Compendium of Learning and Development Quizzes

Citation

Calvert, P. (2004), "Compendium of Learning and Development Quizzes", The Electronic Library, Vol. 22 No. 1, pp. 80-81. https://doi.org/10.1108/02640470410520168

This book has a simple purpose that will appeal to managers in many types of organisation including those involved with information management. It is a collection of simple knowledge quizzes for personnel coaches and trainers. The quizzes can be used for a variety of purposes. Some perennial functions such as selection can be aided by use of the quizzes. Some will suit teambuilding exercises. Some are suitable for skills testing, while others are more geared to knowledge acquisition. Every quiz includes suggested answers (not necessarily prescriptive) with explanations where necessary. The nature of the topics has meant that the type of question varies from the specific (e.g. some questions on health and safety) to the more general (e.g. the quiz on handling difficult customers).

A random selection of topics will give some idea of the book’s range: assertiveness, body language, coaching skills, coaching styles, customer care, emotional intelligence, facilitation skills, health and safety, interviewing poor performers, leadership styles, listening skills, managing change, motivating skills, performance appraisal, stress management, time management, and written communication skills. Almost all the topics are relevant for the information manager, but possibly the quizzes on leadership may be the most important to the profession. Perhaps some of these topics are rather too involved to be reduced to a one page test but the sensible trainer can still use them effectively. I would have liked more on information technology (IT), but some quizzes can be used by IT managers to train staff.

The book is firmly bound in preparation for heavy use in the training room. It includes a CD‐ROM with .pdf versions of the quizzes ready for printing or upload. It has a simple organisation and will be easy to use. The only small warning is that some of the answers inevitably reflect the book’s origins in the UK, though that is really a minor consideration for what is otherwise a very useful training tool.