Make eLearning Better by Making It Complete

A trainingcompletion typically denotes the end of a person’s learning experienceregarding a particular subject or set of topics. Some people may suggest thatit is the point at which the learning actually begins. Either way,organizations could be placing too much emphasis solely on trainingcompletions. This article discusses your impact on training completions: whythey are important, how they can be inconclusive, and what you can do to makethem more meaningful.

The importance of training completions

There are several reasons why organizations should continueto focus on training completions. First, completions indicate a) which employees took the trainingand b) when they did it. Peopleoften consider completions a pre-requisite to the evaluation process—you shouldknow who actually attended thetraining before you can ask them whatthey thought of it. Supervisors benefit from knowing that they can hold theirdirect reports accountable for the information covered in the training. Fromthe client’s perspective, completions essentially tie to the learner’sperformance. If an employee is deficient in a particular area, clientleadership can review completion reports as a first step in determining apotential knowledge or skill gap.

The incompleteness of training completions

Although training completions can certify attendance, they cannot attest to anemployee’s performance on the job post-training. Since the data in a completionreport can be inconclusive, there is no way for an organization to establish aneffective plan of action for its employees based on the results. If you wantthe training completions to mean more to the client, then you should focus onthe completeness of the training itself. Consider the following issues and related questions when developing yourcontent:

• Consumption:Will the learners experience everything intended for them to see?
• Compliance:Will the learners agree with the information covered?
• Comprehension:Will the learners understand the information covered?
• Competence:Will the learners be able to perform the objectives covered?
• Confidence:Will the learners perform those objectives with little or no difficulty?
• Coaching:Will the learners need any later reinforcement?

Make the training as easy as PIE

Donald Kirkpatrick, well known for his ubiquitous training evaluation model, encouraged practitioners for years to make their trainingprograms practical (meets thelearners’ wants or needs), interactive(involves the learners’ input or actions) and enjoyable (delights the learners through various activities). As aresult of implementing the PIE (practical, interactive, enjoyable) approach, thelearners are more likely to:

• Consumemost (if not all) of the course content.
• Complywith the information covered in the course.
• Find the information easier to comprehend.
• Be competentand feel confident about their job.

In addition, the learners may be less likely to needadditional coaching (because they gotthe information the first time). You can then regard your training, having metall of the above criteria, as a completepiece of work.

Implications for eLearning

Earlier this year, four well-known thought leaders in theindustry (Michael Allen, Julie Dirksen, Clark Quinn,and Will Thalheimer) co-authored the Serious eLearning Manifesto, which proclaimed their research-based beliefs regarding thefuture of eLearning. If we were to review the manifesto’s supporting principlesand categorize them as being either practical, interactive, and enjoyable (whereapplicable), then we would have a list of best practices for applying the PIEapproach to eLearning (see Table 1).

References

Allen, M., J. Dirksen, C. Quinn, and W. Thalheimer. “The Serious eLearning Manifesto.” Elearningmanifesto.org. Retrieved 13 May2014 from https://elearningmanifesto.org/read-the-manifesto/

Hayes, A. “Aninterview with Donald Kirkpatrick: The father of evaluation.” TrainingZone.co.uk. 2010. Retrieved 13 May2014 from https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/topic/training-cycle/interview-donald-kirkpatrick-father-evaluation

Kirkpatrick, D., and J. Kirkpatrick, Implementing the Four Levels: A Practical Guide for EffectiveEvaluation of Training Programs. San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers,2007.

Kirkpatrick,D., and J. Kirkpatrick, EvaluatingTraining Programs: The Four Levels, third edition. San Francisco: Berrett-KoehlerPublishers, 2006.