Examining the Effects of Accountability on Learning
The ADL Training Evaluation Team is interested in studying the effect of holding students accountable during training on their learning outcomes. About half of organizations do not include an exam at the end of their training courses. Thus, while students participate in training and may receive a certificate of completion at the end of the course, there is no guarantee that students learned the material and are ready to apply that knowledge to their jobs. This research will examine the following issues:
- Would trainees learn more if they knew they would be held accountable for the material presented in training?
- What impact does failing to assess learning have on student motivation and learning outcomes?
What does participation in this research entail?
We are looking for Web-based courses that currently do not include an exam at the end of training. The ADL Training Evaluation Team will provide materials on writing test questions for trainers or subject matter experts so they can create a post-training exam. The ADL Training Evaluation Team will compare learning outcomes from students who are told they will be tested on the materials with students who do not believe they will be held accountable.
Why participate in this research?
Many online courses do not include a post-training exam. If including an exam at the end of training increases learning outcomes, it will be a low-cost intervention that could easily be incorporated into most training courses.
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