Hi Sion, just a couple of questions if I may: what type of training are we talking about? Soft skills? IT? Health and safety? What has prompted the review within your organisation? What is the objective? What is not being achieved through your evaluation forms currently? Presumably you're hoping to design some suitable 'happy sheets' immediately after training?
Also, you may like to check out a copy of Francis and Roland Bee's book "Learning needs analysis and evaluation" as I found it very useful when designing effective evaluation forms.

In reply to Clare Marie:

The book mentioned by Clare Marie probably underlines that 'happy sheets' compiled in the warm glow of the day of the event might and often do differ very markedly from evaluation responses made some time after the event, in the cold light of hindsight / reality as regards the extent to which the participants were able to put it to use in their own workplaces

Not withstanding the replies you've already had, mine were always:-


a) How much did you enjoy this event:-
1, 2, 3, 4 ,5 etc.,,

b) What did you enjoy most & why?

c) What did you enjoy least & why?

These 3 simple questions will tell you everything you really need to know about how the training event went.

In reply to David Perry:

Valid point David P, except that it depends on whether the evaluation is about the training event or establishing if the learning will be transferred into the workplace (or some other objective). I have previously designed evaluation forms which link in with the training objectives to identify any gaps so any clues from Sion about the background to the question would be very welcome in helping to supply some useful material. :-)

In reply to Clare Marie:

Thats right of course.

To evaluate whether there was any transfer of learning (where you can't measure output, improvement and other easily measured objectives then I probably used such questions as:-

following your attendance on course XXX:-

a). What are you doing differently as a result - if anything?
b). If you were unable to put something into practice - Why not?

Or in some cases ask the line manager similar sort of questions:-

XXX attended a XXX training event recently.

a) Have you observed XXX doing anything differently since this attendance Can you give some examples:-

b) If not can you suggest of any reason why not?

In reply to Clare Marie:

Hi Clare

Many thanks for your response and recommendations.

I've picked up the book you suggested, and have had a quick look at it over the holiday period - many thanks for that.

Our evaluation forms are generic for all types of training, and ideally we would continue with this format, though I do like the suggestion in the book of asking respondents to rate each learning outcome.

We recently held a development meeting within our HR service, and the general feeling is the current evaluation sheets do not provide a full picture of whether or not the training provided is truly beneficial to the individuals - too much emphasis is put on the facilities and domestic arrangements by the respondents rather than the actual training received - though this may be a cultural issue more than the quality of our evaluation forms.

Thanks again for your input.

Regards,
Sion.

In reply to David:

You are correct David, I have come across that section within the book outlining that there should be an evaluation further down the line by either the learner or their direct manager on how beneficial the training has proven to be.

Thanks for your insight.

In reply to David Perry:

Thanks David. I appreciate your input, and I do like your suggestions - I will certainly put these forward to the team.

In reply to Sion:

Just a small point of clarification Sion.

I assume your initial post referred to evaluation in terms of initial, post and profit outcomes.
In terms of initial evaluation and after much searching and using (as a learner and trainer) different evaluation sheets I cam to the conclusion that unless there was something very specific about the training event (in its broadest sense - such as facilities and so on), you will always encapsulate it by just asking those 3 questions; A,B &C. in my 1st post.

The longer the questionnaire the less likely all the questions will be be answered and in many cases the learner isn't at all bothered one way or another about many aspects of the training. So just answering those open ended questions allows the participant/s to put down what they feel was positive or negative from their perspective.


PS I didn't invent those questions. Rudyard Kipling did:-

"I kept four honest serving men
They taught me all I knew,
what?, why?, where? and when?"

In reply to David Perry:

Thanks again David.

Your insight is much appreciated.

Regards,
Sion.