Skip to main content
more options.

Computer Training Needs and Skills Assessment

Yes, there is a difference.  A Skills Assessment can be used to determine what the skill level of your users is (what they can and/or can't do), while a Needs Assessment is performed (generally after a skills assessment) to determine what training will sucessfully address any skill deficits.

Skills Assessments

Each of the SkillSoft tutorials contains skills testing based on the material presented in the tutorials.  You can use the tests as skills assessment tools (before training) and then as evaluation tools (after training).

You can also create your own skills assessment tools.  Here are some sample skills assessments in a variety of technical areas. They can be used to analyse current skills and knowledge, and also indicate the set of skills which comprise competency in the given area. (Clicking on the link will save the the skills assessment as a Microsoft Word97 document on your computer.) Caution: These sample assessments have not been updated since March 1999.

Macintosh OS
Windows 95
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Excel
Netscape
Bear Access
Creating a Web Page

A number of companies have products available that will perform computer skill assessments.  Some products that we have evaluated are:

Advanced Computer Testing's Prove It! skills testing and online testing

For more information about these and other skills assessment tools, email it-training@cornell.edu.

Needs Assessments

There are four phases to performing a needs assessment, and they are:

  1. Gap Analysis
    Identify the current skills, knowledge and ability of employees, and identify the desired skills, knowledge and ability. The gap between the current situation and the desired situation determines the needs, purposes and objectives of training. Performing such a gap analysis allows the identification of deficits, and may also help when planning for impending change.

    A variety of techniques may be used. Useful techniques include observation; questionnaires; consultation of key people; interviews; a review of relevant literature; and focus groups. Questionnaires which focus on specific computer skills are linked below.

  2. Identification of Priorities
    The next step is to identify priorities and importance of the skill gaps identified in the previous step. This may include a determination of the cost-effectiveness of training in various areas.

  3. Identify causes of problems
    Determine whether the cause of performance problems is a deficit in skills or knowledge. Decide whether other factors, such as equipment, organization, or motivation may be important.

  4. Identify solutions
    If a lack of skills and knowledge is causing the problem, then training is needed.

Additional Information
Additional information about carrying out Needs Assessment can be found at Cornell University Human Resource Services, and in this article by Rouda & Kusy.


Text last updated: September 14, 1999