Step 4: Identify or develop assessments to ensure the learning is progressing towards learning outco
Developing appropriate assessments for teaching and training strategies, e.g. a workshop or an online course, is an important step for any successful and sustainable training programme. It will not only help to improve learners' experiences but will also aid instructors in improving and updating content (Via et al. 2020). As illustrated in table 7 below, different assessments can be conducted at different levels and serve different purposes.
Table 7: Approaches to assess progress towards learning outcomes
| Assessment goals | Participants | Stakeholders | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
- To identify learning progress of learners. - To evaluate whether learners can apply their FAIR knowledge readily in a hands-on situation. | Learners | Learners & Trainers | Ask learners to draft a DMP for their projects. This could be for an ongoing project or an example project. Work with learners on the DMP to identify immediate knowledge gaps and provide relevant feedback and resources to learners via the drafted DMP. Instructors may use resources such as DMP evaluation guidelines to facilitate the evaluation of the learners' DMPs, e.g. Tuuli Working Group (2021), Donaldson et al. (2017). |
- To collect information from learners on what they like or dislike about the content and format of delivery. - The ultimate goal is to improve educational experiences for future learners. | Learners | Trainers | Teaching and training evaluation surveys are often used in this context. Teaching and training programme developers might want to consult their institution's teaching and learning services (or equivalent) when preparing suitable evaluation survey questions. Shorter training usually requires shorter evaluation surveys or a simple 3-2-1 assessment at the end of the training to ask learners to identify 3 things they have learned, 2 things they want to know, and 1 question they want to ask (Via et al. 2020). Samples of course evaluation questions for a full course or a comprehensive learning programme (consultation with your local teaching and learning services is recommended): 1. UC Berkeley: https://teaching.berkeley.edu/course-evaluations-question-bank 2. McGill University: - English: https://www.mcgill.ca/mercury/files/mercury/course-evaluation-questionnaires-en-final.pdf - French: https://www.mcgill.ca/mercury/files/mercury/course-evaluation-questionnaires-fr-final.pdf |
- Primarily for administrative purposes. - To perform programme evaluation at the institutional level. - To budget and plan for resources. | Trainers | Trainers and Institutions | Sample key performance indicators (KPIs): - Enrolment rates and completion rates of a specific programme - Learner satisfaction survey - Working hours used |
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