TESOL End of the term assignment

“It is important to evaluate the success and effectiveness of your courses so that you could make
improvements on an on-going basis”. Justify the statement with reference to Kirkpatrick’s Model. You
need to mention relevant activities to assess each stage. (500 words)

Kirkpatrick’s five level training evaluation models can help to analyze the impact of the training. It also
help to work out how well the team learned and how to improve their learning in the future.

The four levels of learning are Reaction, learning, behavior, result and ROI (Return on Investment). Here
we will look into the model to evaluate the success and effectiveness of trainings.

Evaluation Type Evaluation Description Examples of evaluation Relevance and

and characteristics tools and methods Practicability
Level 1 Reaction  Reaction evaluation  Typically ‘happy  Can be done
is how the delegates sheets’ immediately after the
felt, and their  Feedback forms training ends
personal reactions to based on subjective  Very easy to obtain
the training or personal reaction to reaction feedback
learning experience, the training  Important that
for example: experience people when relating
 Did the trainees like  Post-training surveys their experience to
and enjoy the or questionnaires others who might be
training? deciding whether to
 Did they consider the experience same
training relevant?
 Was it a good use of
their time?
Level 2 Learning  Learning evaluation is  Typically assessments  Relatively simple to
the measurement of or tests before and set up, but more
the increase in after the training investment and
knowledge or  Methods of thought required
intellectual capability assessment need to than reaction
from before to after be closely related to evaluation.
the learning the aims of the  Highly relevant and
experience: learning. clear-cut for certain
 Did the trainees learn  Reliable, clear scoring training such as
what was intended to and measurements quantifiable or
be taught? needs to be technical skills
 Did the trainees established, so as to
experience what was limit the risk of
intended for them to inconsistent
experience? assessment.
 What is the extend of
advancement or
 change in the
trainees after the
training, in the
direction or area that
was intended?
Level 3 Behavior  Behaviour evaluation Observation and  Measurement of
is the extent to which interview over time behavior change is
the trainees applied are required to less easy to quantify
the learning and assess change, and interpret than
changed their relevance of change, reaction and learning
behavior, and this can and sustainability of evaluation.
be immediately and change.  Cooperation and skill
several months after Assessments need to of observers,
the training, be subtle and typically line
depending on the ongoing, and then managers, are
situation: transferred to a important factors,
 Did the trainees put suitable analysis tool. and difficult to
their learning into Assessments need to control
effect when back on be designed to  Management and
the job? reduce subjective analysis of ongoing
 Were the relevant judgement of the subtle assessment
skills and knowledge observer or are difficult, and
used interviewer, which is virtually impossible
 Was there noticeable a variable factor that without a well-
and measurable can affect reliability designed system
change in the activity and consistency of from the beginning
and performance of measurements.
the trainees when
back in their roles?
Level 4 Results  Results evaluation is  It is possible that  Individually, results
the effect on the many of these evaluation is not
business or measures are already particularly difficult;
environment in place via normal across an entire
resulting from the management systems organization it
improved and reporting. becomes very much
performance of the  Failure to link to more challenging,
trainee-it is the acid training input type not least because of
test and timing will the reliance on line
 Measures would greatly reduce the management, and
typically be business ease by which results the frequency and
or organizational key can be attributed to scale of changing
performance the training for senior structures,
indicators, such as: people particularly, responsibilities and
 Volumes, values, annual roles, which
percentages,  Appraisals and complicates the
timescales, return on ongoing agreement process of attributing
investment, and of key business clear accountability.
 other quantifiable objectives are
aspects of integral to measuring
organizational business results
performance, for derived from
instance; numbers of training.
complaints, staff
turnover, attrition,
failures, wastage,
non-compliance,
quality ratings,
achievement of
standards and
accreditations,
growth, retention,
etc.
Level 5: ROI  Based on the all the  It helps improve the  Each successive level
other 4 levels the ROI quality of learning of the model
calculation is programs, determine represents a more
determined by the if a program meet its precise measure of
organization. It objectives, identify the effectiveness of
compares the potential strengths the training program.
monetary benefits and weakness in the This model is great
from the program learning program , for evaluating
with the progress develop a cost/ training in scientific
costs. benefits analysis of ways. By analyzing
training and HR each level, we can
development gain an
investment . understanding of
how effective a
training initiative was
and how to improve
it in the future.

Example of evaluation sheet: