Learning Evaluation for a Competitive Advantage

Learning evaluation haunts most L&D professionals — we know smile sheets don't predict performance, but the alternatives feel daunting. There's a better way. In this workshop, two research-aligned approaches reshaping how organizations measure learning will be shared. The first is LTEM (the Learning-Transfer Evaluation Model), which moves evaluation beyond knowledge checks to measure what actually matters — decision-making, task performance, learning transfer, and business results. LTEM aligns evaluation with what your organization, learners, customers, and other beneficiaries actually need, and dismantles the most damaging evaluation myths along the way.

The second approach shared will be performance-focused learner surveys, which replace traditional smile sheets that research has shown don't predict learning outcomes. Participants will evaluate their own organizations' surveys and learn the distinctive questioning approach that produces meaningful data.

Participants will leave with four practical tools they can use immediately:

• A learner-survey diagnostic to assess what you're using now
• A template for building a better learner survey
• The LTEM model and the LTEM Report
• An infographic to guide evaluation conversations with business stakeholders

The workshop also covers measuring for impact, evaluation fundamentals, and LEADS (Learning Evaluation As Decision Support) — a framework for ensuring that evaluation helps us make our most important decisions.

This workshop is designed for L&D professionals who want to significantly upgrade their organization’s learning evaluation practices. Some organizations are just getting started. Others want to escape evaluation theater, align with the learning sciences, or better meet the needs of the business. Almost all of us can do more! 

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Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Use LTEM to gather meaningful evaluation data
2. Deploy performance-focused learner surveys that produce meaningful data
3. Recognize and avoid the most damaging learning-evaluation myths
4. Build a learning-evaluation strategy that delivers competitive advantage
5. Apply four practical tools to strengthen your evaluation work

Will Thalheimer, PhD, MBA, Consultant, Speaker, Researcher at Work-Learning Research. Will is a world-renowned thought leader focused on research-based practices for learning, work performance, presentations, and evaluation—and an advocate for learning professionals. Through Work-Learning Research (WorkLearning.com), Will empowers organizations to build maximally effective learning-and-performance solutions and strategies. Will wrote the award-winning book Performance-Focused Learner Surveys (second edition) and The CEO’s Guide to Training, eLearning & Work: Empowering Learning for a Competitive Advantage. Will created LTEM, the Learning-Transfer Evaluation Model, and conducts popular workshops like the LTEM Boot Camp. He co-created The Learning Development Accelerator and the eLearning Manifesto.