Online Assessment and Evaluation Techniques in Corporate Settings Dr. Curtis J. Bonk President, CourseShare.com Associate Professor, Indiana University.

Online Assessment and Evaluation Techniques in

Corporate Settings

Dr. Curtis J. Bonk President, CourseShare.com

Associate Professor, Indiana Universityhttp://php.indiana.edu/~cjbonk,

cjbonk@indiana.edu

Workshop Overview

• Part I: The State of Online Learning

• Part II. Evaluation Purposes, Approaches, and Frameworks

• Part III. Applying Kirkpatrick’s 4 Levels

• Part IV. ROI and Online Learning• Part V. Collecting Evaluation Data

& Online Evaluation Tools

Sevilla & Wells (July, 2001), e-learning

We could be very productive by ignoring assessment altogether and assume competence if the learner simply gets through the course.

Why Evaluate?

• Cost-savings– Becoming less important reason to evaluate

as more people recognize that the initial expense is balanced by long-term financial benefits

• Performance improvement– A clear place to see impact of online learning

• Competency advancement

16 Evaluation Methods

1. Formative Evaluation

2. Summative Evaluation

3. CIPP Model Evaluation

4. Objectives-Oriented Evaluation

5. Marshall & Shriver's 5 Levels of Evaluation

6. Bonk’s 8 Part Evaluation Plan

(& the Ridiculous Model)

7. Kirkpatrick’s 4 Levels

8. Return on Investment (ROI):

9. K-Level 6 budget and stability of e-learning team.

10. K-Level 7 whether e-learning champion(s) are promoted

11. Cost/Benefit Analysis (CBA)12. Time to Competency 13. Time to Market14. Return on Expectation15. AEIOU: Accountability,

Effectiveness, Impact, Organizational Context, U = Unintended Consequences

16. Consumer-Oriented Evaluation

Part I. The State of Online Learning

Survey of 201 Trainers, Instructors, Managers, Instructional Designers,

CEOs, CLOs, etc.

Survey Limitations

• Sample pool—e-PostDirect• The Web is changing rapidly• Lengthy survey, low response rate• No password or keycode• Many backgrounds—hard to

generalize• Does not address all issues (e.g., ROI

calculations, how trained & supported, specific assessments)

Figure 2. Size of Respondent Organizations

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

1 to 30 31-100 101 to500

501 to1,000

1,001 to5,000

5,001 to10,000

10,001 to100,000

More than100,001

Number of Employees

Per

cen

t o

f R

esp

on

den

ts

Figure 12. Methods Used to Deliver Training in Organization

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Instructor-Led Classroom

Internet/Intranet

Multimedia

Videotape

Paper-Based Correspondence

Other

Why Interested in E-Learning?

Mainly cost savings Reduced travel time Greater flexibility in delivery Timeliness of training Better allocation of resources, speed of delivery,

convenience, course customization, lifelong learning options, personal growth, greater distrib of materials

Figure 25. Percent of Respondent Organizations Conducting Formal Evaluations of Web-Based Learning

No59%

Yes41%

A Few Assessment Comments

Level 1 Comments. Reactions

“We assess our courses based on participation levels and online surveys after course completion. All of our courses are asynchronous.”

“I conduct a post course survey of course material, delivery methods and mode, and instructor effectiveness. I look for suggestions and modify each course based on the results of the survey.”

“We use the Halo Survey process of asking them when the course is concluding.”

Level 2 Comments: Learning

“We use online testing and simulation frequently for testing student knowledge.”

“Do multiple choice exams after each section of the course.”

“We use online exams and use level 2 evaluation forms.”

Level 3 Comment: Job Performance

“I feel strongly there is a need to measure the success of any training in terms of the implementation of the new behaviors on the job. Having said that, I find there is very limited by our clients in spending the dollars required…”

More Assessment CommentsMultiple Level Evaluation

“Using Level One Evaluations for each session followed by a summary evaluation. Thirty days post-training, conversations occur with learners’ managers to assess Level 2” (actually Level 3).”

“We do Level 1 measurements to gauge student reactions to online training using an online evaluation form. We do Level 2 measurements to determine whether or not learning has occurred…

“Currently, we are using online teaching and following up with manager assessments that the instructional material is being put to use on the job.”

Who is Evaluating Online Learning?

