, etc.? Sample Questions:
General Questions - What additional information would you like from students? Sample Questions:
How will you design your evaluation? When designing an evaluation ask yourself:
What tools will you use? Web-based Tools
Paper-based Tools
What measurement scales will you use? There are a variety of measuring tools that are appropriate for use with evaluations. Each type yields different information, so you'll need to consider exactly what you are trying to find out from your evaluation before you choose a tool. In addition, each tool is appropriate for different kinds of questions. The following handout describes types of scales and provides some examples. Opinion Scale asks the student to give his/her opinion about particular aspects of the training. Please circle the word that describes how you feel about each statement. Excellent Good Fair Poor Please circle the word that describes how you feel about each statement. Very Useful Useful Somewhat Useful Not Useful Likert Scale asks the student to rate his/her agreement or disagreement with the question by using a set standard. Please circle the number that indicates how you feel about each statement. 1 = Strongly Agree 2 = Often 3 = No Opinion 4 = Disagree 5 = Strongly Disagree N/A = Not Applicable Semantic Differential uses words that are opposite from one another to elicit responses. Please check the response that most closely indicates your reaction to . . . Very Somewhat Neither Somewhat Very Complex Simple Boring Interesting Useful Useless Frequency Scale asks “how often” Please circle the number that indicates how often you participate in each of the activities listed below. 1 = Always 2 = Often 3 = Sometimes 4 = Seldom 5 = Never Multiple Choice asks the student to make a choice between the items listed…. Please check the one answer that best describes . . . Please check all the items that apply . . . ___ I use Microsoft Word at home. ___ I use Microsoft Word at work. ___ I have created a resume using Microsoft Word. Open-ended questions provide room for comments.
Things to Think About After Evaluations are Completed Look over all of the responses and comments. If you are using a scale, try to set it up so the information can be quantified; this will make trends easier to spot. Think about what the responses are telling you. Are there suggestions that will improve future classes? Is an opinion isolated? Or are there several similar comments? If You Remember Nothing Else Why - Why are you evaluating? What - What will you evaluate? How - How will you design your evaluation?
How will you design an evaluation that allows you to get the information you need without requiring the trainees to spend too much time completing it? |
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License