| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Field Last Published | Before December 15, 2025 07:17 PM | After December 15, 2025 10:49 PM |
| Field Intervention Completion Date | Before | After February 19, 2025 |
| Field Final Sample Size: Number of Clusters (Unit of Randomization) | Before | After 752 |
| Field Was attrition correlated with treatment status? | Before | After Yes |
| Field Final Sample Size: Total Number of Observations | Before | After 752 |
| Field Final Sample Size (or Number of Clusters) by Treatment Arms | Before | After 216 participants received the click-through module, 250 participants received the podcast and 286 participants received the video format. |
| Field Program Files | Before | After No |
| Field Data Collection Completion Date | Before | After February 20, 2025 |
| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Field Paper Abstract | Before | After A rapid, mixed‑methods evaluation found a short video was the most suitable format for delivering a particular online training to Australian public servants. Purpose Online training for professionals can be delivered in various formats. This evaluation tested the effectiveness of 3 different formats for short, introductory training: 3‑minute video 15‑minute podcast 30‑minute e‑learning module Methods This rapid evaluation used a ‘randomised trial’, a short survey and focus groups. For the former, over 750 public servants were randomly assigned to receive training in 1 of the 3 different formats. The training participants were then asked several questions. These questions were used to create a ‘training effectiveness index’. Key results The randomised trial found video and module were equally effective, and both outperformed the podcast The survey found that 52 per cent of people preferred video and only 9 per cent preferred podcast Focus groups also favoured video Conclusion The trial had some limitations. However, the ACE judged that the evidence from the evaluation – and the lower cost of the video format – meant video was the most suitable format for their purposes. The study’s limitations and purpose should be borne in mind before applying the results elsewhere. |
| Field Paper Citation | Before | After Slaven E, Bowers P, Sheshgir S, Kennedy G, Copley S and Greenwell H (2025) The effect of online training format on engagement: a randomised trial, the Australian Centre for Evaluation, the Australian Treasury. |
| Field Paper URL | Before | After https://evaluation.treasury.gov.au/sites/evaluation.treasury.gov.au/files/2025-12/training-format-rct-report.pdf |