Evaluation
When delivering training on sexual violence, you will want to consider different mechanisms for evaluating both short- and long-term outcomes. We encourage you to collaborate with community frontline workers and organizations and researchers within your institution to develop a comprehensive evaluation strategy to determine the overall effectiveness of various forms of training on preventing and responding to sexual violence at your institution as well as other indicators such as awareness of your institution’s sexual violence and misconduct policy, changes in attitudes and values related to sexual violence, and the effectiveness of institutional response to sexual violence (including investigations, accommodations, and collaboration with different stakeholders and on- and off-campus organizations).
A consistent approach to measuring similar workshops will allow you to compare them over time and show improvement or the need for adapting the workshop to be more successful for the intended audience. The pre/post test is a common form of evaluating training programs. Identical tests are used at the beginning and end of the training and the results are compared to examine changes in knowledge, attitudes, and skills. Pre-tests can be given at the time of registration for a workshop or at the beginning of a session. Post-test can be given at the end of the session or shortly after the date of the last session. Additional tests can be given at set time after the workshop to assess long-term impact, e.g., 3 months, 6 months, 1 year. Post-tests can also be used throughout longer trainings, e.g., at the end of a morning session and again at the end of an afternoon session.
Frequently, pre/post-test questions will be a mix of quantitative and qualitative questions. Quantitative questions are usually answered by many respondents and have definitive answers. They often use Likert scales, where respondents indicate how much they agree or disagree with a statement by choosing from a set of fixed choices on a linear scale (e.g., strongly agree, agree, neither agree or disagree, disagree, strongly disagree). Qualitative questions can be used to understand these statements and to gather information not captured by the quantitative questions. All the questions should link to the learning objectives and outcomes for the training.
Below are examples of pre/post-test questions that can be used as part of your evaluation for this training.
Pre-Test
- How well do you understand the term “Sexual Violence”
1
No understanding2 3
Somewhat understand4 5
Clearly understand - How well do you understand the factors that contribute to sexual violence happening?
1
No understanding2 3
Somewhat understand4 5
Clearly understand - Can you think of reasons why people may not intervene?
1
Cannot think of any2 3
Can think of a few4 5
Can think of many - Can you think of different ways to intervene when violence is happening?
1
Cannot think of any2 3
Can think of a few4 5
Can think of many - Do you think you would intervene if you saw someone experiencing verbal sexual violence?
1
Would not intervene2 3
Might intervene4 5
Would definitely intervene - Do you think you would intervene if you saw someone experiencing physical violence?
1
Would not intervene2 3
Might intervene4 5
Would definitely intervene - Do you think you have a role to play in stopping sexual violence?
1
No, not at all2 3
Maybe a small role4 5
Yes, a large role
Post-Test
- How well do you understand the term “Sexual Violence”?
1
No understanding2 3
Somewhat understand4 5
Clearly understand - Has your understanding of the term “Sexual Violence” changed? YES or NO
- If YES, how?
- How well do you understand the factors that contribute to sexual violence happening?
1
No understanding2 3
Somewhat understand4 5
Clearly understand - Has your understanding of the factors that contribute to sexual violence changed? YES or NO
- If YES, how?
- Can you think of reasons why people may not intervene?
1
Cannot think of any2 3
Can think of a few4 5
Can think of many- If you learned something new about this, what was it?
- Can you think of different ways to intervene when violence is happening?
1
Cannot think of any2 3
Can think of a few4 5
Can think of many- If you learned something new about this, what was it?
- Do you think you would intervene if you saw someone experiencing verbal sexual violence?
1
Would not intervene2 3
Might intervene4 5
Would definitely intervene - Do you think you would intervene if you saw someone experiencing physical violence?
1
Would not intervene2 3
Might intervene4 5
Would definitely intervene - Do you think you have a role to play in stopping sexual violence?
1
No, not at all2 3
Maybe a small role4 5
Yes, a large role- What do you think this could be?
- What are one or two main pieces of knowledge or skills you’re taking away?
- Was there anything missing from the training?
- Is there anything you are still wondering about?