• 59% of respondents said they did not have a formal evaluation program

• At Reaction level: 79%

• At Learning level: 61%

• At Behavior/Job Performance level: 47%

• At Results or Return on Investment: 30%

Figure 26. How Respondent Organizations Measure Success of Web-Based Learning

0102030405060708090

Learner satisfaction Change inknowledge, skill,

atttitude

Job performance ROI

Kirkpatrick's Evaluation Level

Pe

rce

nt

of

Re

spo

nd

en

ts

Assessment Lacking or Too Early

“We are just beginning to use Web-based technology for education of both associates and customers, and do not have the metric to measure our success. However, we are putting together a focus group to determine what to measure (and) how.”

“We have no online evaluation for students at this time.”

“We lack useful tools in this area.”

Limitations with Current System

“I feel strongly there is a need to measure the success of any training in terms of the implementation of the new behaviors on the job. Having said that, I find there is very limited by our clients in spending the dollars required…”

“We are looking for better ways to track learner progress, learner satisfaction, and retention of material.”

“Have had fairly poor ratings on reliability, customer support, and interactivity…”

Pause…How and What Do You Evaluate…?

Readiness Checklist

1.      ___ Is your organization undergoing significant change, in part related to e-learning?

2.      ___ Is there pressure from senior management to measure the results of e-learning?

3.      ___ Has your company experienced one or more training/learning disasters in the past?

4.      ___ Is the image of the training/learning function lower than you want?

Part II Evaluation Purposes,

Approaches and Frameworks

What is Evaluation???

“Simply put, an evaluation is concerned with judging the worth of a program and is essentially conducted to aid in the making of decisions by stakeholders.” (e.g., does it work as effectively as the standard instructional approach).

(Champagne & Wisher, in press)

What is assessment?• Assessment refers to…efforts to obtain info about

how and what students are learning in order to improve…teaching efforts and/or to demo to others the degree to which students have accomplished the learning goals for a course.” (Millar, 2001, p. 11).

• It is a way of using info obtained through various types of measurement to determine a learner’s performance or skill on some task or situation (Rosenkrans, 2000).

Who are you evaluating for?

The level of evaluation will depend on articulation of the stakeholders. Stakeholders of evaluation in corporate settings may range from…???

Evaluation Purposes

• Determine learner progress– What did they learn?

• Document learning impact– How well do learners use what they learned?– How much do learners use what they learn?

Evaluation Purposes

• Efficiency– Was online learning more effective than

another medium?– Was online learning more cost-effective than

another medium/what was the return on investment (ROI)?

• Improvement– How do we do this better?

Evaluation Purposes

“An evaluation plan can evaluate the delivery of e-learning, identify ways to improve the online delivery of it, and justify the investment in the online training package, program, or initiative.” (Champagne & Wisher, in press)

Evaluation Plans

Does your company have a training evaluation plan?

Steps to Developing an OL Evaluation Program

• Select a purpose and framework• Develop benchmarks• Develop online survey instruments

– For learner reactions– For learner post-training performance– For manager post-training reactions

• Develop data analysis and management plan

1. Formative Evaluation

• Formative evaluations focus on improving the online learning experience.

• A formative focus will try to find out what worked or did not work.

• Formative evaluation is particularly useful for examining instructional design and instructor performance.

Formative Questions

• -How can we improve our OL program?

• -How can we make our OL program more efficient?

• -More effective?

• -More accessible?

2. Summative Evaluation

• Summative evaluations focus on the overall success of the OL experience (should it be continued?).

• A summative focus will look at whether or not objectives are met, the training is cost-effective, etc.

Course Completion

• Jeanne Meister, Corporate University Xchange, found a 70 percent drop out rate compared to classroom rates of 15%.

• Perhaps need new metrics. Need to see if they can test out.

• “Almost any measure would be better than course completion, which is not a predictor of anything.” Tom Kelly, Cisco, March 2002, e-Learning.

What Can OL Evaluation Measure?

• Categories of Evaluation Info (Woodley and Kirkwood, 1986)

• Measures of activity

• Measures of efficiency

• Measures of outcomes

• Measures of program aims

• Measures of policy

• Measures of organizations

Typical Evaluation Frameworks for OL

• Commonly used frameworks include:– CIPP Model– Objectives-oriented– Marshall & Shriver’s 5 levels– Kirkpatrick’s 4 levels

• Plus a 5th level

– AEIOU– Consumer-oriented

3. CIPP Model Evaluation

• CIPP is a management-oriented model– C = context

– I = input

– P = process

– P = product

• Examines the OL within its larger system/context

CIPP & OL: Context

• Context: Addresses the environment in which OL takes place.

