| Nearly every organization I have ever worked | | | | they are only a fraction of the story if the |
| for or with has a serious problem with | | | | focus is on learning rather than |
| training. They concentrate on training rather | | | | training.What is more difficult and more |
| than learning.The first indication of a | | | | important to measure is whether the learning |
| problem is that the mediums chosen to impart | | | | is actually relevant to the participant's |
| learning are the poorest at retaining | | | | workplace not just intellectually stimulating |
| learning but are the easiest to | | | | and theoretically relevant to the workplace, |
| organise.Learning retention rates vary | | | | which will score high on a reaction |
| depending on the medium that is used to | | | | sheet.Learning which cannot be used in the |
| impart the learning. The usual training | | | | workplace is not only forgotten, but it has |
| methods of lectures, reading, audio visual | | | | no chance of changing behaviours at the |
| and demonstration (including role plays) have | | | | workplace and changing the bottom line of the |
| average retention rates of five, ten, twenty | | | | organisation.Kirkpatrick's four levels of |
| and thirty percent, respectively.A chief | | | | training evaluation has been around, |
| financial officer revising these numbers | | | | discussed and built on since 1994 and yet few |
| would not have an anticipation of a high rate | | | | organisations actually measure beyond the |
| of return from training.The average retention | | | | first level, which is the reaction sheet. |
| ate for discussion groups is fifty percent. | | | | Kirkpatrick's four levels are reaction, |
| Good role plays will result in discussion | | | | learning, transfer (to the workplace) and |
| groups occurring. Unfortunately, most role | | | | results. Kirkpatrick's evaluation model is a |
| plays are unstructured with the roles given | | | | model for evaluating the level and impact of |
| cursory attention as to what impact they need | | | | learning and not training.A good |
| to have on the learning required and the | | | | instructional designer will insist that the |
| discussion which follows is as much about the | | | | determination of the measures to be used at |
| acting ability of participants as it is about | | | | each of the four levels is completed as part |
| the key learnings.Good role plays will | | | | of the instructional design. But this rarely |
| structure the background of the individuals, | | | | happens as organisations remain focused on |
| the behaviour of the individuals, the | | | | the training and the trainer rather than |
| environment in which they are operating and | | | | learning.The third indication that |
| the responses required to specific situations | | | | organisation's focus on training rather than |
| of at least one of the participants of the | | | | learning is that whilst most training is |
| role play. The discussion at the end of each | | | | lectures combined with audio visual and role |
| role play will be similarly structured, | | | | plays with a low retention rate, hardly ever |
| looking for observation about content, not | | | | is there an attempt made to increase |
| style.Practice by doing has a retention rate | | | | retention rates by providing a means to |
| of seventy-five percent. And yet, repetition | | | | revise the material learnt.People who |
| of a task or a method seems to be considered | | | | participate in traditional training methods |
| as demeaning in many organisations. There is | | | | and have no intervention which requires them |
| still much to be said for drilling concepts | | | | to revise the material will forget over |
| into people during and after the "training | | | | eighty percent of what they learnt within |
| programme" to aid retention.By far the most | | | | eight weeks. People who have some |
| effective ways of ensuring that learning is | | | | intervention forget about twenty percent of |
| retained is to immediately apply the learning | | | | what they learnt.If organisations introduced |
| in a real situation or be required to teach | | | | something as simple as a revision test, the |
| others. I have not seen either of these | | | | potential for a return on training investment |
| alternatives to improve retention of learning | | | | increases by a factor of four.Some |
| employed except by the occasional individual | | | | organisations truly see training as an |
| diligent manager or supervisor.When it comes | | | | investment. However, most pay the notion of |
| to the medium of training, the tried and true | | | | training being an investment lip service. It |
| lectures with audiovisuals and a few role | | | | is not hard to understand why, when the |
| plays are the norm. The training department | | | | concentration is so much on training and so |
| generally checks whether the training was | | | | little on learning applied to achieve an end |
| enjoyed and was considered relevant by use of | | | | result.Organisations need to learn that |
| the reaction sheet. This is always in the | | | | training is about the organisation, learning |
| affirmative of course if the training was | | | | is about the person.Kevin Dwyer is Director |
| conducted overseas or in any location | | | | of Change Factory. Change Factory helps |
| considered exotic.Reaction sheets bring me to | | | | organisations who do do not like their |
| the second indication that training | | | | business outcomes to get better outcomes by |
| departments concentrate on training rather | | | | changing people's behaviour. Businesses we |
| than learning. Whilst a reaction sheet is | | | | help have greater clarity of purpose and |
| important to determine whether the trainer | | | | ability to achieve their desired business |
| and the programme delivered are suitable, | | | | outcomes. |