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