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Lecture 6
Training Evaluation
Shafquat Rafiul Alam
HRM 340

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 Training effectiveness
 Benefits that the company and the trainees receive from training
 Training outcomes or criteria
 Measures that the trainer and the company use to evaluate training
Introduction

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 Training evaluation
 The process of collecting the outcomes needed to determine if training is effective
 Evaluation design
 Collection of information, including whom, what, when, and how, for determining
the effectiveness of the training program
Introduction

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• Companies make large investments in training and view them as a strategy
to be successful
• Companies expect the outcomes of training to be measurable
• Training evaluation provides the data needed to demonstrate that training
does provide benefits to the company
Reasons for Evaluating Training

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• Takes place during program design
• Ensure that the training program is organized and runs smoothly
• Ensure trainees learn and are satisfied with the program
• It involves collecting qualitative data about the program
• Pilot testing: Process of previewing the training program with potential
trainees and managers or with other customers
Formative Evaluation

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• Determines the extent to which trainees have changed as a result of
participating in the training program
• May include measuring the monetary benefits that the company receives from the
program (ROI)
• It involves collecting quantitative data such as tests, ratings of behavior, or objective
performance measures (volume of sales, number of accidents).
Summative Evaluation

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• Why?
• To identify the program’s strengths and weaknesses
• did the program meet learning objectives?
• Was the quality of learning environment satisfactory?
• To assess whether content, organization, and administration of the program
contribute to learning
• To identify which trainees benefited most or least from the program
• To determine the financial benefits and costs of the program
• To compare the costs and benefits of:
• Training versus non-training investments
• Different training programs to choose the best program
Summative Evaluation

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The Evaluation Process

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• Reaction outcomes (perception of trainees)
• It is collected at the program’s conclusion
• Learners’ satisfaction is measured
• Example: Comfortable training room, useful material, instructor
• How: surveys, interviews
• Cognitive outcomes (what is learned)
• Determine the degree to which trainees are familiar with the content
• Principles, techniques, and processes taught are measured
• Example: electrical principles, safety principles
• How: pencil-and-paper tests, work samples
Outcomes Used in the Evaluation of Training
Programs

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• Skill-based outcomes (learning and using skills)
• The extent to which trainees have learned skills
• Interpersonal, technical or motor skills or behaviors are measured
• Example: Landing an airplane, listening, sawing wood
• How: tests, observations, self, peer, manager or customer ratings
• Affective outcomes
• Attitudes and motivation are measured
• Example: tolerance for diversity, safety attitudes, customer service
• How: attitude surveys, interviews, focus groups
Outcomes Used in the Evaluation of Training
Programs

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Criteria
Relevance
The extent to which training outcomes are related to the
learned capabilities emphasized in the training program.
Criterion contamination - the extent that training outcomes
measure inappropriate capabilities or are affected by
extraneous conditions.
Criterion deficiency - the failure to measure training outcomes
that were emphasized in the training objectives.
Reliability The degree to which outcomes can be measured consistently
over time.
Discrimination The degree to which trainees’ performance on the outcome
actually reflects true differences in performance.
Practicality The ease with which the outcome measures can be collected.
Determining Whether Outcomes are Appropriate

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• Threats to validity: Factors that will lead an evaluator to question either
the:
• Internal validity: The believability of the study results
• External validity: The extent to which the evaluation results are generalizable to
other groups of trainees and situations
Evaluation Designs

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Threats to Validity

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• Pretests and post-tests: Comparison of the post-training and pre-
training measures can indicate the degree to which trainees have
changed as a result of training
• Use of control groups: Group of employees who participate in the
evaluation study but do not attend the training program
• Hawthorne effect
• Random assignment: Assigning employees to the training or comparison
group on the basis of chance alone
Methods to Control for Threats to Validity

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• Time series: Training outcomes are collected at periodic intervals
• Solomon four-group: Combines the pretest/post-test comparison group and
the post-test-only control group design
Types of Evaluation Designs

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• Cost-benefit analysis
• Determining the economic benefits of a training program using accounting methods that look
at training costs and benefits
• Determining costs
• Direct costs: Salaries and benefits for employees involved; Material and supplies; equipment;
classroom rentals; and travel costs
• Indirect costs: Not related directly to the design, development, or delivery of the training
program
• Benefits: Value that the company gains from the training program
 Determining benefits – Methods include:
 Literature; Observance of successful job performers; Estimates by trainees and their managers
Determining Return on Investment

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Cost Benefit

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 Expenditure per employee
 Learning hours per employee
 Expenditure as percentage of payroll
 Expenditure as a percentage of revenue
 Cost per learning hour received
 Percentage of expenditures for external services
 Percentage of training outsourced
 Percentage of learning content per area (basic skills, customer
service, etc)
Training Metrics