Your training: Do they love it or live it? How do training professionals show the impact their programs are making? Positive feedback only goes so far in confirming success. And entertainment value, while important, isn't the truest measure of your effectiveness. To find out whether your participants are applying what they’ve learned on the job, you need a good evaluation strategy—one that connects evaluation to performance, program design, and bottom-line value. Each chapter of Evaluation Basics focuses on a critical aspect of developing and implementing an evaluation plan for a face-to-face or virtual training program. You’ll not only learn about the methods and instruments you can use to determine the value of your program, but you’ll also get help effectively communicating results. Part of ATD’s Training Basics series, the second edition of Evaluation Basics offers practical examples, worksheets, and new case studies to further your understanding.

Table of Contents:
About the Training Basics Series vii Preface ix 1. Evaluation for You and for Your Client 1 How Evaluation Basics Can Help You 2 What's New in This Edition 2 How This Book Is Organized 3 Let's Go! 5 Getting It Done 6 2. An Overview of Evaluation 9 What Is Evaluation? 10 Purposes of Evaluation 10 Benefits of Evaluation 13 So, Why Doesn't Everyone Do Evaluations? 14 Reasons for Poor Training Evaluations 17 Roles and Responsibilities for Evaluation 21 Building on the Four Levels of Evaluation 24 Getting It Done 29 3. Evaluation and the Design Process 33 Criteria for Course Evaluation 34 Key Concepts: Design and Evaluation 35 Online and Virtual Classroom Training 37 Internal Certification Programs and Evaluation 41 The Integration of Evaluation and Design 43 Developing the Evaluation Plan 45 Instruments: Advantages and Disadvantages 55 The Project Plan 58 Getting It Done 61 4. Level 1: Audience Reaction 63 Defining Level 1 Evaluation 64 Reasons for Conducting Level 1 Evaluations 64 Level 1: What It Includes and Excludes 65 Advantages of Level 1 Evaluation 68 Disadvantages of Level 1 Evaluation 69 Guidelines for Level 1 Evaluation 69 An Example of Level 1 Evaluation 71 Common Errors in Level 1 Evaluation 74 Improving Level 1 Evaluation 76 Getting It Done 81 5. Level 2: Learning and Application During Training 83 Defining Level 2 Evaluation 84 Reasons for Conducting Level 2 Evaluation 84 Level 2: What It Includes and Excludes 86 Advantages of Level 2 Evaluation 86 Disadvantages of Level 2 Evaluation 88 Guidelines for Level 2 Evaluation 89 Developing Tests and Testing 90 Why Participants Resist Testing 98 Types of Level 2 Assessments and Their Advantages and Disadvantages 99 Getting It Done 100 6. Level 3: Transfer to the Job and the Environment 103 A Working Definition of Transfer 104 The Business Case for Transfer 104 What Level 3 Evaluation Includes and Excludes 105 Requirements for Transfer 106 Guidelines for Transfer 107 Barriers to Transfer 109 Evaluation of the Design to Ensure Transfer 110 Instruments and Methods to Support and Assess Transfer 114 Make Transfer Part of Your Organization's Processes 124 The Effect of Environment 125 Getting It Done 126 7. Level 4: Impact and ROI 129 A Working Definition of Level 4 Evaluation 130 The Challenges of Level 4 131 Benefits of Conducting Level 4 Evaluations 132 Questions Clients Ask 133 Organizational Drivers for ROI 134 Guidelines for Level 4 Evaluation 136 Steps in Conducting an Impact and ROI Analysis 138 Other Measures of Impact 155 Getting It Done 156 8. Evaluation Biases and Communicating the Results 165 Kinds and Implications of Bias 166 Components of an Evaluation Report 169 The Communication Plan 170 Getting It Done 172 9. A Final Thought 173 Design and Evaluation 174 Demonstrating Value 175 Readiness 177 Getting It Done 179 Appendix A: Rating Guides for Courseware and Facilitation 181 Appendix B: Solutions to Case Studies 193 References 203 Additional Resources 205 About the Author 211