Training Effectiveness Evaluation (Third Edition)

Author: [UK] Ruini Yana Wu Mengsheng Zhang Jinpu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-03-01
Features: Overall, the structure of this book is rigorous. It first introduces the concept of evaluation, then the evaluation techniques, and on this basis, discusses immediate, medium-term, and long-term evaluations. Finally, it covers some special issues, such as personalized evaluations. In terms of depth, this book is much deeper than the book "How to Conduct Training" in the same series. "How to Conduct Training" is an introductory book on training, while "Training Effectiveness Evaluation" focuses on a specific aspect of training, covering a broader range of knowledge and incorporating more sociological and psychological principles, with a deeper level of explanation. However, to do training evaluation well, one must understand all this and delve into it deeply. Currently, in the book market, "Training Effectiveness Evaluation" is the book that thoroughly explains training evaluation. It is particularly suitable for those who have already worked in training for a period of time. Of course, beginners who want to systematically learn training theory should also read this book, though it may take them a bit longer. Since this book already has a certain level of professionalism, its writing style is not as relaxed as "How to Conduct Training." However, as we have emphasized before, to reach a higher level, one must go through this staircase. "Training Effectiveness Evaluation" provides readers with a detailed explanation of how to conduct training evaluation, starting from the basics, to various evaluation methods such as interviews, surveys, significant event methods, and group discussions, then guiding readers on how to perform medium-term and long-term evaluations, personalized evaluations, and evaluation data analysis. A recurring principle throughout the book is that although it may be difficult to evaluate certain trainings, conducting evaluations is always better than not doing so. However, the authors repeatedly emphasize that evaluations should be moderate: too few evaluations are no better than none, while excessive evaluations can lead to the "less is more" error. Nevertheless, the authors do not provide a quantitative definition for the amount of evaluation, as it is inherently an undefined concept. Readers can only explore this step by step in their practical work. This book is just a starting point to guide everyone.