L&D Metrics: A Guide to Effective Learning Evaluation
From Bloom’s Taxonomy to LTEM, explore key learning evaluation concepts to assess the effectiveness of your learning and development programs and improve their effectiveness.
Learning Evaluation:
The Important Concepts
The Important Concepts
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Bloom’s Taxonomy is a hierarchical classification of learning objectives that improves learning through content specificity, encourages critical thinking, and design-rich knowledge transfer to workplace settings. The taxonomy was created by Benjamin Bloom in 1956.
Creating: Generating new ideas.
Evaluating: Making judgments.
Analyzing: Breaking down information.
Applying: Using knowledge in new situations.
Understanding: Explaining concepts in own words.
Remembering: Recalling facts.
The Four Stages of Competence
The Four Stages of Competence is a model for learning any new skill. Originally created in the 1970s by Noel Burch, this comprehensive framework offers an outline of the learning process that applies to various aspects of life.
The four stages are:
Unconscious Incompetence
01
Conscious Incompetence
02
Conscious Competence
03
Unconscious Competence
04
Business Impact Models
ROI
For Learning and Development
ROI for L&D measures the financial value gained from the investment in the employee learning and development programs. L&D ROI ensures such budgets to be properly translated into measurable business results increasing stakeholder confidence, improving learning effectiveness, and providing a roadmap for making well-prioritized improvements.
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Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels of Training Evaluation
Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels of Training Evaluation is a widely recognized framework for assessing the effectiveness of training programs. It was developed by Dr. Donald L. Kirkpatrick in the 1950s.
This model assesses training effectiveness across four levels:
Level 1: Reaction:
Measures participant satisfaction and engagement with the training.
Level 2: Learning:
Assesses knowledge gained, skills acquired, and changes in attitudes.
Level 3: Behavior:
Evaluates the application of learned skills and behaviors on the job.
Level 4: Results:
Measures the impact of training on organizational goals (e.g., improved productivity, reduced costs).
LTEM
LTEM is a evaluation model for learning interventions, designed to provide better feedback for improvement and validate learning results. LTEM encourages organizations to assess how learning translates into improved decision-making, enhanced job performance, and ultimately, positive organizational outcomes.
The eight tiers of the Learning-Transfer Evaluation Model (LTEM) are:
Brinkerhoff’s Success Case Method
Brinkerhoff’s Success Case Method (SCM) is a qualitative analytic approach that seeks to identify and systematically investigate the most and least successful cases within a learning program, or any major business change effort. SCM can also be used in conjunction with other evaluation models like Kirkpatrick’s model to provide a more holistic understanding of the learning program or initiative’s impact.
CIPP Model
The CIPP model is a program evaluation model developed by Daniel Stufflebeam. It empowers organizations to make data-driven decisions for continuous program improvement by systematically assessing program context, inputs, processes, and products.
This framework includes these stages:
Context:
Examines program goals, resources, and background.
Input:
Evaluates program plans, budget, stakeholders, and implementation strategies.
Process:
Assesses program activities, their effectiveness, and areas for improvement.
Product:
Measures program outcomes, impact, and sustainability.
Learner Experience and Effectiveness
Employee Engagement
Measures how engaged learners are with the program.
Key indicators: course completion rates, attendance, and participation in discussions or activities.
Knowledge
Retention
Assesses how well employees retain and apply what they’ve learned over time.
Key indicators: quiz/test scores immediately after training and follow-up assessments weeks or months later.
Training Feedback
Measures employee feedback on the training experience.
Key indicators: post-training surveys, Net Promoter Score (NPS), or qualitative feedback.