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.

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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.

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Building eLearning Scenarios in Working Sessions with SMEs

Many instructional designers attempt to write training scenarios independently, based on their knowledge of the client’s needs. While sometimes this can work, scenarios written in this way often lack the details to realistically simulate workplace situations. This article explains how collaborating with subject matter experts (SMEs) helps instructional designers create robust scenarios for training. The article also includes a short case study that illustrates how this collaboration can occur.

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Being a Good Coach through eLearning Feedback

The principles that coaches follow to work with children’s soccer teams also apply to writing feedback for eLearning scenarios. This article urges instructional designers to go beyond telling learners that an answer to a question is “incorrect,” and it suggests methods for working coaching techniques into feedback.

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Encore: Employee Engagement Matters for E-Learning

This article first appeared on the Integrated Learnings: eLearning site, and was reprinted (with permission) in Elearning! Magazine.

According to most definitions, an “engaged” employee is a high-quality performer who takes personal responsibility to work toward the success of an organization. This article explores how an organization’s level of employee engagement influences the effectiveness of eLearning. It also suggests how training professionals can use their core skills to help to enhance employee engagement in their organizations.

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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.

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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 [...]

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Employee Engagement Matters for eLearning

According to most definitions, an “engaged” employee is a high-quality performer who takes personal responsibility to work toward the success of an organization. This article explores how an organization’s level of employee engagement influences the effectiveness of eLearning. It also suggests how training professionals can use their core skills to help to enhance employee engagement in their organizations.

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Develop Yourself in Addition to Training

Though instructional designers make a living by helping organizations develop their people, many may struggle to find opportunities to develop themselves. This article describes five sources of professional development opportunities, including specific examples and resources for getting started.

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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.

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