• How does the real environment compare to the ideal?

• Uncovers systemic problems that may dampen OL success.– Technology breakdowns– Inadequate computer systems

CIPP & OL: Input

• Input: Examines what resources are put into OL.

• Is the content right?

• Have we used the right combination of media?

• Uncovers instructional design issues.

CIPP & OL: Process

• Process: Examines how well the implementation works.

• Did the course run smoothly?

• Were there technology problems?

• Was the facilitation and participation as planned?

• Uncovers implementation issues.

CIPP & OL: Product

• Product: Addresses outcomes of the learning.

• Did the learners learn? How do you know?

• Does the online training have an effect on workflow or productivity?

• Uncovers systemic problems.

4. Objectives-Oriented Evaluation

• Examines OL training objectives as compared to training results

• Helps determine if objectives are being met• Helps determine if objectives, as formally

stated, are appropriate• Objectives can be used as a comparative

benchmark between online and other training methods

Evaluating Objectives & OL

• An objectives-oriented approach can examine two levels of objectives:– Instructional objectives for learners (did the

learners learn?)– Systemic objectives for training (did the

training solve the problem?)

Objectives & OL

• Requires:– A clear sense of what the objectives are

(always a good idea anyway)– The ability to measure whether or not

objectives are met• Some objectives may be implicit and hard

to state• Some objectives are not easy to measure

5. Marshall & Shriver's Five Levels of Evaluation

• Performance-based evaluation framework

• Each level examines a different area’s of performance

• Requires demonstration of learning

Marshall & Shriver's 5 Levels

• Level I: Self (instructor)

• Level II: Course Materials

• Level II: Course Curriculum

• Level IV: Course Modules

• Level V: Learning Transfer

6. Bonk’s Evaluation Plan…

Considerations in Evaluation Plan

1. Student

2. Instructor

3. Training

4. Task5. Tech Tool

6. Course

7. Program

8. University or

Organization

What to Evaluate?1.Learner—attitudes, learning, use, performance.

2.Instructor—popularity, course enrollments.

3.Training—internal and external components.

4.Task--relevance, interactivity, collaborative.

5.Tool--usable, learner-centered, friendly, supportive.

6.Course—interactivity, participation, completion.

7.Program—growth, long-range plans.

8.Organization—cost-benefit, policies, vision.

RIDIC5-ULO3US Model of Technology Use

4. Tasks (RIDIC): – Relevance– Individualization– Depth of Discussion– Interactivity– Collaboration-Control-Choice-

Constructivistic-Community

RIDIC5-ULO3US Model of Technology Use

5. Tech Tools (ULOUS):– Utility/Usable

– Learner-Centeredness

– Opportunities with Outsiders Online

– Ultra Friendly

– Supportive

7. Kirkpatrick’s 4 Levels

• A common training framework.

• Examines training on 4 levels.

• Not all 4 levels have to be included in a given evaluation.

The 4 Levels

• Reaction

• Learning

• Behavior

• Results

8. Return on Investment (ROI): A 5th Level

• Return on Investment is a 5th level

• It is related to results, but is more clearly stated as a financial calculation

• How to calculate ROI is the big issue here

Is ROI the answer?

• Elise Olding of CLK Strategies suggests that we shift from looking at ROI to looking at time to competency.

• ROI may be easier to calculate since concrete dollars are involved, but time to competency may be more meaningful in terms of actual impact.

Example: Call Center Training

• Traditional call center training can take 3 months to complete

• Call center employees typically quit within one year

• When OL was implemented, the time to train (time to competency) was reduced

• Benchmarks for success: time per call; number of transfers

Example: Circuit City

• Circuit City provided online product/sales training

• What is more useful to know:– The overall ROI or break-even point?– How much employees liked the training?– How many employees completed the training?

– That employees who completed 80% of the training saw an average increase of 10% in sales?

Matching Evaluation Levels with Objectives Pretest

Instructions: For each statement below, indicate the level of evaluation at which the objective is aimed.

1.      ___ Show a 15 percent decrease in errors made on tax returns by staff accountants participating in the e-learning certificate program.

