BROWN UNIVERSITY CIS TRAINING
Assessing the Academic Networked Environment
Training Assessment
ASSESSING THE ACADEMIC NETWORKED ENVIRONMENT
Brown University CIS Training
115 Waterman Street Box 1885
Providence RI 02912-1885
Phone 401-863-7299 • Fax 401-863-7329
Table of Contents
IN CLASS EVALUATION 1
EXTENSIVENESS 1
EFFICIENCY 1
EFFECTIVENESS 2
SERVICE QUALITY 2
IMPACT 2
USEFULNESS 3
INSTRUCTOR EVALUATION 4
EXTENSIVENESS 4
EFFICIENCY 4
EFFECTIVENESS 5
SERVICE QUALITY 5
IMPACT 5
USEFULNESS 5
POST COURSE EVALUATION 6
EXTENSIVENESS 6
EFFICIENCY 6
EFFECTIVENESS 7
SERVICE QUALITY- 7
IMPACT 7
USEFULNESS 7
SIGN-IN SHEETS 8
EXTENSIVENESS 8
EFFICIENCY 8
EFFECTIVENESS 8
SERVICE QUALITY 9
IMPACT 9
USEFULNESS 9
COURSE REGISTRATION 10
EXTENSIVENESS 10
EFFICIENCY 10
EFFECTIVENESS 11
SERVICE QUALITY 11
IMPACT 11
USEFULNESS 11
Chapter
1
In-class Evaluations
In-class Evaluations provide real time feedback on topic value and instructor style.
T
ICON KEY
* Extensiveness
$ Efficiency
* Effectiveness
* Service Quality
* Impact
* Usefulness
Too often, people doing computer training have extreme opinions of in-class evaluation sheets.
Some trainers consider them nearly worthless, often referring to them as “Smiley Sheets”,
feeling that they only serve to measure how personable the instructor was.
Others trainers err on the side of putting too much value on the in-class evaluations,
using them as the sole, or major assessment tool.
Either attitude, carried to the extreme,
loses sight of the value and the limitations of an in-class evaluation.
ü
Extensiveness: D+
The in-class evaluations are poor measurements of extensiveness
of the training offerings. These evaluations are optional,
and usually unsigned. Fewer than 20% of the attendees
normally fill out the critiques, but use varies depending
on how much the instructor mentions the form.
$
Efficiency: F-
In class critiques have no value in calculating the efficiency
of the training program.
:
Effectiveness: B+
In-class critiques are often used to try to measure
the effectiveness of a training program.
Users attending training classes (especially
undergraduate students) are not shy about expressing
their displeasure if a class fails to meet their expectations.
This can happen if a course description is poorly worded or unclear,
attendees arrive expecting training in one area and receive
training in a different form on or a different topic.
An instructor with poor instructor skills will also be
flagged in the in-course critique, subject mater
expertise is important, but you have to be able to explain the material to new users.
:
Service Quality: A+
Service Quality is the area where in-class critiques shine.
Instructor talent is the area where this is most often commented on.
Positive comments are usually filled out in class and left for the
instructor to read, i.e. “Best computer class I have ever taken!”.
Attendees less happy with the class will often take the critique
sheet with them when they leave class. The form can be completed
and dropped into the campus mail system. This saves the user the
cost of a stamp, and increases the likelihood of the critique being returned.
Users may comment on the usefulness of the material,
but often it is too early to tell.
They will comment about how wonderful the application sounds
(especially after a demo only class), but they want to go back
and try it at their own computer before they could state how
much they have learned. Comments about facilities (room temperature),
registration, and confirmation would be included in this category as well.
M
Impact: C+
The ability to measure the impact of training varies a great deal
between demo classes and hands-on classes.
The demos expose users to new software, upgraded applications,
and tips and tricks of using the software. A demo attendee sees
and hears things that sound useful, but it is often difficult to measure
the impact until they have had a chance to try the material.
Hands-on training classes provide in-class opportunities to apply
the material covered, so in-class critiques can and do include
some indication of the real world usefulness (or the lack there of)
of the material covered.
&
Usefulness: B-
Without a period of actually applying the material,
users often are unclear as to how useful the material
will be to them outside of the classroom.
Negative comments on the in-class critique form
will most likely be accurate, the user will normally
know when the material has no value to them.
Positive, or undecided users need time outside of class
to try and apply the material in the real world.
Chapter
2
Instructor Evaluation
Instructor Evaluations provide real time feedback
on the instructor’s opinion of topic value
and various course support issues.
T
ICON KEY
* Extensiveness
$ Efficiency
* Effectiveness
* Service Quality
* Impact
* Usefulness
he instructor for a class can provide valuable,
first hand information on course content,
unexpected questions regarding content,
difficulties experienced by the attendees
with the registration process, and a host of other issues.
These are NOT critiques of the instructor, rather,
they are the instructor’s opinions of how the class went
and how it could be improved.
ü
Extensiveness: B
The instructor evaluations provide an opportunity
for the instructor to comment on who he or she has observed
attending the training session. Demos, in particular,
have no pre-registration requirement, so often
the instructor’s notes as to who attended are
very helpful indications of the extensiveness
of the training offerings.
$
Efficiency: F-
Instructor critiques have only a limited value in calculating
the efficiency of the training program. Often times,
a large percentage of the people attending the training
may arrive late or leave early, and often neglect to sign
the Attendance Sheet. The instructor’s critique form can
indicate an estimate of the number or percentage of
the attendees that did not sign in.
