ADDIE - Evaluation stage


The final stage of the ADDIE model is the Evaluation stage. This is the stage in which we try to evaluate whether our course has met its objectives and to find out if anything else needs to be done to improve the effectiveness of the course. This evaluation is primarily concerned around the following areas:
1       Determining what the learners liked or did not like about the course. This evaluation starts when the course itself starts and keeps on going even after the course has ended. The main input/feedback for this evaluation comes from learners. For example – if the majority of learners have identified the same problem areas or if there is learning content that the learners have not liked due to a number of reasons, then this input/feedback is recorded to rethink

2      Did the course meet its objectives i.e. did the course actually result in an improvement of the learner’s skills and knowledge, did the course lead to greater productivity, increased customer satisfaction etc.


So how do we go about getting that kind of information?
Well, there are a number of ways depending on type of training involved and organisational processes and culture. I will briefly discuss a few methods. There might be methods other than the ones I have discussed below.

To determine what the learners liked or did not like the course or its contents, the following methods can be used:
  •          Learner Survey – Survey questions regarding all aspects of training such as availability of trainer, trainer knowledge and behaviour, ease of using the LMS (if applicable), communication regarding the course from admin and trainer, course difficulty, suitability of learning resources, cohort size, suitability of training medium (classroom based or online), multimedia used etc. are some the areas in which learners can provide feedback. Surveys are effective from a time and cost perspective as you can gather feedback from a number of learners at the same time, however learner responses can be constrained by the type of course aspect that they have been asked to comment on.


  •          One to one evaluation with learners – This type of evaluation is usually done over the phone and the learner is asked about their general feeling about the course. The main benefit of this approach over the survey is that the learner can greatly expand on certain things which may not always be possible with the survey.


  •          Group evaluation – Group evaluations are usually conducted to determine the learner perspective on the clarity and effectiveness of the course. Group members can outline issues and then other group members can build on these issues



The other evaluation (point 2 above) is done among the course stakeholders such as course designers, developers and department managers in conjunction with the learner feedback. In this evaluation we take stock of the actual performance of the learner against the stated objectives. Has the learner been able to do things in a better and more efficient manner since doing the course? It is important to do this evaluation because many learners can overestimate their understanding after going through a course or in case of survey they may not take them seriously by viewing it as an obligation and write a response that is not a true reflection of their experience.

The evaluation stage is meant to identify what worked, what did not work, what needs to be done now and how it needs to be done. It is a very important stage that helps in identifying lessons learnt and continuously improve our course design.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Scaffolding

Scaffolding In instructional/learning design we often use the term scaffolding. But what is it? Scaffolding is when we break up the learning or a concept into smaller chunks and support it with various activities that help in understanding and embedding what is being learned. Scaffolding also involves usage of different instructional techniques to gradually enhance learner understanding. The main aim of scaffolding is to make the learner comfortable with what they are learning. So, it should not be viewed as something that needs to be done out of compulsion or convention. Rather, it should be looked upon as the support that is provided to the learner that will make the learning process easier and more effective for them and enable them to apply the learning independently. But how is scaffolding done? Scaffolding is done every time the learner is provided with a tool or information that supports their learning. This may be a:          Clear...
Keep reading

Change Managemnt

In this post I want to talk about Change Management. I am seeing an increasing convergence between learning projects and change management almost to the point where they seem part of the same process. A bit like two sides of a coin. So what is Change Management? Change management is the process of helping an organization adjust its strategies and structures to better meet its goals. It's a broad term that can be used in many different contexts and refers to a process for managing organizational changes and focusses on how individuals respond to change and managing their concerns and resistance to the proposed change. The goal of change management is to make sure that the changes you're making to your business or organization are as smooth as possible. You don't want people to feel like they're being forced into something they don't want, or that they don't understand why they're doing it. You also want to make sure that when you do make these changes, you ca...
Keep reading

The Learning Hook

Can you recall a class that you took or a learning course that you had to go through that instantly grabbed your attention? What was it about the course that grabbed your attention like that? That was a learning Hook! What is a learning hook? A learning Hook is something that grabs the learner’s attention. Something that would make them instantly engage with the learning. So how can we go about developing a learning hook? Well, a learning hook can come from a number of areas. It could be talking about a current event. It could be talking about an ethical or moral dilemma. It could be talking about something that may have directly impacted the learner. It could even be a curious fact, or a mystery or an interesting story. For example, I was once teaching a sales and marketing course and prior to starting any course I usually try to   know my cohort as in, what would they like to do what is it that they find interesting and so on and so forth. So, dur...
Keep reading