Are you planning a workshop or upcoming training? Wondering what the best way not to bore your trainees is? Or you might wonder, how should I assess employees’ existing knowledge? You might also be asking yourself, how do I know what they know or don’t know? All of these questions can be answered by using the power of the pre-assessment. Pre-assessment is crucial to ensure the proper pacing of information. For example, if you think people attending your training know more than they do, you risk jumping into the deep end with trainees who metaphorically don’t know how to swim. They might find your training confusing or overwhelming and leave with a sense that they weren’t understood or, even worse, that they are stupid or unable to learn content they should be able to grasp. Alternatively, if you don’t assess for knowledge that trainees already have, you might get feedback that the training was easy, not helpful, or even a “waste of their time.” Meeting your learners where they are for training needs helps them feel like their time was well used and that they were respected and valued as individual learners.
So What Are Pre-Assessments?
Pre-assessments are any means teachers, instructors, and trainers use to gather information about students or learners before instruction.
These tools help you to gauge where learners are at. They will help you to identify any gaps in knowledge and any misconceptions that they may already possess. In the next few paragraphs, I’ll walk you through picking the suitable assessment for your needs and letting it inform instruction.
Pick the Right Pre-Assessment Tool
When people think of pre-assessments, they often think of multiple-choice tests, but many forms of pre-assessment go beyond simple recall or pen and paper. Here are just a few ways that you can gather information before instruction:
Entrance tickets
These are quick questions about the material given as soon as participants arrive.
True/False statements
This can be done on paper or using digital tools like Kahoot.
Anticipation Guide
A small reading or set of information that participants can then give you feedback on, answering questions like, “Was this information familiar to you?”
Open-Ended Questions
This is one of my favorites. These are questions that do not have a yes or a no answer. Examples include, “Tell me what you know about ____.” Or, “What are some key points about____.”
KWL Chart
Another “teacher favorite,” but for a good reason. This three-section chart allows space for you to ask participants what they know (K), what they want to learn (W), and after the learning, you can fill in key takeaways in the learn column (L).
Graphic Organizer
A graphic organizer is a visual and graphic display that depicts the relationships between facts, terms, and or ideas within a learning task. Graphic organizers are also sometimes referred to as knowledge maps, concept maps, story maps, cognitive organizers, advance organizers, or concept diagrams. As an instructor, I love these because they are engaging and easy to evaluate quickly.
Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down
This might be the simplest and easiest way to get a feel for where participants are. One thing to consider is that this asks participants to be honest about their knowledge in front of a group of peers. If you think some will have a hard time with this, consider a more anonymous methodology.
Zero to Five
This asks participants to show comfort levels with certain content by holding up between zero and five fingers. Zero represents not knowing at all, and five means feeling very confident. Like the thumbs up, thumbs down method, you will want to consider how comfortable participants will be sharing in front of peers. You can also perform this assessment by writing down the numbers on sticky notes and posting them under questions on the board. This post-it version will also be a suitable accommodation if you have anyone with a physical disability that might make this exercise challenging.
These are just a few ways beyond a survey to assess a group’s knowledge before a training or workshop.
It’s All in the Timing
When determining which tool is right for you and your training, you will want to think about how much time you can allocate to the assessment, the most efficient way to get a feel for what learners know, and how you will integrate what you learned into your instruction. It is helpful to send out a questionnaire or assessment before training. This allows you the most time to integrate what you learned from the assessment into your training. Having participants fill this out and return it in advance means that you do not have to dedicate a portion of your training to the pre-assessment.
Often sending the assessment out in advance is not possible. In this case, you will need to plan to gather this information at the beginning of your training to gather this information. When participants are arriving and settling in for training can be a good time to collect this information. If you need to assess at the beginning of your training, try to keep it short and to the point. You will also want to plan for time to look over the assessments. This can often be done during an icebreaker, team-building activity, or breakout session.
Be Transparent With Your Pre-Assessment
When utilizing pre-assessments, it is important to be transparent with participants about why you are collecting this information and how you will use it. Tell them upfront if it will be used to assess their growth in knowledge or skill or if the primary function is to help you tailor the workshop or training to fit their unique needs. I also like to let them know I actively want feedback throughout the training. If something isn’t making sense or if they already know the information, I ask them to please let me know. Do multiple check-ins throughout the training to allow for this feedback. Participants will not interrupt you to tell you that they are bored because they already know the material. You must give them the opportunity to share this feedback that you might have missed during your assessment.
Would you like help planning your assessment tools for an upcoming training or have other questions about supporting learners at your organization? Set up a free fifteen-minute call with me to discuss ways that I might be able to help you with your goals.
Want to know more about Empowered Development Consulting? Reach out to me, Meghan Schiedel, and find out how Empowered Development Consulting can help you.