2.      ___ Increase use of conflict resolution skills, when warranted, by 80 percent of employees who had completed the first eight modules of the online training. (see handout for more)

9. A 6th Level?Clark Aldrich (2002)

• Adding Level 6 which relates to the budget and stability of the e-learning team.– Just how respected and successful is the e-learning

team.

– Have they won approval from senior management for their initiatives.

– Aldrich, C. (2002). Measuring success: In a post-Maslow/Kirkpatrick

world, which metrics matter? Online Learning, 6(2), 30 & 32.

10. And Even a 7th Level?Clark Aldrich (2002)

• At Level 7 whether the e-learning sponsor(s) or champion(s) are promoted in the organization.

• While both of these additional levels address the people involved in the e-learning initiative or plan, such recognitions will likely hinge on the results of evaluation of the other five levels.

11. ROI Alternative:Cost/Benefit Analysis (CBA)

• ROI may be ill-advised since not all impacts hit bottom line, and those that do take time.

• Shifts the attention from more long-term results and quantifying impacts with numeric values, such as:– increased revenue streams,– increased employee retention, or– reduction in calls to a support center.

• Reddy, A. (2002, January). E-learning ROI calculations: Is a cost/benefit analysis a better approach? e-learning. 3(1), 30-32.

Cost/Benefit Analysis (CBA)

• To both qualitative and quantitative measures:– job satisfaction ratings,– new uses of technology, – reduction in processing errors, – quicker reactions to customer requests, – reduction in customer call rerouting, – increased customer satisfaction, – enhanced employee perceptions of training,– global post-test availability.

• Reddy, A. (2002, January). E-learning ROI calculations: Is a cost/benefit analysis a better approach? e-learning. 3(1), 30-32.

Cost/Benefit Analysis (CBA)

• In effect, CBA asks how does the sum of the benefits compare to the sum of the costs.

• Yet, it often leads to or supports ROI and other more quantitatively-oriented calculations.

• Reddy, A. (2002, January). E-learning ROI calculations: Is a cost/benefit analysis a better approach? e-learning. 3(1), 30-32.

Other ROI Alternatives12. Time to competency (need benchmarks)

– online databases of frequently asked questions can help employees in call centers learn skills more quickly and without requiring temporary leaves from their position for such training

13. Time to market– might be measured by how e-learning speeds up the

training of sales and technical support personnel, thereby expediting the delivery of a software product to the market

Raths, D. (2001, May). Measure of success. Online Learning, 5(5), 20-22, & 24.

Still Other ROI Alternatives

14. Return on Expectation1. Asks employees a series of questions related to how

training met expectations of their job performance.

2. When questioning is complete, they place a $ figure on that.

3. Correlate or compare such reaction data with business results or supplement Level 1 data to include more pertinent info about the applicability of learning to employee present job situation.

– Raths, D. (2001, May). Measure of success. Online Learning, 5(5), 20-22, & 24.

15. AEIOU• Provides a framework for looking at

different aspects of an online learning program

• Fortune & Keith, 1992; Sweeney, 1995; Sorensen, 1996

A = Accountability

• Did the training do what it set out to do?

• Data can be collected through– Administrative records– Counts of training programs (# of attendees,

# of offerings)– Interviews or surveys of training staff

E = Effectiveness

• Is everyone satisfied?– Learners– Instructors– Managers

• Were the learning objectives met?

I = Impact

• Did the training make a difference?

• Like Kirkpatrick’s level 4 (Results)

O = Organizational Context

• Did the organization’s structures and policies support or hinder the training?

• Does the training meet the organization’s needs?

• OC evaluation can help find when there is a mismatch between the training design and the organization

• Important when using third-party training or content

U = Unintended Consequences

• Unintended consequences are often overlooked in training evaluation

• May give you an opportunity to brag about something wonderful that happened

• Typically discovered via qualitative data (anecdotes, interviews, open-ended survey responses)

16. Consumer-Oriented Evaluation

• Uses a consumer point-of-view– Can be a part of vendor selection process– Can be a learner-satisfaction issue

• Relies on benchmarks for comparison of different products or different learning media

Part III:

Applying Kirkpatrick’s 4

Levels to Online Learning Evaluation & Evaluation Design

Why Use the 4 Levels?

