Isolating The Impact

I recently delivered a synchronous web-based presentation on “level 2” evaluation and related topics. Once of the questions to come out of the experience was: what are some of the techniques used for isolating the impact of training on a business objective? In no particular order:

• forecasting models
• participant estimates
• control groups
• managers’ estimates
• senior management estimates
• trend lines

There may be others that have slipped my mind, but this list is a decent start.

Did You Know?

Every now and again, some PowerPoint slide show or Flash animation makes the rounds. The one we viewed at the opening of Dr. Jac Fitz-enz’ * presentation on leading indicators of forecasting the value of human capital is one of those shows.

I am not about to begin to comment on the information presented in this brief show, but suspect I will continue to mull over the possible implications for some time. The show can be found at: http://www.glumbert.com/media/shift

* CEO of Human Capital Source at the Workforce Intelligence Institute, http://tinyurl.com/2wwfx4

Toys

The ROI conference has partnered with a number of technology vendors whose equipment and software platforms support a variety of HPI challenges.

One of these is vendors is nTAG (http://www.ntag.com/) . Their device, pictured here, is capable of a number of functions, all of which address questions around attendance and networking, quizzes, and real-time audience response.

Another vendor, Fleetwood (http://tinyurl.com/275n6a) produces Reply IQ systems which allow presenters and facilitators the means of gathering voting, polling, and testing data and results via two-way wireless devices.

Both devices will be used throughout the week, but have, thus far, proven to be very interesting. One of the uses being demonstrated is the collection of research data for a study the ROI Institute is conducting.

Global ROI

My strongest HPI* passions are performance consulting and assessment. There is little that is more exciting than a good needs assessment followed with a well-crafted level 3 evaluation...

I get to feed the flames of both this week as a participant at the 2007 Global ROI Conference 2007. This year's conference is being held in Chicago, Illinois (USA) and lives up to its world-wide ambitions by having seventeen countries represented this year. Sponsored primarily by Jack and Patti Phillips' ROI Institute in conjunction with ASTD, there are a wide variety of sessions for a wide variety of experience levels. The challenge will be summing up a week's worth of material on measuring up...



* human performance improvement

Better, Faster, More

Hello and welcome!

While this blog may carry on to be many things, it has been begun as a means to converse (if only with myself) on varied observations, random thoughts and memorable experiences that can be related to learning and human performance improvement.

Is the blog a viable tool for learning? Can blogs further our understanding in a chosen field? Are blogs serving as a source of "social learning?" There is only one way to find out...