College of Education

School of Continuing and Distance Education2014/2015 – 2016/2017

PSYC 457

Industrial Psychology

Session 8– TRANSFER OF TRAINING AND EVALUATION OF TRAINING PROGRAMMES

Lecturer: Dr. Maxwell A. Asumeng, Dept., of Psychology, UG, LegonContact Information: masumeng@ug.edu.gh

Session Overview

• This session seeks to discuss strategies to ensuretransfer of training to the workplace. Thesestrategies include how learning principles can beincorporated into training programmes to maximizepositive transfer of training. Also, the sessiondiscusses how effectiveness of training programmesare evaluated, including: evaluation criteria, and whysome programmes are not evaluated.

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Session Objectives

At the end of the session, the student will

• Be able to explain how learning principles can beincorporated into training programmes to ensurepositive transfer of training to the job

• Understand and explain the criteria for evaluatingeffectiveness of training programmes.

• Understand and explain why some trainingprogrammes are not evaluated

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Session Outline

The key topics to be covered in the session are as follows:

• Topic One: Preparing for & Delivering Classroom Training/Off-the-job Training

• Topic Two : Application of Learning Principles to Training

• Topic Three: Evaluation of Training Programmes

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Reading List

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Aamondt, M. G. (2016). Industrial/Organizational Psychology: An Applied

Approach (5th ed.). Belmont, C.A: Wadsworth/Thompson.

Arnold, J. (2005). Work Psychology: Understanding Human Behaviour in

the workplace (4th ed.). England: Prentice Hall.

Landy, F. J. & Conte, J. M. (2007). Work in the 21st Century: An

Introduction to Industrial and Organizational Psychology (2nd ed.).

Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.

Millward, L. J. (2005). Understanding Occupational and Organisational

Psychology. London: Sage Pub.

Muchinsky, P. M. (2012). Psychology applied to work (10th ed.).

Summerfield, NC: Hypergraphics Press.

PREPARING FOR & DELIVERING CLASSROOM TRAINING/OFF-THE-JOB TRAINING

Topic One

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PREPARING FOR & DELIVERING CLASSROOM TRAINING/OFF-THE-JOB TRAINING

• Adjusting for the Audience – Trainer must consider thesize, demographics and abilities of audience/trainees.

• Developing the Training Curriculum (content from TNA)

• Research on the Topic (read on the topic for currentliterature, related concepts, theories, case studies,relevant videos etc.)

• Develop a Training Outline / manual as a guide.

• Create Visuals/audio visual aids (e.g., PowerPoint Slides,videos if possible)

• Create Handouts

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PREPARING FOR & DELIVERING CLASSROOM TRAINING/OFF-THE-JOB TRAINING

• Obtain or create supporting materials such as videos,role play exercises and case studies

• Putting together a training program can take a greatdeal of time – Use an estimate of 30 – 50 hours ofpreparation for every hour of training.

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PREPARING FOR & DELIVERING CLASSROOM TRAINING/OFF-THE-JOB TRAINING

• Making the Presentation

• Use a conversational/interactional style. Be ready toaddress the concerns of trainees

• A training presentation is not a speech, lecture orsermon.

• Talk with your audience not at them.

• Make eye contact with the audience/trainees

• Provide group activities

• Be confident – show mastery of subject mattercomfortably, refer to learning principles and training(session 8, topic 2).

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APPLICATION OF LEARNING PRINCIPLES TO TRAINING

Topic Two

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Application of Learning Principles to Training

• Learning: defined as a relatively permanent changein behavior that occurs as a result of practice.

• Application of learning principles: Purpose- Tomaximize learning and enhance transfer of learningto the job.

Conditions of Practice

For maximum learning, active practice of the skill to beacquired is necessary. Practice should continue beyondthe point where the task can be performed successfullyseveral times that is, over-learning.

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Application of Learning Principles to Training

Knowledge of Results

• Errors will be eliminated faster if trainees are givenfeedback on how they are doing.

