Assessing the impact of a training course is essential for any learning organization because, depending on the results, it will be able to guide the company's training strategy.
Why try to assess the impact of a training course? Is it a waste of time or, on the contrary, do we find relevant information for businesses at the end of the evaluation? Many reasons justify the need to assess the impact of a training course: measure quality, challenge OFs, measure ROI, be in line with regulations (Avenir law, etc.), validate a learning gain, measure the transfer of knowledge in a work situation, etc.
90% of companies assess the satisfaction of participants at the end of a learning action, this is called “hot” evaluation. However, few organizations use other types of evaluation in order to deepen the impact of their modules: lack of time, choice of indicators, limited skills... There are many reasons to explain the reluctance of companies to set up other types of evaluation to determine the impact of the various actions.
How to assess the impact of a training course?
Since 2019 and the training reform, companies are closely monitoring the investments made in employee training, and in particular learning organizations. For their part, the trainer has a legal obligation to assess the impact of learning and therefore the learners.
- Before, we go back to the initial assessment phase: each learner must go through this evaluation phase to be oriented to the right teaching module and to analyze their progress at the end of the training.
- During the learning phase, formative assessment makes it possible to measure the effectiveness of teaching tools and to measure learners' progress. It was during this evaluation that the Social learning come into play.
- At the end of the apprenticeship, the final assessment makes it possible to validate or not the mastery of the objectives set at the start of learning and to assess learners' satisfaction in the form of a questionnaire.
- A few weeks or months later, a transfer assessment must be carried out in order to measure the impact of the training for the learner.
It is important to impose these evaluation times in order to better understand the impact of your training.
Assessing the impact of peer learning
During the learning phase, formative assessment makes it possible to measuring the effectiveness of teaching tools and to measure learners' on-the-spot progress. Formative assessment has three goals:
- Validate the assimilation of new concepts.
- Motivate the learner with regular evaluations Regular work is always more efficient.
- Validate the assimilation of ancillary skills. For example, when you correct grammar mistakes during an exercise to master web vocabulary in English.
These three objectives can be met in two ways: through peer evaluation and group work in a social learning approach. Thus, nothing is easier than evaluating the impact of your training courses.
Peer review aims to put the learner in a position of proofreader by asking them to take a critical look and assess the work of other learners. It also leads the learner to adopt a critical and objective look at the work presented to him, considerably and naturally reinforcing the assimilation of the course and allowing a different understanding of the subject. With peer review, learners benefit from the knowledge and perspectives of others about their own work, and can therefore learn from a different approach.
Group work makes it possible to maintain a connection between learners by requiring them to work together and communicate in order to advance in their training. It is an excellent way to motivate learners since they will be challenged by the group and will have to invest in the project so as not to penalize their teammates.
As you will have understood, social learning is your ally in evaluating the impact of your training courses.
