An Examination of Training Design Strategies in a Pay-For-Performance Appraisal System Online Workshop

The purpose of this study was to examine the design of an online training program about pay-for-performance systems for municipal agencies. The effects of two training design strategies, discussion groups and multiple-formatted content, on participants’ declarative knowledge were examined. The moderating role of experience with technology, technology self-efficacy, and several individual characteristic variables were also examined. Participants for the study were adult learners from four undergraduate courses. Analyses indicated that there were significant differences between an online training workshop with discussion group activities and an online training workshop without discussion groups with regard to participants’ declarative knowledge. Findings from the study are discussed.