The Client
Xilinx leads one of the fastest growing segments of the semiconductor industry - Programmable Logic Devices (PLDs) - with over 50 percent market share in calendar year 2004 according to Gartner Dataquest. PLDs represent an exciting growth potential in the chip market thanks to their flexible nature and ability to change functionality even after being manufactured.

The Challenge

Xilinx, who has over the years enrolled trainers, curriculum designers and managers in FKA’s series of Train-the-Trainer workshops recently contacted FKA for advise regarding converting current training delivered in an instructor-led classroom environment to virtual training mode. As a first step Xilinx identified developing their developers 'questioning techniques' as a priority–as the techniques learned can be applied in either environment.

The Solution

FKA designed and delivered an on-line synchronous workshop called Assessment. The on-line intervention was delivered in four 1-2 hour segments with self-directed components following each session. The overall goal of the training was to provide the Xilinx Education Services’ instructional designers and deliverers with enhanced assessment skills required for Level Two evaluation of their curriculum.

Participants learned to:

• Create effective questions to assess learner understanding.
• Use higher-level questions to match and assess attainment of learning objectives (knowledge and demonstration assessment).
• Create processing questions that assess learners’ ability to comprehend, apply, analyze, synthesize and evaluate.
• Create theory, application, true/false, matching, multiple-choice and scenario-based test questions for leader-led and on-line learning.