High-quality feedback helps to develop online training
Online learning can and should be updated and developed further after initial publication. Feedback from online training helps to focus development into the correct aspects and to understand the participants’ needs better. This article goes through a few items that should be covered in a course feedback survey.
1. Fulfillment of training goals
One of the key metrics in training quality is whether the goals have been achieved. What kind of goals were set for the online training, and how well were they achieved?
Whether the goals were achieved can be discovered with assignments that test the participants’ competence, but you should also ask whether the experience of having reached their goals was successful. Did the participants get the feeling that they had learned the planned items?
2. Learning and competence development
Training quality should be assessed not only in terms of whether the goals were achieved but also from the viewpoint of learning. Was the training material understandable? How easy was it made to learn new things? Was the training too challenging or maybe too easy?
You can also collect feedback from the participants to learn which parts were difficult or easy and develop ideas on how certain things could be made more easily understandable.
3. Benefits from the online training
The benefits obtained from online training can vary not only in terms of the training quality but also the subject matter and target group. Especially when planning sets of training events, it is useful to measure how beneficial the various events were experienced to be, and if necessary, also compare the experiences between different target groups.
The level of benefits experienced can often be improved through motivation in the introduction of the training or part of a set of training events. Participants should also be told why the topic at hand is important and how they can benefit from it in practical work. Practical case examples and assignments related to day-to-day life also support the perceived benefits of training.
4. Motivating and inspiring online training
Motivation and learning are closely linked. If learners are motivated by the training, they will work harder and get better results. Therefore, it is important to hear how motivating the participants found the training to be, and whether there are ways of making it more motivating.
In terms of motivation, it is particularly important to pay attention to distractions, things that disturb learning. If the sound of a training video is not clear and the text is full of typos, this can be distracting and reduce motivation.
5. Practical arrangements of training
The practical arrangement of the training can either support participation or cause unnecessary stress. Was there enough time to complete the training? Was the training divided into suitable parts? Was the learning platform easy to use? Were there enough and clear instructions?
Feedback on practical arrangements is usually quick and easy to react to. By making clear instructions and changing the timetables, you can create enough flexibility for the participants and support any individual needs.
A practical example of a feedback survey
Course feedback is usually collected through feedback surveys. A Likert scale survey is a good tool for collecting feedback. The participants are requested to assess several statements on the same scale. See the picture below for an example survey.
In addition to a numerical evaluation, you can also collect written feedback and development proposals through open-ended questions.
Course feedback should also be compared to the training results. How many participants completed the training? How does the percentage of those who completed the training compare with how motivating it was found to be? Is the level of difficulty of the training reflected in the number of points from the assignments?
By combining the course feedback and the data about competence measurement, you can focus on developing those parts and elements of the training that have the greatest impact on results and the motivation of the participants.
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