Session 412 Why Don’t We Weigh Them? Gloria Gery Gery Associates March 2, 2004 Training and Online Learning Atlanta

A True Story: circa 1978 Director, IT and End User Training at Aetna Monthly metrics: Number of Student Days Number of Student Days Cost per Student Day Cost per Student Day No shows No shows Classroom Utilization Classroom Utilization Completions vs. drop outs Completions vs. drop outs Average satisfaction levels Average satisfaction levels

My Boss: Mr. Numbers Activity and results plotted to the 4 th decimal point Graphed and charted Every nit discussed. I said… Why don’t we weigh them” Why don’t we weigh them” Let’s add “cost per pound” to the metrics? Let’s add “cost per pound” to the metrics?

Article My boss told me not to “be so smart”. I am still asking the question:

Doing Learning Referencing Content Resources People Data Collaborating The Performance/Learning Cycle Examples Instruction Demonstrations Illustrations Process Support Wizards Templates Variable Manipulators Task automation tools Peers Experts Courtesy of Ariel Performance Centered Systems, Inc. Cincinnati, OH

What are the Issues in Evaluation Real and Perceived Relevance To the business To the business To the individual To the individual What can really be assessed for both participants and management Reaction Reaction Emotion Emotion Cognitive response Cognitive response Attitude Attitude Behavior Behavior

More Issues What can be measured Content Content Context Context Duration and Timing Duration and Timing Instructor performance Instructor performance Attributes and structure of the course Attributes and structure of the course Activity levels Activity appropriateness Skills and behaviors Skills and behaviors Knowledge and skill transfer Knowledge and skill transfer Meaningfulness of what is transferred Meaningfulness of what is transferred

More Issues Commitment to really evaluate Low to moderate Low to moderate More driven by Training function than by management or participants More driven by Training function than by management or participantsWhy? De Facto acceptance of the intervention De Facto acceptance of the intervention Lack of alternatives Lack of alternatives Collective collusion Collective collusion Fear of what will be determined Fear of what will be determined

Traditional Kirkpatrick Model Evaluation of the course against standards standards Outcomes Outcomes Level 1 – 4 from “happiness” through business impact Rare that people go beyond learner satisfaction or “remote” assessments of materiality

Consider Another Point of View: An Oblique Angle Evaluate instructional events against alternative performance development mechanisms Stop the self-referencing model the self-referencing model the “we’re no better or worse off” than anyone else perspective the “we’re no better or worse off” than anyone else perspective wheel spinning wheel spinning

What to Consider Comparative outcomes on all the dimensions mentioned earlier Look at relative effectiveness of the kind of intervention for specific types of content, skills, competencies and behaviors Compare against Job aids Job aids Coaching Coaching On-line reference On-line reference Integrated performance support Integrated performance support Performance centered software Performance centered software

Possible outcomes Relative performance or value is more or less than we thought Question about where money is spent Illusions shattered or belief’s reaffirmed Nothing at all….

Comparing to Reference Current form vs. better form Current form vs. better form Large searchable (sometimes) objectives vs. small granular tagged content that can be assembled ad hoc The point of view of the reference The point of view of the reference Provider perspective Provider perspective Typically not task oriented Typically not task oriented Technical vs. performance or goal oriented Technical vs. performance or goal oriented Separating accessibility from utility or usefulness Separating accessibility from utility or usefulness

Comparing to Knowledge and Content Mgt (however that is defined) Much training occurred because performers could not find what they need Just in case Just in case Structured, granular content, tagged will be the foundation of in context learning Capturing new knowledge assets is different, but essential to increasing the quality and depth of synthesis More powerful because it’s experience -based More powerful because it’s experience -based

Comparing to Tools Tools higher leverage Decrease requirements for knowledge and skill Decrease requirements for knowledge and skill Embody complex rules and relationship Embody complex rules and relationship Institutionalize best practice Institutionalize best practice Can rapidly integrate disseminate changed process, rules and relationships without changing the performers Can rapidly integrate disseminate changed process, rules and relationships without changing the performers Can (rather must) include content and knowledge and enable learning Can (rather must) include content and knowledge and enable learning

Compare non-integrated to integrated environments Requires “demonstration” or prototype projects or examples of the integrated or fused design May require “makeovers” of existing resources to illustrate Evaluation is frequently “face validity… but it must begin

What are the New Metrics Time to understanding Time to retrieval Time to performance Pre-post evaluations (if it matters) of learning outcomes Pre-post evaluations of performance Demonstrations of business impact Efficiency Efficiency Effectiveness Effectiveness Value Added and Strategy Value Added and Strategy

Sample Value Propositions Return on invested capital Return on invested capital Offsets of costs for duplicate, non-integrated resources Offsets of costs for duplicate, non-integrated resources Flexibility in work assignment Flexibility in work assignmentPeopleOrganizations Pushing work to customers Time to implementation, change or integration Time to implementation, change or integration Resources required for “success” Resources required for “success” Quality Quality Etc.h Etc.h