:
Effectiveness: B+
Instructor critiques can indicated where material in
the lesson plan was ineffective with a particular audience,
or subset of the classroom population. The examples used
in class often can be tailored to the needs of the attendees,
and the wrong examples can hurt the class effectiveness.
The instructor, noting this on his or her critique,
can give the curriculum developed for the course valuable feedback.
Service Quality: B-
Service Quality is harder to measure with instructor critiques.
Instructors may not always know how well a class went,
but they usually know when a class goes poorly.
Since the instructor critiques may be seen by
the instructor’s supervisor, and feedback is provided
on a semestral basis from the Training Coordinator
to all instructor supervisors, most instructors may
be reluctant to “place themselves on report”.
M
Impact: D+
The instructor can rarely measure the impact of
the material being taught. If the instructor has
a class with limited attendance, it is possible
to survey the attendees to see how they hope to use
the material, but the critique is not designed
to collect this information. This form of feedback
is almost always passed by word of mouth to the Training Group.
&
Usefulness: B-
Only in cases where the instructor is given verbal feedback
by someone unwilling to fill out an in-class critique
would the instructor have second hand information
on the usefulness of the material.
Chapter
3
Post Course Evaluation
Post-course evaluations provide real world feedback
on the usefulness of the course content.
T
ICON KEY
* Extensiveness
$ Efficiency
* Effectiveness
* Service Quality
* Impact
* Usefulness
he newest form of evaluation used by CIS Training,
the post-course evaluation is a form sent out via electronic mail
two to four weeks after a hands-on training class to measure
the trainees’ evaluation of the course after he or she
has had an opportunity to apply the material learned.
Limitations include the fact that not all attendees use email,
and not everyone will bother to reply to the survey.
ü
Extensiveness: F
The post-course evaluations depend on data collected
during course registration. It adds no new information
as to the extent of users of the training services
$
Efficiency: F+
Post-course critiques have only a limited value
in calculating the efficiency of the training program.
Post-course evaluations can show when people are
attending training that they are not using in their
jobs (staff learning how to design web pages that
don’t need those skills for their jobs).
:
Effectiveness: A+
Post-course critiques can indicate whether
the material being taught is in fact of value
to people back at their own computers.
By looking at the Usefulness to the different audiences
(staff, faculty, undergraduate students and graduate students),
CIS Training can determine how effective
the training programs are in meeting the
needs of the University.
Service Quality: B-
Service Quality is can also be measured
with post-course critiques. Surveying for Service Quality
is not the primary goal of the post-course survey form,
and has intentionally been minimized on the form.
However, the difference in the design format makes
some people feel that they are personally
being asked their opinion, so comments
sometimes are received from attendees that did
not choose to fill out a in-class critique.
M
Impact: A+
The post-course survey was created to measure
impact and usefulness. Training classes are attended,
knowledge leaves the room, but what benefit is that
knowledge to the people attending training?
This is what the post-course survey is designed to measure.
One area that is not presently covered that we would
like to add is a supervisor’s section of the post-course
survey to collect the supervisor’s opinion of
the training received. This might introduced slowly,
using it only for Departmental Training classes at first.
&
Usefulness: A+
Post-course surveys measure usefulness. “Nuff said.
Chapter
4
Sign-in Sheets
Sign-ins provide information on who attends the training classes.
T
ICON KEY
* Extensiveness
$ Efficiency
* Effectiveness
* Service Quality
* Impact
* Usefulness
he sign-in sheet asks for the attendees name, department (as applicable),
status: staff, faculty, undergraduate or graduate.
It provides a count of the numbers of people attending class,
and a rough breakout as to which of the major audiences they are from.
ü
Extensiveness: B+
The sign-in sheets collect data on who is attending classes,
and which community they are from. This is particularly useful for demos,
which require no pre-registration.
$
Efficiency: C-
Sign-ins have limited value in calculating the efficiency
of the training program. They provide us a count of
the number of people attending classes.
:
Effectiveness: F
Sign-ins provide no information on effectiveness.
Service Quality: F
Sign-ins provide no information on the quality of the service provided.
M
Impact: F
Sign-ins provide no information on the impact of the training provided.
&
Usefulness: F
Sign-ins provide no information on the usefulness of the training classes.
Chapter
5
Course Registration
Course Registration provides information on who wishes
to attend the training classes, and why.
T
ICON KEY
* Extensiveness
$ Efficiency
* Effectiveness
* Service Quality
* Impact
* Usefulness
he registration process is used only for the hands-on training
classes, but collects a lot of valuable information.
We learn which classes are most popular, which portion
of the campus community is interested in the training
(the status, as we call it), the time of day, day of week,
and time of year that is most popular, the platform
(operating system) of choice, and the version(s)
of software being used.
ü
Extensiveness: A+
The registration information collected provides data
on who is attending classes, and which community they are from.
$
Efficiency: B+
We try to schedule enough classes to meet the demand,
without having too many. The registration process
allows us to see where the demand is, and to schedule
overflow classes as needed..
:
Effectiveness: B
The speed that classes fill up is a fairly good indicator
of which classes are popular, but doesn’t tell us what
we should be offering that we are not, or how people
are using the training after class..
Service Quality: C+
Registration allows us to track who is taking training,
either at the individual level (repeat customers) or the
status level (how many grad students took the Windows 3.1 modem class).
M
Impact: C-
The registration process is not designed to collect
this type of information, but it is noted when it
is mentioned, and passed onto the Training Coordinator..
&
Usefulness: C+
The registration process guides the users to the right
class for their needs, so it helps improve the usefulness
more than it measures it..
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BROWN UNIVERSITY CIS TRAINING
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