Give Tests a Test Run

When a training initiative includes an assessment to evaluate learners’ knowledge or skill, it makes sense to ensure that the assessment is accurate and reliable prior to using it for training. While some may view this as a cumbersome step, this article suggests simple ways to test an assessment.

Read Full Post »

Writing Distracters for Multiple Choice Questions

Training frequently includes knowledge assessments with multiple choice questions to evaluate learners’ potential performance. Although multiple choice questions are not ideal for testing every performance objective, well-written questions can offer a more robust assessment than many may realize. This article describes some best practices for writing high-quality multiple choice questions.

Read Full Post »

Isolating the Results of eLearning Impact

To show clients how their organizations benefit from training, it helps to measure improvement in key business metrics. Though it sounds simple, other factors can complicate the ability to do this accurately, such as related marketing campaigns and other organizational initiatives that occur within a similar time frame as the training effort. This article summarizes approaches for isolating the results of training.

Read Full Post »

Specifying a Criterion in Performance Objectives

Writing precise and effective performance objectives for training includes specifying criteria for successful performance. Most resources suggest that a criterion must be measurable – ideally, associated with an objective number. Since this is not feasible for all performance objectives, this article suggests descriptive alternatives for criteria.

Read Full Post »

Manager Engagement in eLearning Transfer to the Job

For a training initiative to succeed, learners’ managers must reinforce new skills and behaviors on the job. However, busy schedules or a lack of coaching skills often cause reinforcement to slip through the cracks, weakening the benefit of training to the organization. This article describes how a meeting-in-a-box approach can increase the likelihood of management follow-up with employees after training.

Read Full Post »

In Defense of the Four Levels

Article Title: In Defense of the Four Levels Publication: Integrated Learnings: eLearning Summary: Many in the training industry posit that Kirkpatrick’s four levels of evaluation is outdated, and they challenge the field to propose a more relevant model. Although the model dates back to the 1950s, this article argues that it remains comprehensive enough to address today’s [...]

Read Full Post »

Evaluating eLearning in a Crunch

Though much of what is published about evaluating training effectiveness makes it seem like a large undertaking, it doesn’t have to be. A small-scale, simple evaluation can be better than no evaluation effort at all. The findings revealed by a limited evaluation can help boost a training team’s credibility and may even persuade stakeholders to delve deeper with additional evaluation efforts. This article offers advice for evaluating training by using limited resources.

Read Full Post »

Collecting Data from an eLearning Pilot

After weeks or months of working on an eLearning course, instructional designers are usually eager to roll it out to the masses (I know I am!). However, to help ensure the initiative’s success, it’s best to pilot the course with a segment of its target audience. This article outlines factors to consider when determining how to collect data to evaluate an eLearning pilot.

Read Full Post »

How Should Organizational Leaders Use Employee Engagement Survey Data?

This evaluation study explores how a nonprofit health insurance provider responds to the results of its annual employee engagement survey. The study answers two questions: (a) What do organizational leaders do with the data collected? and (b) How do leaders perceive the usefulness of the survey? It provides study results, discussions, and recommendations relevant to human performance technology practitioners, to help maximize the value of an organizational survey by increasing its usefulness as a catalyst for change.

Read Full Post »

Use Scenarios to Make Quiz Questions Relevant to the Job

Instead of just presenting information in training and then prompting learners to apply it afterward, why not make an entire lesson into a story? Introduce new concepts in the context of the story…instead of introducing concepts in a decontextualized way and bringing examples in later.

This type of thing can work with quizzes too. The story might not be as fluid and involved in a quiz, but even using basic scenarios seems to make quiz questions more relevant. And learning theories out there support this approach. I used my latest contribution to the Integrated Learnings: eLearning blog to describe my application of scenarios to quizzes.

Read Full Post »