5 stars or 5 metrics: how to evaluate the real effectiveness of educational content
Imagine: your company launches a new online course. A week later, you have 95% positive reviews, an average rating of 4.8 out of 5, and comments full of praise: “Super!”, “Everything is clear!”, “Thank you for the useful material!”.
It seems that the training was a complete success. But a few weeks pass, and managers notice that work processes have remained unchanged. There are no fewer mistakes at work, productivity is stagnant, and business indicators are not moving.
Sound familiar? This is a classic trap for HR and L&D professionals: stars and likes create the illusion of success, but do not guarantee real change. They show emotion, not effectiveness. That is why it is important to look deeper.
In this article, we’ll explore why high ratings don’t give the full picture and which metrics actually show whether your training content is working.
Why “stars” do not reveal the whole picture
1. Emotional assessment. 
Employees give ratings immediately after viewing the content, when their knowledge has not yet been tested in practice. At this point, they are not evaluating effectiveness, but rather their impressions: whether it was interesting, whether they liked the presentation, whether it was boring.
2. Subjectivity.
The assessment is often influenced by external factors: the employee’s mood, personal attitude to the topic, even the convenience of the time. This makes the indicator more of a measure of emotions than of real benefit.
3. Lack of long-term perspective.
The formula “liked = useful” does not always work. What evokes positive emotions does not always help change behavior or improve results. Conversely, a difficult course may receive fewer “stars” but have a much greater impact on the business.
5 key metrics for measuring the effectiveness of educational content
Metric 1. Pass rate.
What we measure: How many employees started and how many completed the learning.
Why it matters: A high score indicates that the content holds attention and motivates people to complete the training. If employees are dropping out en masse halfway through, it’s a sign that there are problems with the presentation, complexity, or relevance of the material.
How to analyze:
- A completion rate above 80% is ideal.
- 60-80% is a good result, but there is room for improvement.
- Below 60% means you need to review your content.
Metric 2. Quality of knowledge acquisition.
What we measure: Results of tests, case studies, simulations, and other forms of knowledge assessment.
Why it matters: It shows how well employees have mastered the material. But keep in mind that tests must be properly designed, with a focus on practical application rather than rote memorization.
How to test correctly:
- Use real-life case studies so that employees can see how knowledge works in their context.
- Check not only facts, but also understanding of principles: “why is this so,” “what will happen if…,” “how to act in this situation.”
- Implement tasks that apply knowledge: for example, writing a script for communicating with a client, analyzing errors in a document, or choosing the right action in a simulation.
- Add situational questions with multiple correct answers. They help you understand whether an employee is capable of thinking comprehensively.
In LMS Collaborator, you can set up various formats for testing knowledge: from regular and comprehensive tests to checklists and practical tasks. The platform automatically collects statistics for each type of activity and generates detailed reports. Thanks to these reports, you can see not only the final scores, but also get a deeper analysis: which topics have been mastered well, where there are gaps, what needs more attention during further learning, etc.
Testing in LMS Collaborator
Metric 3. Application of knowledge in work.
What we measure: Has employee behavior changed after training?
Why it matters: You can get 100% on a test, but not apply anything in your work. The true effectiveness of learning lies in changing behavior.
Measuring methods:
- Survey 1-3 months after training.
- Observation of work processes.
- Analysis of the use of new tools or methods.
- Assessment and self-assessment of employees regarding the application of skills.
Metric 4. Feedback from managers.
What we measure: Do immediate supervisors see progress in their subordinates?
Why it matters: Managers have an objective view of changes in an employee’s performance. They are not involved in the training process and can honestly evaluate the results.
How to collect feedback from managers:
- Structured interviews one month after training.
- Survey on the application of new skills.
- Assessment of the impact on the team and work processes.
To quickly gather feedback from managers, you can organize a survey in LMS Collaborator. You choose the format yourself – from completely anonymous to confidential, where the results are only available to the author. For a more in-depth analysis, a “by group” mode is available. It allows you to combine questions into logical blocks, structure them by topic, and customize scenarios.
LMS Collaborator Survey
Metric 5. Impact on business metrics.
What we measure: Did the training help achieve specific business goals (reduce staff turnover, increase sales conversion, reduce the number of errors, or reduce the time required to complete tasks, etc.)?
Why it matters: Linking to business metrics helps you plan future learning initiatives effectively. So you invest time and resources in programs that truly drive business forward.
What metrics to track:
- Productivity: number of tasks completed, quality of work.
- Quality: reduction of errors, improvement of customer service.
- Time: reduction of time spent on processes.
- Finance: sales growth, resource savings.
How to collect and analyze quality feedback
Knowing which metrics to measure is only half the battle. The other half is knowing how to do it right. If you act chaotically, you will end up with fragments of thoughts that are difficult to piece together into a coherent picture. If you take a structured approach, feedback becomes a valuable source of insights. We have prepared several practical recommendations to help you:
1. The “three waves” rule.
Collect feedback in several stages. This will allow you to track not only first impressions, but also how knowledge is applied in practice.
- Immediately after training.
Here, it is important to capture emotions and understand whether the material was accessible and understandable. For example, you can ask:
– “How clearly was the material presented?”
– “Which topics remain unclear?”
– “Do you plan to apply the knowledge you have gained?”
- In a week.
This stage shows whether the employee has taken the first steps in applying new knowledge. The following questions are useful here:
– “What have you already tried to apply in practice?”
– “What difficulties did you encounter?”
– “What proved to be most/least useful?”
- In a month.
At this stage, it becomes clear whether the skills have been consolidated and whether they have influenced work processes. Ask:
– “What changes have you noticed in your work?”
– “What you have learned has become part of your daily tasks?”
– “Would you recommend this course to your colleagues and why?”
2. Mixed methods of data collection.
Don’t limit yourself to one tool. Surveys are useful for collecting figures and trends, but they rarely reveal underlying causes. Interviews, where you can ask follow-up questions, and observing employee behavior can help here. Combining these methods gives a more complete picture.
3. The right questions.
The quality of responses depends on how you phrase your questions. Abstract questions such as “Did you enjoy the course?” are of little use. Specific questions, on the other hand, help you focus on results:
– “What knowledge have you already used in your work?”
– “What has changed in your approaches?”
– “What tasks have become easier to perform?”
4. Using LMS analytics.
A modern LMS is a powerful analytics tool that helps HR and L&D professionals understand how training content actually works. For example, Collaborator LMS automatically collects data that is difficult to track manually and presents it in the form of easy-to-understand reports:
- Time spent in the system. How often and for how long employees log into the platform.
- Progress in completing tasks. Which stages are easy, and where do difficulties arise?
- Engagement. Do they discuss materials, ask questions, share with colleagues?
- Duration of training. How much time is spent on tests, videos, and other resources?
- Completion of training. What percentage of employees complete the training?
Conclusion
“5 stars” is only part of the puzzle. The true value of learning is not reflected in emotions, but in results:
– how employees use knowledge,
– what has changed in their behavior,
– how this affects the team and business performance.
These metrics show whether training works in practice or is just a nice presentation with high marks. Therefore, it is important not to limit yourself to impressions, but to build a system for measuring real results.
Request a demo of LMS Collaborator and learn how to make training in your company measurable, transparent, and truly effective.
And then your educational content will become a tool for development.
