Transcript Slide 1

NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Materials based on Smith & Ragan (2007), Instructional Analysis: Analyzing
the Learning Context
Needs Assessment
Needs Assessment
Analysis of the learning context involves two steps:
1.
2.
justification of a need for instruction to help
learners reach learning goals and
description of the learning environment in which
the instruction will be used.
Needs Assessment
Designers conduct a needs assessment to find out:
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Whether instruction should be designed/developed.
if there actually is a need for new instruction to be
developed.
When Should a Needs
Assessment Be Conducted?
Common reasons for NA:
I. No big problem is apparent, but organization wishes to
evaluate its training program.
2. There's a problem: Clients not satisfied; products defective;
and so on.
3. There is something new (innovation) that learners need to
learn: New equipment is added that employees need to
operate; new employees who require remediation to do their
jobs; and so on.
Approaches to Needs Assessment
1. Discrepancy-Based Needs Assessment
2. Problem-Finding, Problem-Solving
3. Innovation
DISCREPANCY-BASED
NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Discrepancy-Based Needs Assessment
Key ideas:
1. List the goals/needs. Ask yourself the question, "what
should learners be able to do at the end of the
instruction."
2.
3.
Determine to what extent the goal/need you
identified in step 1 is being met.
Determine the discrepancy between "what is" and
"what should be“. If there is a discrepancy, then you
have a need.
Discrepancy-Based Needs Assessment
4. Prioritize discrepancies or needs.
Rate how important or critical the needs are. The following questions
can be asked:
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What are the biggest gaps/needs?
What goals and associated needs are most important?
How many individuals are affected by the need?
How much is it costing to not reduce or eliminate the discrepancy/need?
What are the consequences of not meeting the goal or eliminating the
need?
How probable is it that you can reduce/eliminate the
discrepancy/need?
Discrepancy-Based Needs Assessment
5. Determine which discrepancy/need requires
instruction.
 There
are numerous reasons why learners may not be
performing well and not all of those reasons required
training or the development of an eLearning
program.
Discrepancy-Based Needs Assessment
Solutions other than training that might solve performance
problems:
 job
redesign,
 recruitment (selection),
 job reassignment,
 organizational development,
 selling (motivation),
 incentive and feedback systems,
 facilities design, and tools design.
Thiagarajan (1984)
Discrepancy-Based Needs Assessment
If there is a learning need:
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In what environment will the e-Learning program be
placed.
Instructional programs are made up of and affected by
many factors including learners, instructional materials,
trainers, instructional equipment and facilities, and the
organization (school, company).
Think about the environment in which the program will be
used (e.g., Web).
PROBLEM-FINDING,
PROBLEM-SOLVING
Problem-Finding, Problem-Solving
Model
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The "crisis" model.
Someone in management or administration has
identified that a problem exists in the organization's
achieving its mission.
Problem-Finding, Problem-Solving
Model
Key ideas:
1.
Determine whether there really is a problem.
2.
Determine whether the cause of problem is related
to employee performance in training environments.
3.
Determine whether the solution should be training.
4.
Determine whether instruction for these learning
goals is currently offered.
Problem-Finding, Problem-Solving
Model
I.
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Determine whether there really is a problem.
The keys to success of this activity are to ask the
right questions of the right people and to get
complete answers.
The goal of this investigation is to clarify the
problem and determine how serious it is.
Determine whether there really is a
problem.
Some questions to ask:
 Who says there is a problem?
 Why do they say there is a problem?
 Do others perceive it to be a problem?
 Who does not agree that there is a problem? Why?
 When was the problem first noticed?
 Who is affected by the problem?
 How pervasive is the problem?
Problem-Finding, Problem-Solving
Model
2. Determine whether the cause of the problem is
related to employee performance in training
environments.
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Employee performance may not be the cause of a
problem but malfunctioning equipment or other
work conditions may be.
Determine whether the cause of the problem is related to
employee performance in training environments.
Some questions to ask:
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How does employee performance relate to the problem
identified in step I?
When performance improves, does the problem get better?
Does performance appear to be impacted by other factors
that causes both the problem and, the performance deficits?
What evidence is there that suggests that performance
deficits cause the problem or affect it?
If problem appears to be caused by employee performance
the designer can move on to step 3.
Problem-Finding, Problem-Solving
Model
3. Determine whether the solution to the performance
problem is learning.
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"Could employees demonstrate that they have achieved
the learning reflected by this goal, if their lives
depended on it?”
Are problems caused by motivation, incentives, facilities'
design, tools design, the climate of the agency, the
interaction with peers, policy decisions, or other
nonlearning factors?
Problem-Finding, Problem-Solving
Model
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Instructional designers should not immediately
assume that poor performance on learning tasks
implies a need to correct or revise instruction.
The designer must become a detective who delays
determination that instruction is the solution to
performance problems until the problem has been
thoroughly investigated.
Problem-Finding, Problem-Solving
Model
4. Determine whether instruction for these learning goals
is currently offered.
INNOVATION MODEL
Innovation Model
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Innovation Model examines changes or
innovations in the organization and determines if
new learning goals should be added.
As this process may add or change goals in an
organization, stakeholders, (trainers, managers,
administrators, clients) should be involved in this
process.
Innovation Model
Key ideas:
1. Determine the nature of the innovation or change.
2. Determine the learning goals that accompany this
innovation.
3. Determine whether these goals are appropriate and
high priority in the learning system.
4. Begin learning environment analysis design activities.
Innovation Model
1. Determine the nature of the innovation or change.
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Has there been a change in the composition of the learner
population?
Has there been a significant change in the tools, policies, or the
organization?
Has there been a significant change in the training philosophy of
the organization?
