Evaluation of education

Evaluating adult healthcare education within health services is essential for ensuring that educational programs meet the needs of learners and effectively improve healthcare quality and consumer outcomes. A well-rounded evaluation approach involves assessing both learning outcomes and the overall impact of the education provided.

Key aspects of evaluation include:

• Measuring learner outcomes and skill application - Assessing whether learners can implement new skills and practices effectively helps understand the educational program’s relevance and quality.

• Gathering feedback from learners and stakeholders - Collecting feedback from participants and key stakeholders, such as managers or department heads, provides insights into the program’s strengths and any barriers learners may face in implementing new practices.

• Evaluating patient and organisational impact - Ultimately, healthcare education should contribute to better consumer outcomes and enhanced service delivery.

Learner evaluation and outcome resources

Resources

• Best Practice Clinical Learning Environment (BPCLE) framework  – Department of Health (Victoria) recommended framework to help health services and education providers to meaningfully measure and monitor the quality of education and training

• Kirkpatrick’s Evaluation Model
  • Kirkpatrick's four level training evaluation
  • Heydari, M.R., Taghva, F., Amini, M. et al. Using Kirkpatrick’s model to measure the effect of a new teaching and learning methods workshop for health care staff. BMC Res Notes 12, 388 (2019).
  • Video: How to Use the Kirkpatrick’s 4 Levels of Evaluation Model for Effective L&D Assessment.

• Brookfields critical incident questionnaire article 

Templates

• Example evaluation surveys:
  • Template questionnaire for short training
  • Template questionnaire for workshop