Title: Evaluation of the Effects of Training
Type of the resource: Quiz/ Assessment
Funded by: Swedish National Agency for Special Needs Education and Schools.
Authors:
Type of disability: ALL TYPES
Target education level: General
Language(s): English
IPR:
OER:
Overall objectives of the inclusive learning resource
Inclusive learning intervention logic: (What are the overall broader objectives to which the action will contribute?)
It gives a guidance to the teacher on how to effectively evaluate their training results.
Objectively verifiable indicators of achievement: (What are the key indicators related to the overall objectives?)
In order to get an idea on how the training has gone the assessors need to take the results from the first week of the training and compare them with the last weeks of training.
Sources and means of verification: (What are the sources of information for these indicators?)
Doing screening tests that are commonly decided with the assessors at the beginning of the training, having another test at the end of the training and a follow up test after few months to see if the training was successful
Risks and Challenges:
This guidance document is in English language, which means the trainer will need to be familiar with English Language. In general the downside of an evaluation is that it is restrictive and if the right questions are not asked, or if you fail to observe a particular behavior, actual changes as a result of training can be missed. The contact between the coach and the trainee is very important for there to be room for a productive conversation about training after it is completed.
Specific purpose of the inclusive learning resource
Inclusive learning intervention logic: (What specific objective is the resource intended to achieve to contribute to the overall objectives?)
It serves as a guidance to give information to the teachers on what sources, methods to use in order to effectively evaluate their training.
Objectively verifiable indicators of achievement: (Which indicators clearly show that the objective of the actions/resource has been achieved?)
Teacher feel confident with the information she gets from this resource and has follow the recommendation from the guidance and she is feeling happy with the outcome of the evaluation. Using the training tools the student show improvement in the results on the screening test and he has less difficulties with him memory. Based on evaluations conducted on Memory Quest an average increase of about 1 in "max items" indicate a positive change. An increase of two or more “max items” indicates a very big change.
Sources and means of verification: (What are the sources of information that exist or can be collected? What are the methods required to get this information?)
The trainer will assess the working memory skills of the children by following the suggested recommendation from the guidance report. She will assess the child before the beginning of the training at the end and during the training and will compare the results and will use this information to make the necessary customization on his training. To give emphasize on the skill needed to train more.
Risks and Challenges: (Which factors and conditions outside the user's responsibility are necessary to achieve that objective? (external conditions)) Which risks should be taken into consideration?
The report it serve as a supportive tool and aims to support the teacher on how to evaluate her training result, but is not a requirement that teacher should follow this exact recommendations in order to effectively evaluate their training results. Additionajly, the results in Memory Quest Training software should be seen as one of several sources of information to evaluate training. The results of the training programme show whether the trainee has learned to remember longer series of stimuli and if they can remember longer sequences more frequently the longer the training has been conducted.
Expected results on implementation of the resource
Inclusive learning intervention logic: (The results are the outputs envisaged to upscale. What are the expected results?)
Teacher is recommend to use more than one assessors and also to use different ways to evaluate her student progress.This will serve on having more accurate result about her evaluation.
Objectively verifiable indicators of achievement: (What are the indicators to measure whether and to what extent the action/resource achieves the expected results?)
Using the guidance the teacher feel more confident as a trainer regarding the method he/she will choose to use for collecting the information about the progress of his/her student.
Sources and means of verification: (What are the available sources of information for these indicators?)
- Pre-assessment of aforementioned skills and competencies, post-assessment immediately after the end of the training and final assessment a few months later.
- Use the screening test to compare the results from the first training week with results from the last week of training.
Risks and Challenges: (What external conditions must be met to obtain the expected results on schedule?)
After the first evaluation at the beginning you need to schedule when it would be the second and what you expect as outcome in order to see if the training was effective or need amendments.
Activities
Inclusive learning intervention logic: (What are the key activities to be carried out and in what sequence in order to reach the expected results?)
1. Distribute identical questionnaires to the assessors before and after training to be able to draw stronger conclusions about the possible training effect
2. Make an assessment before training begins, the next assessment after completed training and a final assessment a few months later. All assessors can use also the Summary of Evaluation for Quest Flex to summarize the results from all evaluations forms in a single category http://flexprogram.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Evaluation-Summary.pdf.
3. Use more than one assessor to get a better idea of training effects.
4. Training can also be evaluated using neuropsychological tests measuring working memory capacity and/or other related cognitive abilities.
5. Meet the trainee to gauge how they have experienced the training. This will give you information about any improvements in areas other than those assessed in the evaluation. Secondly, you may want to give the opportunity for the trainee to describe how they experienced training.
Objectively verifiable indicators of achievement: (What are the means required to implement these activities, e.g. personnel, equipment, training, studies, supplies, operational facilities, etc.)
Means:
You will need to have access to printer in order to print the different screening forms and the guidance report if you want to have it in printed form.
For the training of the child you will need:
Memory Quest Flex Software and Internet access. Option to buy and install a desktop/native version if desirable.
A device, e.g., PC, Mac, Tablets.
The children is pre-trained on how to use the resource.
A teacher/facilitator if the resource is used in a formal education setting.
Sources and means of verification: (What are the sources of information about action progress?)
The difficulty of the exercises is automatically adjusted according to the person performance, so that the demands on working memory are always at an optimal level. The total training period will be 5 to 7 weeks from 25 min to 45 depends on the purpose of the session. The resource provides functionality to collect information about its use by a children. The teacher will be collecting the information and recording using offline means.
Costs:
Evaluation guidance is Free you can access it online on: http://flexprogram.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/evaluating-the-effects-of-training.pdf
Equipment (PC or other applicable device if the children does not have one already).
Resource online version: 75 EUR +VAT.
Resource desktop/native version: +++
Training staff cost for 35 hours
Risks and Challenges: (What pre-conditions are required before the use of the resource starts? What conditions outside the user's direct control have to be met for the implementation of the planned activities?)
Make sure that you have done all the necessities in order the child not to have any obstacles during the training. Before starting the evaluation decide on the assessors and the means that you will use for Evaluation. Evaluate before the training start, the first week and final week of the training in order to compare the results. Doing the necessary amendments during the training if the child seems to experience obstacle to achieve something. Establish a clear reward system in order to support the child to stay focus during the training.
Attachment:
URL: http://flexprogram.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/evaluating-the-effects-of-training.pdf
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