• They are familiar and understood

• Highly referenced in the training literature

• Can be used with 2 delivery media for comparative results

Conducting 4-Level Evaluation

• You need not use every level– Choose the level that is most

appropriate to your need and budget

• Higher levels will be more costly and difficult to evaluate

• Higher levels will yield more

Kirkpatrick Level 1: Reaction

• Typically involves “Smile sheets” or end-of-training evaluation forms.

• Easy to collect, but not always very useful.

• Reaction-level data on online courses has been found to correlate with ability to apply learning to the job.

• Survey ideally should be Web-based, keeping the medium the same as the course.

Kirkpatrick Level I: Reaction

• Types of questions:– Enjoyable?– Easy to use?– How was the instructor?– How was the technology?– Was it fast or slow enough?

Kirkpatrick Level 2: Learning

• Typically involves testing learners immediately following the training

• Not difficult to do, but online testing has its own challenges– Did the learner take the test

on his/her own?

Kirkpatrick Level 2: Learning

• Higher-order thinking skills (problem solving, analysis, synthesis)

• Basic skills (articulate ideas in writing)

• Company perspectives and values (teamwork, commitment to quality, etc.)

• Personal development

Kirkpatrick Level 2: Learning

• Might include:– Essay tests.– Problem solving exercises.– Interviews.– Written or verbal tests to assess

cognitive skills.

Shepard, C. (1999b, July). Evaluating online learning. TACTIX from Fastrak Consulting. Retrieved February 10, 2002, from: http://fastrak-consulting.co.uk/tactix/Features/evaluate/eval01.htm.

Kirkpatrick Level 3: Behavior

• More difficult to evaluate than Levels 1 & 2

• Looks at whether learners can apply what they learned (does the training change their behavior?)

• Requires post-training follow-up to determine

• Less common than levels 1 & 2 in practice

Kirkpatrick Level 3: Behavior

• Might include:– Direct observation by supervisors or

coaches (Wisher, Curnow, & Drenth, 2001).– Questionnaires completed by peers,

supervisors, and subordinates related to work performance.

– On the job behaviors, automatically logged performances, or self-report data.

Shepard, C. (1999b, July). Evaluating online learning. TACTIX from Fastrak Consulting. Retrieved February 10, 2002, from: http://fastrak-consulting.co.uk/tactix/Features/evaluate/eval01.htm.

Kirkpatrick Level 4: Results

• Often compared to return on investment (ROI)

• In e-learning, it is believed that the increased cost of course development ultimately is offset by the lesser cost of training implementation

• A new way of training may require a new way of measuring impact

Kirkpatrick Level 4: Results

• Might Include:– Labor savings (e.g., reduced duplication of

effort or faster access to needed information).

– Production increases (faster turnover of inventory, forms processed, accounts opened, etc.).

– Direct cost savings (e.g., reduced cost per project, lowered overhead costs, reduction of bad debts, etc.).

– Quality improvements (e.g., fewer accidents, less defects, etc.).

Horton, W. (2001). Evaluating e-learning. Alexandria, VA: American Society for Training & Development.

Kirkpatrick + Evaluation Design

• Kirkpatrick’s 4 Levels may be achieved via various evaluation designs

• Different designs help answer different questions

Pre/Post Control Groups

• One group receives OL training and one does not

• As variation try 3 groups– No training (control)– Traditional training– OL training

• Recommended because it may help neutralize contextual factors

• Relies on random assignment as much as possible

Multiple Baselines

• Can be used for a program that is rolling out

• Each group serves as a control group for the previous group

• Look for improvement in subsequent groups

• Eliminates need for tight control of control group

Time Series

• Looks at benchmarks before and after training

• Practical and cost-effective• Not considered as rigorous as

other designs because it doesn’t control for contextual factors

Single Group Pre/Post

• Easy and inexpensive• Criticized for lack of rigor

(absence of control)• Needs to be pushed into

Kirkpatrick levels 3 and 4 to see if there has been impact

Case Study

• A rigorous design in academic practice, but often after-the-fact in corporate settings

• Useful when no preliminary or baseline data have been collected

Matching Evaluation Levels with Objectives Posttest

Instructions: For each statement below, indicate the level of evaluation at which the objective is aimed.

1. Union Pacific Railroad reported an increase in bottom-line performance--on-time delivery of goods--of over 35%, which equated to millions of dollars in increased revenues and savings.

2. They also reported that learners showed a 40% increase in learning retention and improved attitudes about management and jobs.

