Gordon Graham
Category: Public Safety

Gordon Graham here with Today’s Tip from Lexipol. Today’s Tip is for all my colleagues in public safety, and it’s about training effectiveness.  

When designing your next training, consider how you will promote not only learning, but learning transfer.

The goal of training is for the learner to improve their competence, skill, and performance. The learner is expected to gain new or expanded knowledge and be able to apply it in their everyday job. This concept is sometimes referred to as “learning transfer.” To determine if the training provided to the learner is effective, you must assess how well the training supports the transfer of what was learned to the learner’s job. 

How can agencies make sure this learning transfer occurs? A few things to think about: 

First, if you aren’t already, build post-training tests or evaluations into your lesson plans. These will help your agency assess whether the learner gained any new knowledge or skill from the training. 

Also, look at the format of the training. This is particularly important in e-learning. Are there scenario-based, role-playing, or practical application exercises beyond the basic lecture format? Does the training include periodic knowledge checks, quizzes, or observations?  

Finally, consider implementing delayed evaluations. A delayed evaluation takes place several days or weeks after the learner returns to the workplace. They have now had the opportunity to apply what was learned during the training, and are better able to evaluate how useful the training was. Delayed evaluations should also include a follow-up with supervisors to find out how the training has impacted the learner’s workplace performance. 

Remember, an evaluation that only explores learner satisfaction does not measure the training’s effectiveness. 

When designing your next training, consider how you will promote not only learning, but learning transfer. I can guarantee you that it will result in an employee who conducts more effective searches, writes better reports, or applies newly acquired life-saving skills. 

And that’s Today’s Tip from Lexipol. Gordon Graham signing off.