What are Performance Focused Learner Surveys (PFLS)?

Let's take some time to look at learner surveys, and why the current learning landscape can benefit from an update.

Can you rate your comfortability on a scale of Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree?

Smile Sheets

You are familiar with the age-old smile sheets that are at the end of most of trainings, right?

"The instructor(s) did a good job presenting the material."

• Strongly Agree

• Agree

• Neither Agree or Disagree

• Disagree

• Strongly Disagree

Inspiring stuff.

Your learners are now ready to spill their guts to you about how fabulous your training was and how clever your spaced repetitions and practical scenarios were, too!

Although this is an unlikely outcome, the same can be said for how you measure training impact. If the data you gather in your surveys typically point to the "Agree" or "Strongly Agree", then what actionable insights do you have should you need to update the course?

The Problem with Smile Sheets

As you can see in the example above, a common question about learner satisfaction, specifically with their instructor(s), there is not a way to capture the nuance of what happened during the learning.

We ask learners myriad of questions that ask if the content was good, or if they felt the pacing was right, or if it was relevant to their job. Most of these line items in learner surveys leave us with no actionable data or ways to measure learning.

Gathering data about learner satisfaction can still be important, but when a survey is built with mostly those kinds of questions, we as learning practitioners can't do much more than say "Well, glad they liked it!".

We can do better. Luckily, there is a way to capture the many contributors to effective training in the surveys you already ask learners to complete.

What are Performance Focused Learner Surveys (PFLS)?

When you're looking to get detailed data from the trainings you've developed, you'll need detailed questions.

Performance Focused Learner Surveys (PFLS) are a tool you can use to not only get learners to think more deeply about their responses, but also help you find gaps in the training you believe you covered.

Let's take an example from Will Thalheimer's Example Learner Survey:

"How able are you to put what you've learned into practice in your work? Choose the one option that best describes your current readiness."

• My current roles does not enable me to use what I learned.

• I am still unclear about what to do, and/or why to do it.

• I need more guidance before I know how to use what I learned.

• I need more experience to be good at using what I learned.

• I can be successful now in using what I learned (even without more guidance or experience).

• I can now perform at an expert level in using what I learned.

What are the first things you notice about this question and the response choices?

Is it the wording in the question? Is it the detail in the response choices? The variety in options? All of the above?

The biggest difference between a PFLS and a Smile Sheet is the distinction in responses learners can choose from. It's not so easy for a learner to explain the difference between "Agree" and "Strongly Agree", and how they make that choice may depend on a variety of things - like what they just ate, who they just talked to, what time of day it is, etc.

What a PFLS does really well is give you, your learners, and stakeholders, a clear look at what the training did and did not do. It also makes the separation between choices very obvious. Learners don't have to gauge whether they need more guidance or more experience - they can determine that for themselves based on how well the training supported those points.

Benefits of Performance Focused Learner Surveys

So what's in it for you to change your learner surveys? Surely changing the response options can't lead to more effective worker performance.

That's not the point.

What a PFLS does is, well...focus on performance! By giving learners options that directly relate to how they performed or how they will perform (back on the job), you can measure things that matter most - like learning transfer, application, and performance outcomes.

You can also ask about behavioral questions, asking if learners received enough practice, if they had opportunities to think about how or where they'd apply their new skills, and also if they will have support from their managers or peers.

By focusing on performance, you are setting yourself up to understand the survey results with an actionable lens. If learners feel your survey is actually asking them what their experience or their confidence level is after the training, they are more likely to provide you more honest feedback when you ask "What did we do and what can we do better?".

Conclusion

Using a performance focused learner survey isn't just useful for you and your learners - your stakeholders and your organization will have a clearer action plan for every learning intervention you offer!

Some key takeaways:

• Measure what matters: Focus on learning transfer, decision making, practice, and other factors that impact the overall learning you are expecting.

• Ask the right questions: If you want feedback about your facilitators, that's great, but remember you should be asking questions you want to action.

• Make it actionable: You can only get actionable insights by giving options learners can realistically choose from, not just "Agree" or "Disagree".

• Keep it learner-centered: When learners feel seen, they respond more openly, so design your questions from the perspective of the learner.

If you need help figuring out where to start with PFLS, contact us and grab your snorkel set - the waves of performance are waiting just below the surface!