Most trainers / training companies request that delegates complete an evaluation form (or “smile sheet”) at the end of a course.

However, in my experience the information requested tends to focus on the delivery of the training and the environment and not the learning itself. Amongst the questions on the feedback form that we currently use, we ask delegates to rate the trainer’s knowledge, rate the pace of the course, rate the booking system and rate the training environment.

Although the form asks whether the objectives were achieved, it focuses on the course objectives rather than the delegate’s personal objectives.

There is an open ended Comments field on the form, but it is just that, open ended. There’s nothing to make the delegates think about the training they’ve just received, for example, what did you like most/least about this course? What would you recommend changing about the course? How do you feel about now you’ve had the training?

I guess it’s historical – we’re a supplier of training services working on a customer site. We have to provide KPI’s to the customer every month and we’re judged more on the responses to “how did you rate the course?” rather than “do you now feel more confident using the software?”