Usage and value of Kirkpatrick's four levels of training evaluation.

摘要

The purpose of this study was to build upon the previous training literature by providing a detailed examination of the current usage and reported value of Kirkpatrick's four levels of training evaluation. For training and evaluation practitioners, this study provides (a) a concise history of the Kirkpatrick's four levels and the most significant critical responses to it; (b) a view of current usage of the four levels among a sample of the 20,000+ members of The eLearning Guild; (c) a discussion of how a significant number of Guild organizations get value from using of Levels 3 and 4 to measure desired outcomes of "behavior" and "results;" and (d) practical suggestions, based on this research, for implementing best practices for evaluating training programs through the use of the four levels.;This study used an extensive web-based survey to collect data from 446 training professionals in the corporate and higher education sectors who are knowledgeable in the use of the Kirkpatrick four levels. This study reveals the driving forces behind their organizations' usage of the 4 levels, the challenges they overcame to implement Levels 3 and 4, and the value of the data they obtained in the process. Finally, through an indepth analysis and discussion of the results, this study presents recommendations and guidelines that can be used to replicate the success of those organizations who have used the Kirkpatrick taxonomy to build effective evaluation models and systems.