Revisiting Kirkpatrick's model - an evaluation of an academic training course

Abstract

In scientific and research organizations, the training needs facilitator roles and methods have undergone a change necessitated by rapid information and technology boom. There is ample evidence to show that evaluation and objective assessment of effectiveness and outcomes of training programmes being implemented by organizations are not given due importance as that of their planning and implementation. An attempt is made in this communication firstly to analyse the theories of training evaluation in general; the study also illustrates a case study of training evaluation of the academic training courses being carried out at the Indian Institute of Spices Research by revisiting the popular Kirkpatricks's model. The three-step evaluation model is a combination of formative and summative approaches using multiple methods which measure reactions, perceptions, learning and behavioural components of the trainees combining quantitative and qualitative tools and aims at assessing the usefulness of the course in providing an adequate learning climate.