Using the Kirkpatrick Model - Video
July 2025
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The Kirkpatrick model was originally developed in the 1950s but gained popularity in the 1970s to evaluate training programs where the participants are intended to learn something and implement those learnings.
In this short video, Dr. Bonnie Lakusta explains how to use the Kirkpatrick Model in your evaluations. If you’d like to learn more, we also have an article that explores the Kirkpatrick Model in greater detail: How Do I Use The Kirkpatrick Model In Evaluation?
A transcript of the video is included as text in this article.
An Eval Academy video of Dr. Bonnie Lakusta talking about how to use the Kirkpatrick Model in your evaluation.
Video Transcript
0:05
Hello Eval Academy.
I wanted to jump on and share some details with you about an evaluation tool that you may not have used.
0:12
OK, so here's the situation.
You've got some sort of training program or educational module that you need to evaluate, and you stumble across something called the Kirkpatrick model. So what the heck do you do with it?
0:24
Well, the Kirkpatrick model is pretty good for evaluating training or educational modules.
It's essentially a framework or guidance on how to evaluate learning and application of learning.
0:36
It's broken into 4 levels.
So essentially the Kirkpatrick model is positing that you need to evaluate all four levels to comprehensively understand how effective your training might be.
0:47
The first level is reaction.
This is like your immediate gut reaction after you've attended a training session.
0:54
What's important to understand here is that there are a lot of things that can contribute to a gut reaction, including things like how cold you were that day or how much you were distracted by your sick toddler at home and and so on.
So that's why Donald Kirkpatrick layered this with three other layers.
1:13
So yeah, a post training evaluation survey can give you some indication as to how well received your training was, but it shouldn't be the only source of the information you get.
1:23
So the second stage of the Kirkpatrick model is learning and there are a few ways you can evaluate this.
You could of course ask for self report and that self report will be strengthened if you're able to do a pre- post-survey so you can assess knowledge, skills, and attitudes before a training session and then follow up afterwards to look for any change.
1:47
If, however, you lack confidence in self report assessments, you could think about a test.
1:53
And this is just like what it sounds like.
You literally send out a test that asks questions about the knowledge that your training should have given and you assess whether or not people attained that knowledge.
This may be pretty effective at evaluating your session, but may not win you any favours as most people hate testing.
2:12
The third level of Kirkpatrick then is about behaviour.
So the idea is just because you've learned something or you know something, it doesn't mean you're applying it or acting upon it.
2:24
So the third level is to actually assess the behaviour change.
You could do this through observation, which might be tricky or might work well depending on your context and what behaviour change you're looking for.
2:35
You could also do it through something like role-playing, so getting participants to demonstrate to you how they would change their behaviour based on the training.
But most likely this would be gathered through interviews or focus groups or maybe a survey if people are willing to write it down.
2:51
The key in assessing behaviour change is to look for concrete examples.
So asking questions like, “Describe an example of how you have changed your behaviour or tell me how you've applied this key.”
Learning from the training session, it's a pretty concrete way to assess the effectiveness of your training.
3:09
But there's still a fourth level, and the fourth level is about outcomes.
So this says, OK, you've got a gut reaction to the training, you've learned something, you've even applied a behaviour change.
But So what?
Doesn't matter.
Did it do anything?
3:26
So, for example, say the training helped participants improve their Excel skills.
That's great.
But does that then translate into your ultimate goal of improving persuasive proposal writing?
3:38
Kirkpatrick wants you to be sure that the training module is actually addressing your desired outcomes.
And of course, this could be measured in many different ways.
It could be as simple as an output.
3:49
So in our example, that might be the number of proposals that you win, but only you would really know the most effective way to evaluate your outcomes.
3:57
So that's it.
That's how to apply the Kirkpatrick model to any sort of training evaluation that you may have.
Try it out.