Measuring Learning with Kirkpatrick's Model

It can be argued that it is pointless to provide instruction to people if you have no idea whether they are learning anything.


Donald Kirkpatrick first published his widely recognized four levels of learning model in 1959:

1. Reaction of student - what they thought about the training and the instructor
2. Learning - the resulting increase in knowledge or capability (can be measured with a pretest and posttest)
3. Behavior - extent of behavior and capability improvement and application to their job
4. Results - the effects on the business or environment resulting from the students' performance (often quantified in ROI)

If you do not know what your learners are gaining from your instruction, you cannot know if you are succeeding in your educational efforts.