We take learning evaluation seriously.
Our development process incorporates evaluation principles from the beginning of a project to ensure that the instructional value of the content is being maintained throughout the scripting stages to final delivery of the courses. Some of the criteria that we assess our progress against are:
- Learning effectiveness.
- Learning efficiency.
- Learner interest and motivation to complete.
- Usability.
- Acceptability by all agreed stakeholders.
Depending on individual project needs and practical constraints we go through the following procedures at key stages during development to make sure that we’re on track:
Expert Review: Experts review a rough version of the learning content to determine strengths and weaknesses.
One-to-One: One learner at a time reviews the learning content with one of our design team. Our evaluator observes the learner using the programme, notes the learner’s comments, and questions the learner during and after the instruction.
Small Group: Our design team facilitates a discussion with a group of learners using the learning content and records their performance and comments.
Field Test: Our design team observes the learning content being tried out in a realistic environment with a group of learners.
The results of these reviews and tests provide an opportunity to revise and improve the content before it’s formally used. In our experience, the more thoroughly these reviews are carried out, the higher the chances of success in the field will be.
Evaluation can take place at a number of different levels in an organisation depending on your needs and objectives:
- Have the right people taken the training?
- Did people like the training?
- Did people understand the content?
- Did the training affect the learners’ actions?
- Did the training affect the organisation?
When working with clients we suggest ways of building in feedback opportunities in their material during the early-design phase of the project. This is an often overlooked strength of e-learning. Not only can we measure levels of knowledge across the target audience (through assessment), but it is also possible to gather opinions and ideas.
We have found that managing and unlocking knowledge is often about creating a dialogue rather than a one-way flow of information. This dialogue will give you the best evaluation feedback.
"The feedback was excellent. People thought the process was very user friendly and the graphic design was fresh and creative. Well done to Brightwave for managing the process really well."