• Reinforce appropriate learning, and preventinadequate behaviour patterns from developing.

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Application of Learning Principles to Training

Meaningfulness of Material

• Material that is rich in associations for trainees ismore easily understood

• Meaningfulness can be enhanced by providing anoverview of how the training fits with the job

• How the training sequences fit together.

• Anticipated results of applying the key behaviors onthe jobs.

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Application of Learning Principles to Training

Trainability

• Trainability depends upon individual’s ability andmotivation levels. Ability is the extent to which aperson possesses the basic intellectual capability andthe potential to learn and perform the tasks of thejob.

• Motivation is concerned about the factors thatinfluence a person’s expectancy that participation intraining will lead to certain desired outcomes such aspromotion, higher pay, enhanced social status,greater job security, etc. (expectancy theory).

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Application of Learning Principles to Training

• Performance is a function of ability and motivation.That is, performance depends on ability andmotivation. A trainee’s performance will be greatestwhen he/she possesses the maximum ability andmotivation. The objective then is to select peoplewho possess both the maximum ability andmotivation for training.

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Application of Learning Principles to Training

• Individual differences: Individuals differ in patternsof learning, ability, motivation, learning pace andhence trainability. Some trainees are fast learnersand others are slow learners. It is important thattrainers take into consideration individual differencesin trainability

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Application of Learning Principles to Training

Ensuring Transfer of learning to the Job

• maximize the number of identical elements betweenthe training situation and the actual job

• Techniques for enhancing positive transfer includecreating positive expectations on the part oftrainees; creating opportunities for trainees toimplement the new behaviour on the job, andensuring that the behaviour is reinforced when itoccurs.

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Application of Learning Principles to Training

3 types of transfer of learning

• Zero Transfer: When transfer of learning in thetraining situation has no effect on job performance.

• Negative Transfer: When learning in the trainingsituation results in poor performance.

• Positive Transfer (goal of training): When learning in the training situation results in better performance.

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Application of Learning Principles to Training

• Conditions for positive transfer

• Maximize similarities between training situations andworking situations.

• Provide adequate experiences with the task duringtraining, ie. Create opportunity for trainees to applywhat is learned on the job and ensure that the newbehaviour is reinforced when it occurs.

• Over-learning; practicing learned material over andover again helps positive transfer of learning.

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EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TRAINING PROGRAMMES

Topic Three

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EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TRAINING PROGRAMMES

• Why evaluation?

• To determine the effectiveness of the trainingprogramme in achieving its objectives.

• Training evaluation is based on comparing thetraining results with the program objectives.

• Criteria for Evaluating Training Programmes

• Effectiveness of training programs is evaluated interms of the following

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EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TRAINING PROGRAMMES

• How is evaluation done?

• Reaction of trainees: “Are the trainees happy orsatisfied?” Feedback is obtained from the traineesthrough interviews and questionnaires for theirassessment of the training. (At the end of theprogramme)

• Learning: “How much learning has taken place?” useof competence tests (during and the end ofprogramme)

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EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TRAINING PROGRAMMES

• Behavior / performance at the workplace:

• There must be positive transfer of learning, that is,“Has there been a change in performance aftertraining?”

• Results:

• “Has the training added any value to the organizationas a whole?” “Does the application of the new KSAsimpact positively on the organization?”

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EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TRAINING PROGRAMMES

• Why some training programmes are not evaluated

• In organizations, most training programs are notevaluated because of the following;

• Management assumes that the program is effective.

• Financial constraint.

• Lack of skills to conduct rigorous evaluation research.

• Lack of experimental and statistical skills forassessing training effectiveness.

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ASSIGNMENT/SAMPLE QUESTIONS

• How can learning principles be incorporated into training programmes to maximize learning and enhance positive transfer of learning to the job?

• Explain why some training programmes are not evaluated.

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