The Tech Interpreter: IT training

Thursday, 30 August 2012

Evaluating IT Training

It's impossible to overstate the importance of performance measurement with training, and IT training can have an enormous impact on an organisation. If you're involved in Information Technology training, it's well worth taking the time to evaluate the success of your efforts, so that you can identify any areas for potential improvement and maximise on those areas that are proving to be most productive. If you are an employer, it is of course vital to check the relative success or failure of any IT training programmes you have engaged in for future reference.

IT training comes in many forms, from picking up skills on a day to day basis to formal courses with well defined learning outcomes. There are also a number of key aspects to consider when approaching evaluation of IT training, including both content and quality of the material in question.

Does the Material Cover Enough Ground?

It is naturally the case that an IT training experience is only successful if it covers the topic in question in enough detail and depth. If the course was accompanied by an outline of objectives, this is worth referring to. A questionnaire can be a useful tool in establishing success or failure in this regard. Trainees can be given such a questionnaire, which can be multiple choice or include areas for more detailed feedback. It's advisable not only to check that specific topic areas were covered by the training, but also to ask trainees if the topics were sufficiently explored and illuminated, rather than being glossed over.

Is the Material Produced to a High Standard?

A training experience may cover relevant material but still fail to equip trainees with adequate knowledge or skills. The quality of training content is therefore hugely important. This can include the quality of teaching materials such as written content or presentations, as well as the teaching quality itself where training staff are concerned. Trainees can be asked if they felt the material was effectively communicated to them, in a way that improved their practical skills.

Is the Material Relevant to the Job?

Any IT training course is surely aimed at giving trainees practical skills that will prove to be useful on the job. In some cases this is a difficult aspect to measure, particularly in cases where employees are not yet doing the job, but are undergoing training in preparation for it. For employees undergoing training for an existing job, this can be a useful checkpoint. This issue is particularly relevant to managers making decisions about purchasing IT training products. Employees are also in the best position to determine the accuracy of certain IT training processes.

Measurement Tools

The most basic tool for IT training evaluation is a simple questionnaire. In some cases trainees may also be interviewed for more detailed information. However, one activity that is often neglected is a practical evaluation. IT training is primarily about skills rather than knowledge. For this reason it can be extremely valuable to engage trainees in practical tests following their training. Ideally, this should involve trainees carrying out actual tasks that will be involved in their jobs. A typical example would be using a new software program to carry out a common task. There may also be some value in carrying out this and other evaluation processes after a delay in time following the training, to establish whether the skills have been gained on a long term basis.

Getting General Feedback

It's always worth taking the time to allow, and encourage, employees to suggest future improvements to a training programme. This can include suggestions of additional areas or tasks to include in the training. Successful IT training processes are a continuous dialogue between trainer and trainee, with iterative improvements over time resulting in higher levels of success into the future.

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Tuesday, 10 July 2012

Checklist for IT Training Evaluation

With any training and development process, it is essential to have some measure of success. This gives both client and trainer the reassurance that the training process is a productive one, and also gives the trainer a level of verification that the training processes and approach are successful, potentially providing feedback that can be used for improvements. When measuring the success of an IT training process, whether it's a formal IT course or more casual on-the-job learning, there are a number of factors to consider, so referring to a checklist can be a useful technique.

Coverage

One of the main evaluation tools for IT training is a questionnaire. After participating in the training program, people can fill this out in written form, or alternatively it can be worked through verbally with an interviewer. One of the main topics to explore is whether or not the training material covers an adequate area of the topic. This will depend on the particular IT discipline being taught and should relate to any objectives or requirements that have been laid out for the training process.

Quality

Questionnaires may also measure the quality of the training material, based on the participants' perceptions. This can include whether the material is being communicated in an accessible way, is easy enough to understand and increases the understanding and skill-set of those undergoing the training. Measuring the quality of training materials themselves is a useful task, focusing on whether the language, images and any other media used are of a sufficient standard.

Relevance

Most IT training involves practical skills as well as knowledge, so trainees can be asked whether they feel the skills and knowledge gained will actually prove to be useful within their jobs. If the training is aimed at people who have not yet started a job but are being prepared for it, this issue will be less relevant, but in cases where individuals are already involved in the work the training relates to, trainees are in a good position to judge the usefulness of material being covered. Trainees can also be asked whether the training materials contain information that they believe is accurate.

Practical Evaluation

Any training process involving a practical skill or set of skills can only be measured accurately by observing these skills being put into action. For this reason, IT training is often accompanied by practical tests and evaluation. It can also be useful to carry this out again at a later date when time has passed since the training process, in order to establish whether or not any learned skills have persisted. Practical evaluations can involve trainees carrying out a work task that incorporates the skills taught, such as using a software program or Internet service, observing behaviour to establish whether subjects are putting these skills into active use.

Improvements

One of the most useful activities within client evaluation from the training perspective is gathering suggestions for improvement. Training processes are most successful when they are continually adapted over time, according to feedback gained from people who have undergone the training, and it is therefore vital to be open to these suggestions. As well as asking for general improvements, it can be illuminating to ask trainees if there are any particular aspects of the training that they perceive as successful or unsuccessful.