Although evaluation is the last phase of the ADDIE process, it actually occurs at every point along the way: analysis, design, development, during implementation, and after implementation. In the early phases, you’re evaluating the work you’ve done and your preparedness to move into the next phase.
The design phase is when you identify the intended outcomes of the training session and their indicators. This is the best time to ask yourself how you will know whether the learning objectives have been met and what kind of impact the session has had on participants’ behaviors.
During implementation, you’re evaluating your participants’ knowledge and body language and adapting your session as you go to meet their needs. Trainers often ask learners to reflect on the impact and quality of the training at the end of the session through an evaluation form. This is one way to measure whether you met the objectives of the session.
And finally, after implementation, you are evaluating whether the session led to changes in behavior for the participants. Great training organizations check back to see how these changes in behavior have affected the organizations, their practices, and their outcomes.
There are many benefits to evaluation, which include:
- Targeted and engaging training
- Improved services offered by your organization
- Ability to prove training impact and gain funding