Proof of Learning

Plans and implementation

If you haven't delivered the course yet, design into the last part of it a planning session in which the participants not only say what they are going to do differently, but have to describe how that can be measured and recorded as well. This should include defining what good looks like.

Then collect the evidence that they have done what they set out to do on a one to one bass at appropriate intervals – I usually say 1 week, 4 weeks and 3 months.

Hopefully this will be evidence generated in the course of working and doing their day job, therefore not just providing proof of learning (who cares really) but proving that they are doing something differently as a result of being trained (really, really important and what everyone should care about).

Other interactive elements re proof of learning is to ask participants to devise a short input to the next team meeting explaining the three most important things they learned on their recent course and how this has helped them do their job better, differently. This is especially good in generating engagement among those who haven't yet been on the training (if there are any).

Remember, the job of L&D is to enable people to do things differently and do different things. if your training doesn't do that, then it hasn't worked. Your follow up activities should focus around those changed activities and hopefully changed behaviours.

The only time this isn't relevant is if you are working on an issue of compliance, when the absence of prosecutions or similar is not enough to prove that the course worked. in this case, your back to the quizzes I'm afraid, but even these can be staged like a pub quiz and generate a bit of fun and competition. These sessions then also reinforce the key messages (so long as you've written effective questions.

3 Responses

spectrain says:

August 18, 2014 at 11:09 am

Proof of Learning

Hi, you could ask teams to tech back/present back the content, or perhaps create a news report or an infographic on the new learning

Joy
robinhoyle says:

August 18, 2014 at 5:16 pm

Plans and implementation

If you haven't delivered the course yet, design into the last part of it a planning session in which the participants not only say what they are going to do differently, but have to describe how that can be measured and recorded as well. This should include defining what good looks like.

Then collect the evidence that they have done what they set out to do on a one to one bass at appropriate intervals – I usually say 1 week, 4 weeks and 3 months.

Hopefully this will be evidence generated in the course of working and doing their day job, therefore not just providing proof of learning (who cares really) but proving that they are doing something differently as a result of being trained (really, really important and what everyone should care about).

Other interactive elements re proof of learning is to ask participants to devise a short input to the next team meeting explaining the three most important things they learned on their recent course and how this has helped them do their job better, differently. This is especially good in generating engagement among those who haven't yet been on the training (if there are any).

Remember, the job of L&D is to enable people to do things differently and do different things. if your training doesn't do that, then it hasn't worked. Your follow up activities should focus around those changed activities and hopefully changed behaviours.

The only time this isn't relevant is if you are working on an issue of compliance, when the absence of prosecutions or similar is not enough to prove that the course worked. in this case, your back to the quizzes I'm afraid, but even these can be staged like a pub quiz and generate a bit of fun and competition. These sessions then also reinforce the key messages (so long as you've written effective questions.
Jules507 says:

August 18, 2014 at 9:29 pm

If you haven’t measured it before you start…

..you can't measure it afterwards.

Would a 'Before and after' questionnaire cut it? Depends on your content, but it can work well. I sometimes build in a 'How confident do you feel about….' questionnaire into the beginning of the training which you can repeat afterwards – it helps delegates to see their progress.

It can backfire if they realise the know less than they thought! But on a positive note, it can give you some kind of measure, albeit a subjective one