The evaluation of the training plan will be built on top of the objectives set in the implementation phase. The main objective is to ensure that the trainers understand the central concepts of the planning. This includes how to use different tools when changing the oil in an automobile, being able to inspect the condition of an automobile prior to changing the oil, the type of oil to use, and procedures for changing oil. These are the learning outcomes expected of the student by the end of the training. The evaluation of the course, however, will be done in a four-step process that will go on through the training duration.
Kick-off and Pre-course Survey
The kick-off event is a comprehensive introduction to the course that will introduce the goals, agenda, learning methods, and learning outcomes. It should present the syllabus in a comprehensive manner as well as set the appropriate expectations. At the end of the kick-off, there will be a formative evaluation conducted through the pre-course survey. The survey will not only assess the student's level of proficiency with the subject matter but also list out their expectations. Any expectations missing from the planned content will either be added or pushed back to entail the content of future classes. The formative evaluation, therefore, enables the course designers to meet most of the student's expectations. Besides, the pre-course survey is also part of the summative evaluation.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The Cycle of Learning Activities
The instructional plan is a list of learning activities to engage the students on a weekly or daily basis. The quality of the course, especially its ability to meet the objectives, will be evaluated using Kirkpatrick's model. In the first level of evaluation, a smile test will be conducted on a weekly basis to gauge the student's reaction to the content. This will be done in the form of a short survey that asks questions to establish the student's thoughts.
At the second level, trainee learning will be evaluated based on the content delivered. The learning evaluation is comprehensive and includes several modes of assessment. The learning evaluation will gauge what was learned and not learned. The information would be used in the summative evaluation to determine the improvements that need to be made in future iterations. Learning, however, is useless without practical application. Therefore, the third level of evaluation will be to determine how the trainees transfer theory to practice. The transfer evaluation is best done through practical exercises that demonstrate proficiency (Goh et al., 2018). Evaluating the transfer process is critical to establishing behavior that is sustained long after the training.
Final Assessment
The final step is to evaluate that the primary goals have been achieved. This corresponds to level four of Kirkpatrick's model. Achievement of learning objectives is not just useful to the trainees but also the trainers (Ayub et al., 2017). The trainers use it to determine the Return on Investment (ROI). There are different strategies for evaluating the effectiveness of a training program. The most appropriate in the case of our learning objectives would be to use the control and experimental group. Under the same environmental conditions, variances in performance could provide insight into what improvements need to be made to satisfy all requirements.
Feedback and Conclusion
At the end of the training program, the summative evaluation needs to be done. The summative assessment, however, takes different forms. First, data collected during the course (reactions, evaluation, and behaviour) is used to directly inform on the utility of the teaching methods. In particular, the reactions are essential for training programs that go for extended periods, such as three months. If the trainees lose interest in the middle of training, the reactions will provide the necessary data, enabling improvements to be made in future iterations of the training program. On the other hand, the training would have little to no ROI if the learning outcomes do not result in a behavioral change in the long term. These are among the factors that need to be considered when performing the summative evaluation.
Secondly, conducting a post-course survey to gather feedback from the trainees is essential to making future improvements. While the evaluations conducted using Kirkpatrick's model collect data on the teaching methods, they fail to factor in student opinions and views. The feedback provided at the end of the course is useful for two purposes. First, coupled with the pre-course survey, the post-course survey informs about the actual learning outcomes, especially the difference in knowledge and behavior before and after the training. Such information is valuable for making future improvements. Secondly, the post-course survey asks for feedback about what the trainees think should be included in the future iterations. Perhaps the learning curve was steep because the training failed to list the prerequisites or review them at the beginning. These issues could be discovered from the post-course survey. In other words, the evaluation information is very valuable to achieving the training objectives set in previous sections of the ADDIE model.
Note, however, that the information needed to conduct the formative and summative evaluation is sourced using different methods. Some of the sources will collect the same information, while others will introduce new perspectives. Furthermore, the information collected could quickly get out of hand if it is not properly managed and organized. For instance, waiting until the end of the training to evaluate and suggest future improvements would increase the burden on the instructors. Therefore, it is essential to process data as it comes in and only storing information. This information will, in turn, become raw data for further processing. Such a hierarchical organization is logical and prevents the accumulation of tasks, which could take time away from concentrating on teaching or providing further assistance. Besides, if raw data is processed as it comes in, trends could be identified and if they are harmful to the course objectives, corrected immediately. Furthermore, the early processing of information could be used to test hypotheses and develop recommendations based on evidence. Therefore, part of the implementation step of the ADDIE model should be dedicated to creating plans and mechanisms to evaluate the training program, during and after its implementation.
ROI Training Components
By evaluating the ROI of the training, the objective is to determine if the trainees gain new knowledge or skills that could help reduce costs in an associated field, such as minimizing the maintenance costs for an automobile by keeping the engine healthy. The benefits are for both the individual and the organization. Organizations benefit by not only reducing operational costs but also minimizing the mean time between repair and maximizing the mean time between breakdown. The ROI evaluation, on the other hand, would be on the basis of the skills and knowledge acquired and behavioral changes that result.
References
Ayub, E., Wei, G. W., & Yue, W. S. (2017, January). Exploring factors affecting learners' acceptance of MOOCs based on Kirkpatrick's model. In Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on E-Education, E-Business, E-Management and E-Learning (pp. 34-39).
Goh, W. W., Wong, S. Y., & Ayub, E. (2018). The effectiveness of MOOC among learners based on kirkpatrick's model. In Redesigning Learning for Greater Social Impact (pp. 313-323). Springer, Singapore.
