Evaluating Training Programs: The Four Levels

by Donald L. Kirkpatrick, James D. Kirkpatrick

An updated edition of the bestselling classic
Donald Kirkpatrick is a true legend in the training he is a past president of ASTD, a member of Training magazine's "HRD Hall of Fame," and the recipient of the 2003 "Lifetime Achievement Award in Workplace Learning and Performance" from ASTD
In 1959 Donald Kirkpatrick developed a four-level model for evaluating training programs. Since then, the "Kirkpatrick Model" has become the most widely used approach to training evaluation in the corporate, government, and academic worlds.
Evaluating Training Programs provided the first comprehensive guide to Kirkpatrick's Four Level Model, along with detailed case studies of how the model is being used successfully in a wide range of programs and institutions. This new edition includes revisions and updates of the existing material plus new case studies that show the four-level model in action.
Going beyond just using simple reaction questionnaires to rate training programs, Kirkpatrick's model focuses on four areas for a more comprehensive approach to Evaluating Reaction, Evaluating Learning, Evaluating Behavior, and Evaluating Results.
Evaluating Training Programs is a how-to book, designed for practitiners in the training field who plan, implement, and evaluate training programs. The author supplements principles and guidelines with numerous sample survey forms for each step of the process. For those who have planned and conducted many programs, as well as those who are new to the training and development field, this book is a handy reference guide that provides a practical and proven model for increasing training effectiveness through evaluation.
In the third edition of this classic bestseller, Kirkpatrick offers new forms and procedures for evaluating at all levels and several additional chapters about using balanced scorecards and "Managing Change Effectively." He also includes twelve new case studies from organizations that have been evaluated using one or more of the four levels--Caterpillar, Defense Acquisition University, Microsoft, IBM, Toyota, Nextel, The Regence Group, Denison University, and Pollack Learning Alliance.

Genres: Education, Reference, Nonfiction

392 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1994

About the author

Donald Kirkpatrick was Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin in the United States and a past president of the American Society for Training and Development.

Reviews

[Huong Man · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth reading as it provides with concepts how to evaluate a training program by four levels. This four-level model was mentioned and applied in Google (referred Work Rules of Laszlo Bock) and it's useful. While first 2 levels are easy to assess at the end of courses, the other 2 ones required more effort and systematic measurement/ data to conclude. However, if the organization considers training & development activities are important for business, it must be read and tried.

[Emil O. W. Kirkegaard · Rating 4 out of 5]

While not exactly a great book, this is one of the better books I've read in HR. I was quite skeptical, but it actually advocates randomized controlled trials and other good scientific methods. Particularly useful was that the book contains 15 case studies written by 3rd parties about how they went about doing training evaluation. Unfortunately, these are not that detailed, and none used an actual RCT as advocated in the first part of the book!

I would give it 3 stars normally, but considering the other stuff published in this field, I think it should get 4 in a kind of 'grading on a curve' scheme.

[Alanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful resource!

[Palan RC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don Kirkpatrick was a great friend and teacher. His simple 4 level Evaluation model is a good beginning for every human resources development professional - the 4 levels (Reactions, Learning, Behaviour, Results). Simple and easy to read,

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

crap.

[Rachel42 · Rating 5 out of 5]

An extremely practical approach to evaluation, even (or especially), when needing to provide fast, targeted evals in the real world.

[Renee · Rating 1 out of 5]

As an L&D Manager, I thought I should read this because the Kirkpatrick Levels are such a foundation of evaluating training programs. But the book was pretty terrible, with just a few useful tidbits here and there. I'm going to try How to Measure Training Results by Jack Phillips & Ron Stone instead.

[Jeromy Peacock · Rating 3 out of 5]

This provides a great foundation to building a good training program. I will definitely be referring back to this book in the future.

5 stars = Yearly re-read
4 stars = Re-read eventually
3 stars = Very Good
2 stars = OK
1 stars = Pass on this one.
0 stars = Couldn't finish it.