How will the innovation affect the mission of the organization?
Innovation Model
2. Determine the learning goals that accompany this
innovation.
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How will innovation affect what is expected in
employees' performance?
Does this effect significantly change what employees
must understand, know, or do?
Can these new understandings, knowledge, or actions
be taught?
Innovation Model
3. Determine whether these goals are appropriate and
high priority in the learning system.
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Are resources available to support this new instruction?
Are they adequate to design and develop this
instruction?
Do these goals conflict with existing goals?
How will these goals be interpreted by affected groups
(e.g., trainers, managers/administrators, clients)?
Do these goals represent partisan positions or vested
interest groups?
Innovation Model
4. Begin learning environment analysis design activities
Techniques for Data Gathering
Data can be acquired through a variety of
techniques:
 analysis of extant data,
 analysis of subject matter,
 interviewing,
 observing,
 focus groups,
 and questionnaires and surveys.
SUMMARY
Models
Models
Is this a learning problem?
Models
Is this a learning problem?
If yes then…
Analysis
• Analyze the learning context
•Describe the environment
•Describe the learners
Need Assessment: Description of the Learning
Environment
If there is a learning need:
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In what environment will the instructional program be
placed.
Programs affected by many factors including learners,
instructional materials, trainers, equipment and facilities,
and the organization.
Study the environment in which the program will be used
(e.g., Web).
Need Assessment: Description of the Learning
Environment
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Questions to guide you in understanding the environment:
What is the organizational culture – how does it perceive
training?
 Will media be central to the instruction or will it be peripheral
and how do instructors and learners feel about this?
 What are facilities like?
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LEARNERS
Analysis
• Consider the characteristics of target
audience or population such as:
• Gender, ethnicity, age
• Prior learning
• Cognitive style, learning style
Analysis of Learners
1.
2.
Study the characteristics of
audience or population
Not all learners are alike.
Analysis of Learners
Must examine
the diversity and
commonalities of
target audience
…to design effective
instruction…
Analysis of Learners: Stable Similarities
Analysis of Learners: Stable Similarities
Stable similarities among people that are
unchanging over time – memory 7 (+ or – 2)
Analysis of Learners: Stable Similarities
Stable similarities among people that are
unchanging over time – memory 7 (+ or – 2)
e.g., Knowledge of information
processing characteristics can help
avoid problems due to limited capacity
of memory.
Analysis of Learners
Miller’s '7 plus or minus 2' idea
Individuals only have the capacity to store
roughly seven pieces of information in STM at
a given time.
Try to remember as many numbers as possible
89671234159607
Try to remember as many numbers as possible –easier
when grouped
89671234159607
896 – 712 – 341 – 59607
Memory
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Hierarchical Model
Sensory
Practice and effort
needed to make
this transfer 
Short Term
Long Term
Magic Number 7 +/- 2
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Value of “ chunking”
2125685382
Magic Number 7, + - 2
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Value of “ chunking”
 2125685382
 10
vs. 212DanHome
chunks vs. 3
How many chunks in . . .
www.bestbookbuys.com
 20? Not really:
www.
best
book
buys
.com
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Recognition vs. recall
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Why is a multiple choice test easier than an essay
test?
 Multiple
choice: you can recognize the answer
 Essay: you must recall the answer
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Computer with a GUI allows us to recognize
commands on a menu, instead of remembering them
as in DOS and UNIX
Memory aids
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In Windows
 ctrl-
N (New)
 ctrl- C (Copy)
 ctrl- S (Save)
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Favorites List and bookmarks to store URLs
Hyperlinks-if wording indicates content of the
target page. (“Click here” is not a memory aid.)
Memory aids
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In your design, give cues or memory aids for
resuming tasks:
 Back
button
 Followed links change color
Memory aids
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Consistency in design helps users learn an
interface.
May reduce cognitive load.
Analysis of Learners: Stable differences
Stable differences among people that
are unchanging over time – Cognitive
style
Analysis of Learners: Stable differences
Stable differences among people that
are unchanging over time – Cognitive
style
Knowledge of one’s cognitive style can help
determine types of information to present.
Field Dependence/Field Independence
Group Embedded Figures Text
Field Dependence/Field Independence
Field Dependence/Field Independence
Field Dependence/Field Independence
Field Dependence/Field Independence
Field Dependence/Field Independence
Field Dependent Learner
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Experiences in a global fashion, adheres to structures
Learns material with social content best
Attends best to material relevant to own experience
Requires externally defined goals and reinforcements
Needs organization provided
More affected by criticism
Uses observational approach for concept attainment
[learns best by using examples]
Field Independent Learners
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Perceives analytically
Makes specific concept distinctions; little overlap
Impersonal orientation
May need explicit training in social skills
Interested in new concepts for their own sake
Has self-defined goals and reinforcement
Can self-structure situations
Analysis of Learners
Changing similarities among people that
change over time, Language
Analysis of Learners
Changing differences among people that
change over time, Prior learning
Learning Styles
http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html
• SENSING
INTUITIVE LEARNERS
• VISUAL
VERBAL LEARNERS
• SEQUENTIAL
Richard M. Felder
GLOBAL LEARNERS
Analysis of Learners
• Other things to consider
• Gender, Ethnicity, Age
• Prior learning
Analysis of Learners
• Ways to find out about learner characteristics
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Interviews
Observe members of target population
Assessment instruments (GEFT)
Review job descriptions
Analysis of Learners
Learner characteristics can impact:
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Pace of the learning
Number of practice examples given to learners
Strategies for helping learners focus
Amount of structure and learner control
Response mode, visual, auditory
Amount of reinforcement
Time allowed for learning
Amount of guidance, cues, prompting, etc.