Evaluation of operational workbased basic training programmes

Abstract

This chapter will critically evaluate the importance of evaluation of online courses intended for workers in SMEs. The literature agrees that evaluation, when done well, makes learning and development (L&D) programmes better. However, Thackeray (2016) notes that very few organizations actually evaluate training. Of those that do just 12 percent measure impact on results (Scourtoudis and Dyke, 2007). Unfortunately, most providers do not know what difference their training makes despite the high expectations placed on it. There is evidence that much training, for a variety of reasons, may be wasted (Griffin, 2010: 221). Studies indeed show that just 10 to 15 percent of what employees learn through a course (excluding informal and incidental learning) is actually transferred to improved job performance (Velda et al., 2007). One of the barriers to effective course evaluation is the failure to ground approaches in a contemporary and comprehensive model of workplace learning.

This chapter will therefore try to first address this gap through a review of the literature about evaluation. It will then attempt to develop a working process of evaluation for online learning.