Training effectiveness evaluation

Author: [UK] Richard Showall
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-03-01
Features: Overall, the book has a rigorous structure. It first introduces the concept of evaluation, then the techniques of evaluation, and on this foundation, it discusses immediate, medium-term, and long-term evaluations, finally addressing special issues such as personalized evaluations. In terms of depth, this book is much more profound than the "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 concepts, with a deeper level of discussion. 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 the book already has a certain level of professionalism, its writing style is not as relaxed as "How to Conduct Training," but as we emphasized earlier, one must climb the stairs to reach a higher level. "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 conduct 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 training, conducting an evaluation is always better than not doing one. However, the author repeatedly emphasizes that evaluation must be moderate: too little evaluation is no better than none, while excessive evaluation can lead to the "less is more" error. Nevertheless, the author does not provide a quantitative definition for the amount of evaluation, as it is inherently undefined. Readers can only explore this step by step in their practical work. This book is just a starting point for everyone.