Assignment:
Reflect on and explore the reasons why evaluation is critical to training success. Discuss the reasons evaluation is critical to effectiveness of training. Explain the connection between organizational improvement and training effectiveness.
Your initial post should be 250 to 300 words. Use the lecture as a foundation for your initial post. In addition to the Blanchard and Thacker (2013) text, use at least one additional scholarly source to support your discussion.
Respond to at least two other posts regarding items you found to be compelling and enlightening. To help you with your reply, please consider the following questions:
What did you learn from the posting?
What additional questions do you have after reading the posting?
What clarification do you need regarding the posting?
What differences or similarities do you see between your initial discussion thread and your classmates' postings?
Your reply posts to Donald and Kathryns should be a minimum of 150 words each.
Donalds Discussion:
The evaluation of training identifies ways that trainers can improve for the future. The data gathered from this will assess training and performance which is vital to an employees future. Trainers can look at this information and can assess whether or not the training needs to be changed for future training. By using the direct effective training evaluation, trainers will be able to collect the required data needed to asses training. From there they can make changes by increasing or lessoning everything.
The guarantee that the training is done right comes from the evaluation training, this in turn will help trainers to assess the employees skills and knowledge to perform their job well. The evaluation training will also help measure the output of the training data the trainer receives, which will make sure that training is in the companys directive and training needs.
Training evaluation can prove that training is actually good for any company. It also shows that the trainer shows the value of the training program by providing management data. This is evidence that if the training is successful, it can prevent budget cuts to training. An organizations improvements is a planned change with the intentions of growing effectively, but by adding training and training for new positions within. A trainer can gauge training effectiveness by asking each employee to apply what they have learned when the training is complete. Then, trainers and managers will be able to assess everything and what to add or take away if anything from the training provided.
Blanchard, P. N., & Thacker, J. W. (2013). Effective training: Systems, strategies, and practices (5th ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc.
Kathryns Discussion:
Evaluation of training is critical to success because it helps organizations to assess whether or not they have spent the appropriate amount of time, money, and resources on the specific type of training. Additionally, evaluations help to identify areas for improvement, or topics that are no longer effective or appropriate for training. Also, evaluations help to identify topics that may be better suited for online training, OTJ training, conventions, learned through teambuilding getaways, etc. There are many reasons for an organization to evaluate its training topics and programs so they can assure that they are not wasting valuable time, money, and resources. If transfer of learning is not occurring after the training, then this is another reason why evaluations should be conducted. Perhaps there was a better way to present the information, depending upon the type of job or the trainees learning style. Perhaps it was a training that was better suited as a hands on training, rather than a lecture. Or, perhaps there was a way in which to cut down on the length of the training so employees could get back to work. Therefore, it is imperative for organizations to compare the cost-benefit evaluation, the cost-effectiveness evaluation, and the cost-savings evaluation against one another (Blanchard & Thacker, 2013). Above all, training must demonstrate value in order to be considered effective (Blanchard & Thacker, 2013). Yacovelli (2012), notes that the key reason for training is to maximize the return on investment (ROI) for the company so they can increase productivity and revenues.
References
Blanchard, P., Thacker, J. (2013). Effective Training. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson
Education.
Yacovelli, S. (2012). How to effectively evaluate e-learning .TD Magazine.