2 for 1: The Retrospective Pretest Method for Evaluating Training

The retrospective pretest method for evaluating professional development activities requires participants to rate their knowledge and abilities before and after a training activity. Participants answer pre- and post-test questions at the end of the training only, rather than at the beginning and the end. This method is an efficient and informative option to evaluate training outcomes and quality and provides a sound and consistent measure of participant growth that can be used to compare training activities at a single event or over time. Adult learners tend to be more accepting of this assessment method than traditional knowledge tests, and the threat of response-shift bias associated with the traditional pre-post method is reduced.

Lori Wingate, director of EvaluATE, will provide an overview of the method and discuss design, analysis, and use. Goldie MacDonald, Health Scientist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will share her experience using this method to evaluate and improve workshops she led this year in the U.S. and overseas.

Webinar participants will learn how to:

1. Design retrospective pretest questions.
2. Analyze and report data gathered using this method.
3. Use the evaluation data to demonstrate accountability for resources dedicated to training, improve the training, and plan for future training or its evaluation.