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How to Evaluate Learning: The Kirkpatrick Model for the 21st Century

How to Evaluate Learning: The Kirkpatrick Model for the 21st Century

by on January 20, 2012 in Evaluation, formal learning, Informal Learning, Instructional Design, Training Development

Recent research by ASTD and REED Learning indicates that the top skills desired by Learning & Development departments are measuring and evaluating training.

Even though many Learning and Development organizations find it a challenge to prove training’s effect beyond how learners react to the training and whether they have learned the training content, senior management and business stakeholders are more and more interested in metrics that show the impact on the organization.

According to Donald L. Kirkpatrick’s revised “Four Levels of Evaluation” model, what we need to do is find out what success looks like in the eyes of these senior managers and stakeholders and let them define their expectations for the training program. Then we need to identify specific metrics to demonstrate and deliver on those expectations.

For those of you who are not familiar with the original Four Levels, this is what they are:

  • Level 1. Reaction: To …
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    How Much Does Informal Learning Actually Cost?

    How Much Does Informal Learning Actually Cost?

    by on November 4, 2011 in formal learning, Informal Learning, Training costs, Training Development

    Current research indicates that 20% of  learning is formal and 80% is informal, yet 80% of training budgets are spent on formal learning and only 20% on informal learning.

    According to  Don Clark in Big Dog, Little Dog: The True Cost of Informal Learning, the trouble with this research is that although the comparative percentages for formal and informal learning are correct, information on what is actually spent on each is based on weak research.

    He says that even if all the numbers were correct, what the organization spends is more important than what the learning department spends.  And he poses an even more important question—if informal learning is so efficient, why does it need training budget support?

    A report coming out of an ASTD research project supported by the U. S. Department of Labor states that employer investment in workplace training is about $210B annually. Of that amount …

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