Level 1 - Reactions -- Evaluation at this level measures how participants in a training program react to it.

Level 2 - Learning -- Evaluation at this level attempts to ascertain the extent students have advanced in skills, knowledge or attitude. Sometimes pre-tests and post-tests are used to assess the level of learning.

Level 3 - Transfer -- This level measures the transfer that has occurred in learners' behavior due to the training program. In other words, "Are the newly acquired skills, knowledge or attitudes being used in the everyday environment of the learner?" Many trainers believe this is the truest assessment of a program's effectiveness.

Level 4 - Results -- Often referred to as "the bottom line," this level measures the success of a training program by measuring increased production, improved quality, reduced costs, reduced accidents, increased sales or higher return on investment. however, determining results in financial terms is difficult to measure and is hard to link directly with training.

When you attempt to fashion a classroom training feedback form for use with distance learning students, many questions will need to be replaced. For instance, you could not very well ask online students how they liked the refreshments or how clean the classroom was or if the lighting was right.

Listed below are some questions I pulled from a classroom evaluation form:

1. Were the classroom facilities adequate?
2. Were goals and objectives clearly stated at the beginning of class?
3. Were the students encouraged to introduce themselves?
4. Did the instructor have good eye contact?
5. Did the instructor adequately answer student questions?
6. Were the refreshments adequate?
7. Were the handouts adequate and thorough?
8. Was the classroom neat and orderly?
9. Was the instructor knowledgeable about the subject?
10. Were the classroom aides attentive and helpful?
11. Did the class begin and end on time?

Questions 1, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 11 apply only to classroom training. Notice that the questions above are all True/False, leaving no room for an "average" or "fair" assessment.

I pulled the following from an online training evaluation form with radio buttons offering the students the option to select: excellent, very good, good, fair, poor, or not applicable.

1. Organization of the online course
2. Usefulness of the online course
3. Layout of the online course materials
4. Links between the online course pages
5. Links to other websites
6. Availability of the Online Seminar instructor
7. Availability of the technical support personnel
8. In general, this online training has been ...