# How do you tell whether a training product helps people do the work?

By Sean Everett · October 6, 2026

Define the task learners need to perform, give them relevant practice, and evaluate retained capability and workplace application alongside course participation.

Topics: Learning products · Workplace training · Product evaluation

## Start with a task and a learning need

Choose a specific piece of work the learner should handle more effectively. Describe the conditions, the expected result and the mistakes that matter. A training objective becomes easier to evaluate when the team can show what a successful attempt looks like.

Check why the task is difficult before adding lessons. Missing knowledge may be part of the problem; access, unclear responsibilities or an unsuitable tool may also prevent completion. CDC's training standards begin with establishing the need for training and aligning the material with that need.

Build the learning path around the role's actual responsibilities. A new user may need a guided explanation and practice, while an experienced user facing an unusual case may need a concise reference. Test those delivery choices with the intended audience instead of assuming that more content provides more help.

## Design practice that exercises the intended capability

Give learners opportunities to make the decisions the work requires. Use realistic examples, explain the consequences of an answer and allow another attempt after feedback. Change the situation enough to see whether the learner can apply the principle beyond the example they just saw.

Research by Roediger and Karpicke found that recalling studied material improved delayed retention compared with repeated study in their experiments. The task involved learning prose passages. It provides a reason to consider retrieval practice, while leaving the effectiveness of a particular workplace exercise to be tested.

Match the assessment to the capability. Remembering a definition, diagnosing a problem and producing a usable work item call for different checks. Review whether a passing score reflects the intended skill or whether someone can succeed by memorizing the question pattern.

## Check what lasts and what transfers to work

Keep participation, immediate assessment and later application as separate measures. Completion data can show whether people reached the end of the course. A relevant assessment can show what they demonstrated, and a later check can examine what they retained or used.

CDC's evaluation guidance recommends assessing both learning and its application at work, including follow-up after learners have had an opportunity to apply it. Plan that check around the task's natural frequency. A person who has had no chance to use a skill provides limited evidence about whether it transfers.

Compare starting capability with later performance where feasible, and record other changes that could explain the result. Improved outcomes after a course alone cannot establish that the course caused them. Use findings to revise the practice, assessment or workplace support, and collect only the information needed to improve the learning experience.

## Related reading

- [CDC quality training standards](https://www.cdc.gov/training-development/php/qts/index.html)
- [CDC guidance on evaluating training effectiveness](https://www.cdc.gov/training-development/php/about/evaluate-training-measuring-effectiveness.html)
- [Roediger and Karpicke: test-enhanced learning](https://www.psychologicalscience.org/journals/psychological-science/j.1467-9280.2006.01693.x/)
- [Connecting operating processes and team training](https://evergences.com/insights/operating-process-team-handoff/)

Source: https://evergences.com/insights/workplace-learning-task-performance/