Smile Sheets
(SMY-l SHE-tz)
Radioactive
What is a Smile Sheet?
Nickname for post-training evaluation forms that measure a participant’s reaction to a learning experience.Other Common Names
Other common names for smile sheets include:
- Post-training Evaluation
- Trainer evaluation
Key Properties
While smile sheets come in all shapes and sizes, with different questions and ways of attempting to measure the success of a training program, they have two core properties:
- Distributed following the conclusion of a training session
- Provide multiple-choice responses to gauge learner reaction
Insights from What's yor Formula that We'd like you to rate a "5 out of 5"!
- "As discussed in depth in chapter two of What’s Your Formula?, smile sheets and Level 1 evaluation are designed to measure learner reaction and can be a helpful data point in how you evaluate the effectiveness of a training program. Radioactive element Sm becomes particularly dangerous, however, when it’s used in large doses, or worse, when it’s the only dose of evaluation administered to measure training success. What are some reasons you might want to use smile sheets? While high scores don’t necessarily mean learning happened, low scores can provide a red flag that merits further investigation. Open-ended, qualitative questions allow learners to share their insights and reactions to the session about which you may never have thought to ask. As long as you can craft good questions (and this is a tricky skill to master), you can gauge the learner’s level of confidence in applying new knowledge or skills, which may be a predictor of success."
- "Originally developed as a marketing metric (How likely would you be to recommend our product to others?), the NPS has found its way into some training metrics. I confess that I once attended a webinar in which the presenter made a compelling case that a high training NPS could correlate to a learner’s desire to apply new knowledge or skills, but unless you’re very good with advanced analytics and are confident in your ability to separate correlation from causation, I’d stay away from using this to gauge the success of a training initiative."
Elements that Bond with smile Sheets and produce greater stability
Measuring for Effectiveness
While smile sheets are an attempt to measure reaction and can offer one aspect of training measurement, measuring for effectiveness is going to make your Level 1 data more meaningful.
Follow-up
The enthusiasm that a learner may have for your content, as reflected in their smile sheets, may be genuine when they’ve been sequestered in a training room. When the daily routine of meetings, emails, phone calls, and office politics return, however, learner enthusiasm will naturally wane. Following up in the weeks (or even months) after a program has been completed can help remind learners why they gave your session 4s and 5s.
Follow-upAssessment
Remember how I mentioned that low smile sheet scores may indicate learning didn’t happen, but high scores don’t necessarily guarantee learning did happen? Integrating assessments into your training (through activities or written tests) can help identify where learning actually is and is not happening.
Levels of Evaluation
This is a no-brainer. Considering smile sheets are Level 1 evaluation, it’s important to keep in mind the role of other levels of evaluation in giving a more complete picture to any conclusions you’d like to make based upon the use of smile sheets.
Other Sources of Information on Smile Sheets
Smile Sheets
Books on SmiLe Sheets
