BETTER RETENTION & INCREASED SKILLS
I thought I had stumbled into a time machine!
Imagine my surprise when I read a long-established training vendor’s recent press release. Omitting the organization’s name, I’m going to quote from it:
What an empty claim! Ridiculous! And, in the 1980s, one made by many training vendors regarding the videotapes they then hawked — and, before the customers figured out for themselves the vacuousness of such claims.
Think about the meaninglessness of these results for a minute.
The only true measure of one’s training program depends upon an increase in the trainee’s on-the-job performance — which translates into better learning retention and increased skills.
Short-term improvement, as measured by “immediate testing” (pre- and post-test score differential) means next to nothing.
Just remember your own experience in high school and college classrooms. You studied late at night to pass a test and then, within days or weeks, you forgot much of what you had temporarily learned. You experienced short-term retention but impacted your long-term retention knowledge very little.
The truth is that every vendor of training can make the same claim as Company X. All of them can demonstrate a marked increase in test scores between the pre-test and the post-test. No vendor has an advantage with that measurement tool.
But, you should be looking at long-term retention which can only be measured if you re-administer a post-test six months, or more, after the initial training. Even more instructive are the evaluations given by the trainee’s supervisor. Those are the better ways you will be able to measure the effectiveness of your training initiatives.
What’s more, when it comes to correctly designed e-Learning, a student should be able to demonstrate 100% mastery. Well designed e-Learning allows the trainee to repeat all of the practice exercises and problems as many times as he wishes — in order to thoroughly master the material before taking the final exam.
So, forget comparing pre and post-test scores. They matter little. It’s utilizing the long-term retention measurements that will prove the worthiness of your training.
More on Monday – – –
— Bill Walton, co-Founder, ITC Learning
November 7, 2018
www.itclearning.com/blog/ (Mondays & Wednesdays)
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