User:Khadene Barker/sandbox

Description
The Kirkpatrick Model is probably the best known model for analyzing and evaluating the results of training and educational programs. It takes into account any style of training, both informal or formal, to determine aptitude based on four levels criteria.

Each successive level of evaluation builds upon the evaluations of the previous level. Each successive level of evaluation adds precision to the measure of effectiveness but requires more time consuming analysis and increased costs

Level 1 – Reaction
Level 1 solicits opinions of the learning experience following a training event or course. Typical questions concern the degree to which the experience was valuable (satisfaction), whether they felt engaged, and whether they felt the training was relevant. Training organizations use that feedback to evaluate the effectiveness of the training, students’ perceptions, potential future improvements, and justification for the training expense. A variety of sources estimate that approximately 80 percent of training events include Level 1 evaluation.

Level 2 – Learning
Level 2 measures the degree to which participants acquired the intended knowledge, skills and attitudes as a result of the training. This level is used by instructors and training executives to determine if training objectives are being met. Only by determining what trainees are learning, and what they are not, can organizations make necessary improvements. Level 2 can be completed as a pre- and post-event evaluation, or only as a post-evaluation.

Level 3 – Behavior
Level 3 measures the degree to which participants’ behaviors change as a result of the training – basically whether the knowledge and skills from the training are then applied on the job. This measurement can be, but is not necessarily, a reflection of whether participants actually learned the subject material. For example, the failure of behavioral change can be due to other circumstances such as individual’s reluctance to change. Level 3 evaluation involves both pre- and post-event measurement of the learner’s behavior.

Level 4 – Results
Level 4 seeks to determine the tangible results of the training such as: reduced cost, improved quality and efficiency, increased productivity, employee retention, increased sales and higher morale. While such benchmarks are not always easy or inexpensive to quantify, doing so is the only way training organizations can determine the critical return on investment (ROI) of their training expenditures. One typical challenge is to identify whether specific outcomes are truly the result of the training. Level 4 requires both pre- and post-event measurement of the training objective.

History and Theoretical Background
Donald Kirkpatrick is credited with creating The Kirkpatrick Model, the most recognized and widely used training evaluation model in the world. The four levels were developed in the 1950s, around the time he wrote his Ph.D. dissertation, Evaluating a Human Relations Training Program for Supervisors. Kirkpatrick adapted four steps he learned from influential industrial-organizational psychologist, Dr. Raymond Katzell, and applied them to his supervisory training program. The steps Kirkpatrick applied grew through organic worldwide usage and became known as The Kirkpatrick Model. Through decades of application and validation, it became the standard for demonstrating the effectiveness of training programs.

Benefits and limitations of the Kirkpatrick Model
The Kirkpatrick Model has a number of advantages that make it an attractive choice for trainers and other business leaders:


 * Provides clear evaluative steps to follow
 * Works with traditional and digital learning programs
 * Gives HR and business leaders valuable insight into their overall training programs and their impact on business outcomes

Additionally, its simple approach is highly flexible and adaptable across industries and applications, making it easy for trainers to implement the model.

However, there are limitations and tradeoffs. The system can be time-consuming and requires costly investment to conduct all the pre-tests, post-tests, and analyses of learning outcomes.

It is also difficult to directly link business results to specific training. Proving efficacy and return on investment (ROI) is hard since the causes are often complex and multifaceted. To do so accurately requires further resources and expertise.

When the Kirkpatrick model is adapted in educational evaluation, there are pieces of evidence of the tendency to restrict evaluation to the lower levels of the model.

Applications

 * The Kirkpatrick Model was developed further by Donald and his son, James; and then by James and his wife, Wendy Kayser Kirkpatrick. And in 2016, James and Wendy revised and clarified the original theory, and introduced the " New World Kirkpatrick Model " in their book, "Four Levels of Training Evaluation." One of the main additions is an emphasis on the importance of making training relevant to people's everyday jobs.
 * The Kirkpatrick Model is a "...time-tested method works in all sectors, such as government, military, corporate, consulting, services, and humanitarian... Popular topics for Kirkpatrick program evaluation plans include onboarding, product and program launches, leadership development, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), safety, security, and succession planning.