Award Date

8-1-2020

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Teaching and Learning

First Committee Member

Randall Boone

Second Committee Member

Clark Quinn

Third Committee Member

Jessica Doolen

Number of Pages

169

Abstract

With recurring changes in the society, in terms of economy and technology, companies need to ensure that their human capital is aligned with these transformations in order to sustain in a competitive industry. To date, organizations view training as a requirement to increase their employees’ efficiencies and productivity, and reduce their attrition rates. Despite investment in employee training, research shows a lack of transfer of learning to job and as a result minimal return on investment. This issue is due to many barriers, but can be addressed by learning professionals. Poor learning design and training evaluation practices have been identified as the barriers that may result in failure of training transfer.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the linkage between training evaluation, learning design, and training transfer. This study used a new training evaluation model (i.e., learning-transfer evaluation model [LTEM]). This research argued that considering adequate evaluation measures in the learning design process would inform learning professionals to enhance their training programs, diagnose learning and skill challenges, and target long-term retention and transfer of training through robust assessments and feedback.

Practice-based research was the overarching theoretical framework along with design-based research method. In this study, five tiers of the LTEM (Tier 3: learner perception, Tier 4: knowledge, Tier 5: decision-making, Tier 6: task competence, and Tier 7: transfer) were aimed to be measured based on the targeted goals expressed by the stakeholders with reference to LTEM. Based on these measures, an orientation training program for newly hired nurses at a medical center was improved in an iterative design cycle.

The participants consisted of four groups of trainees (i.e., Baseline, Treatment Group 1, Treatment Group 2, and Treatment Group 3). In addition, a nurse educator and trainers also participated in the study due to the collaborative nature of the theoretical framework and research method employed in this study. To determine whether LTEM led to redesign of training, qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection were employed. Results indicated that the LTEM model influenced training design enhancement with a positive shift in the mindset of the stakeholders by focusing more on skills practice to achieve the expected outcomes.

Moreover, results of the pre-, post-, and delayed post-tests indicated that the Treatment Groups had higher mean scores than the Baseline Group in their knowledge and decision-making competence. However, despite higher mean scores in transfer of Treatment Groups, there was no significant difference among the groups in their degree of transfer. This could be due to difference of evaluation matrices applied in the study and by the hospital, nurses’ levels of experience, or their opportunities to practice the acquired skill (i.e., restraining a patient).

Keywords

Evaluation measures; Assessment; Instructional Design; Nursing Training; Training Design; Training Evaluation; Training evaluation model

Disciplines

Adult and Continuing Education Administration | Curriculum and Instruction | Education | Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research | Instructional Media Design

File Format

pdf

File Size

5210 KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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