Hello. This is Will Thalheimer, Consultant, Speaker, Researcher at Work-Learning Research and author of the award-winning book, Performance-Focused Learner Surveys: Using Distinctive Questioning to Get Actionable Data and Guide Learning Effectiveness [Second Edition].

The following twenty-item diagnostic will help you and your organization evaluate the effectiveness of your learner-feedback questions -- whether you use them for classroom training, online facilitated training, or self-directed elearning.


INSTRUCTIONS:

If your organization routinely engages in the practice presented, select "Yes."

If your organization does not typically engage in the practice, select "No."

If you're not sure, select "Not sure."

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NOTE:
  • Some of the answers reflect GOOD PRACTICES.
  • Some reflect BAD PRACTICES.
When you complete the diagnostic, you will be provided with feedback.

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* 1. Our PRIMARY GOAL for our learner surveys is to get feedback to improve what we do, which we see as a more valuable goal than demonstrating our value.

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* 2. We use LIKERT-like scales (for example: Strongly agree to Strongly disagree).

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* 3. We use NUMERIC rating scales (for example:  1  2  3  4  5  6).

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* 4. We enable POSITIVE responses (with statements like “The program helped me learn”).

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* 5. For day-long learning events or learning events that require more than five hours of learner time, we ask 15 or more substantive questions.

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* 6. We utilize at least some COMPOUND statements (such as: “The program was interesting and useful”).

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* 7. We ask questions for which learners are unlikely to have ACCURATE KNOWLEDGE (for example: “How much will your skills improve?”).

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* 8. As we develop each question, we CONSIDER WHAT MESSAGES we want to send to ourselves and our stakeholders.

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* 9. Before finalizing our learner-survey questions, we spend the time to work with our stakeholders to define which ANSWER CHOICES ARE ACCEPTABLE and which are NOT.

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* 10. We ask about the LEVEL OF MOTIVATION learners have for putting their learning into practice in their work.

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* 11. We ask about the amount of REALISTIC PRACTICE learners got during the program.

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* 12. We ask about the AFTER‐LEARNING SUPPORT likely to be available on the job.

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* 13. We ask about the support likely to be provided by LEARNERS’ MANAGERS.

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* 14. We write questions from the LEARNERS’ PERSPECTIVE (for example: “I was comfortable with the pace of the program”).

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* 15. We include questions that help identify HOW TO IMPROVE our learning events.

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* 16. We BENCHMARK our results against other courses and/or other organizations.

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* 17. For some of our learning programs, we ask learners to complete learner surveys immediately after training AND later on‐the‐job.

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* 18. RIGHT BEFORE learners respond to our learner surveys, we ensure they are reminded of what they learned (example: with a list of key points or a difficult summary exercise).

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* 19. We assign a NUMERIC VALUE to each answer, and then take an AVERAGE and report those numbers as our evaluation results (for example: “Overall, this course got a 4.3”).

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* 20. We use learner surveys ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY to evaluate our learning, doing little or no measurement of learners’ decision-making ability, skills, or work performance.

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* 21. Hello. This is Will Thalheimer, Consultant, Speaker, Researcher at Work-Learning Research. I hope you find this diagnostic useful -- particularly as a way to drastically improve the data you get from your learner-feedback questions.

When you complete this diagnostic, you'll get immediate feedback telling you which items were good and which might need work.

In the meantime feel free to get in touch with here: https://www.worklearning.com/contact/

At this time, what comments, reflections, or questions would you like to leave with me?

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* 22. SIGN UP FOR DETAILED FEEDBACK

I'll be glad to send you specific feedback on each of the items.

Just provide your name and email, and I'll send you feedback.

You can also leave your name and information if you want to personalize the comments you might have made in the previous question. Thanks!!

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* 23. Do you want to be signed up for my occasional email newsletter? It's a periodic short email newsletter I send out compiling research and practice ideas for learning and learning measurement and letting you know about my upcoming workshops, conference sessions, podcasts, etc.

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