(see handout for more)

Part IV:ROI and Online

Learning

The Importance of ROI

• OL requires a great amount of $$ and other resources up front

• It gives the promise of financial rewards later on

• ROI is of great interest because of the investment and the wait period before the return

Calculating ROI

• Look at:– Hard cost savings– Hard revenue impact– Soft competitive benefits– Soft benefits to individuals

See: Calculating the Return on Your eLearning Investment (2000) by Docent, Inc.

Possible ROI Objectives

• Better Efficiencies• Greater Profitability• Increased Sales• Fewer Injuries on the Job• Less Time off Work• Faster Time to Competency

Hard Cost Savings

• Travel• Facilities• Printed material costs (printing,

distribution, storage)• Reduction of costs of business

through increased efficiency• Instructor fees (sometimes)

The Cost of E-learning

• Brandon-hall.com estimates that an LMS system for 8,000 learners costs $550,000

• This price doesn’t include the cost of buying or developing content

• Bottom line: getting started in e-learning isn’t cheap

Hard Revenue Impact

• Consider– Opportunity cost of improperly or

untrained personnel– Shorter time to productivity through

shorter training times with OL– Increased time on job (no travel

time)– Ease of delivering same training to

partners and customers (for fee?)

Soft Competitive Benefits

• Just-in-time capabilities• Consistency in delivery• Certification of knowledge

transfer• Ability to track users and gather

data easily• Increase morale from

simultaneous roll-out at different sites

Individual Values

• Less wasted time• Support available as needed• Motivation from being treated

as an individual

Talking about ROI

• As a percentage– ROI=[(Payback-Investment)/

Investment]*100• As a ratio

– ROI=Return/Investment• As time to break even

– Break even time=(Investment/Return)*Time Period

What is ROI Good For?

•Prioritizing Investment•Ensuring Adequate

Financial Support for Online Learning Project

•Comparing Vendors

The Changing Face of ROI

• “Return-on-investment isn’t what it used to be … The R is no longer the famous bottom line and the I is more likely a subscription fee than a one-time payment” (Cross, 2001)

More Calculations

• Total Admin Costs of Former Program - Total Admin Costs of OL Program=Projected Net Savings

• Total Cost of Training/# of Students=Cost Per Student (CPS)

• Total Benefits * 100/Total Program Cost=ROI%

Pause: How are costs calculated in online programs?

ROI Calculators

Success Story #1 (Sitze, March 2002, Online Learning):

EDS and GlobalEnglishCharge: Reduce money on English trainingGoal: 80% online in 3 monthsResult: 12% use in 12 monthsPrior Costs: $1,500-5,000/studentNew Cost: $150-300/userNotes: Email to participants was helpful in

expanding use; rolling out other additional languages.

Success Story #2 (Overby, Feb 2002, CIO):

Dow Chemical and Offensive Email

Charge: Train 40,000 employees across 70 countries; 6 hours of training on workplace respect and responsibility.

Specific Results: 40,000 passed

Savings: Saved $2.7 million ($162,000 on record keeping, $300,000 on classrooms and trainers, $1,000,000 on handouts, $1,200,000 in salary savings due to less training time).

Success Story #3 (Overby, Feb 2002, CIO):

Dow Chemical and Safety/Health

Charge: Train 27,000 employees on environmental health and safety work processes.

Results: Saved $6 million; safety incidents have declined while the number of Dow employees have grown.

Success Story #4 (Overby, Feb 2002, CIO):

Dow Chemical and e-learning system

Charge: $1.3 million e-learning system

Savings: $30 million in savings ($850,000 in manual record-keeping, $3.1 in training delivery costs, $5.2 in reduced classroom materials, $20.8 in salaries since Web required 40-60% less training time).

Success Story #5 (Ziegler, e-learning, April 2002):

British Telecom & sales training

Costs: Train 17,000 sales professionals to sell Internet services using Internet simulation.

Result: Customer service rep training reduced from 15 days to 1 day; Sales training reduced from 40 days to 9 days.

Savings: Millions of dollars saved; sales conversion went up 102 percent; customer satisfaction up 16 points.

At the End of the Day...

• Are all training results quantifiable?• NO! Putting a price tag on some

costs and benefits can be very difficult

• NO! Some data may not have much meaning at face value– What if more courses are offered and

annual student training hours drop simultaneously? Is this bad?

Evaluation Cases (homework…)

1. General Electric Case

2. Financial Services Company

3. Circuit Board Manufacturing Plant Safety

4. Computer Company Sales Force

5. National HMO Call Center

Part V:

Collecting Evaluation Data

& Online Evaluation Tools

Collecting Evaluation Data

• Learner Reaction• Learner Achievement• Learner Job Performance• Manager Reaction• Productivity Benchmarks

Forms of Evaluation

• Interviews and Focus Groups• Self-Analysis• Supervisor Ratings• Surveys and Questionnaires• ROI• Document Analysis• Data Mining (Changes in pre and

post-training; e.g., sales, productivity)

How Collect Data?

• Direct Observation in Work Setting– By supervisor, co-workers,

subordinates, clients

• Collect Data By Surveys, Interviews, Focus Groups– Supervisors, Co-workers,

Subordinates, Clients

• Self-Report by learners or teams• Email and Chat

Learner Data

• Online surveys are the most effective way to collect online learner reactions

• Learner performance data can be collected via online tests– Pre and post-tests can be used to

measure learning gains• Learner post-course performance data

can be used for Level 3 evaluation– May look at on-the-job performance– May require data collection from

managers

Example: Naval Phys. Training Follow-Up

Evaluation• A naval training unit uses an online

survey/database system to track performance of recently trained physiologists

• Learner’s self-report performance• Managers report on learner

performance• Unit heads report on overall

productivity

Learning System Data

• Many statistics are available, but which are useful?– Number of course accesses– Log-in times/days– Time spent accessing course

components– Frequency of access for particular

components– Quizzes completed and quiz scores– Learner contributions to discussion (if

applicable)

Computer Log DataChen, G. D., Liu, C. C., Liu, B. J. (2000). Discovering decision knowledge from Web log

portfolio for managing classroom processes by applying decision tree and data cute tech.

Journal of Educ Computing Research, 23(3), 305-332. • In a corp training situation, computer log data

can correlate online course completions with:– actual job performance improvements such as

• fewer violations of safety regulations,

• reduced product defects,

• increased sales, and

• timely call responses.

Learner System Data

• IF learners are being evaluated based on number and length of accesses, it is only fair that they be told

• Much time can be wasted analyzing statistics that don’t tell much about the actual impact of the training

• Bottom line: Easy data to collect, but not always useful for evaluation purposes– Still useful for management purposes

Benchmark Data

• Companies need to develop benchmarks for measuring performance improvement

• Managers typically know the job areas that need performance improvement

• Both pre-training and post-training data need to be collected and compared

• Must also look for other contextual factors

Online Survey Tools for Assessment

Web-Based Survey Advantages

• Faster collection of data• Standardized collection format• Computer graphics may reduce

fatigue• Computer controlled branching

and skip sections• Easy to answer clicking• Wider distribution of

respondents

Sample Survey Tools• Zoomerang

(http://www.zoomerang.com)• IOTA Solutions

(http://www.iotasolutions.com)• QuestionMark

(http://www.questionmark.com/home.html)• SurveyShare (http://SurveyShare.com;

from Courseshare.com)• Survey Solutions from Perseus

(http://www.perseusdevelopment.com/fromsurv.htm)

• Infopoll (http://www.infopoll.com)

Online Testing Tools(see: http://www.indiana.edu/~best/)

Test Selection Criteria (Hezel, 1999; Perry & Colon, 2001)

• Easy to Configure Items and Test• Handle Symbols, Timed Tests• Scheduling of Feedback (immediate?)• Flexible Scoring and Reporting

– (first, last, average, by individual or group)

• Easy to Pick Items for Randomizing• Randomize Answers Within a Question• Weighting of Answer Options

Web Resource: http://www.indiana.edu/~best/

Tips on Authentification

• Check e-mail access against list• Use password access• Provide keycode, PIN, or ID #• (Futuristic Other: Palm Print,

fingerprint, voice recognition, iris scanning, facial scanning, handwriting recognition, picture ID)

Ziegler, April 2002, e-Learning

“…the key is not to measure every possible angle, but rather to focus on metrics that are pragmatic and relevant to both human and business performance at the same time.”

E-Learning Evaluation Measures

So which of the 16 methods would you use???

Something ridiculous???

Some Final Advice…

Or Maybe Some Questions???