Needs Analysis,
Task Analysis and
Learner Analysis
By: Jake Gordon
Needs Analysis
• Instruction is motivated by a need for change• Externally motivated: i.e. the need to
meet a particular standard in education or train workers in a specific skill
• Internally motivated: i.e. address a problem or increase learners understanding of a subject area
Guiding Questions for a Needs Analysis
• Some important questions are:• What is the change being
requested/demanded/required?• Who is being asked to change (target
learners)?• What is currently being done?• Where will this change need to take place?• What is the timeline for change?
Formal vs. Informal
• Formal Needs Analysis involves gathering information from multiple sources and gathering information in multiple ways including: interviews, observations, reviewing materials, surveys, etc.
• Informal Need Analysis: first-hand experience of the learning needs
Mager’s Approach to Needs Analysis
• Heuristic to help instructional designers determine what someone is currently doing and what they need to be doing• Provides a flow chart for conducting
analysis and provides a guide to key questions
Mager’s Performance
Analysis
Morrison, Ross and Kemp’s
“Needs Assessment”
• A flow chart for conducting performance.• Provides a more technical plans for conducting
a needs assessment .
• 4 phases: Planning, Collecting Data, Analyzing the Data, Preparing final report.
• They also have two other Needs Analysis methods: Goal Analysis and Performance Assessment examines whether the performance can should be remedied for instruction
Task Analysis
• Systematic process used by instructional designers to determine what a learner needs to learn or accomplish by participating in instruction.
Different Models of Task Analysis
• Content analysis
• Subject matter analysis
• Learning task analysis
Morrison, Ross and Kemp on Task
Analysis• Defines the content requires to solve
the performance problem or alleviate a performance need
• Forces the educator to work through the individual students and identify subtle steps
• Forces the designer to view the content from the learners’ perspective
Dick & Carey on Task Analysis
• The process of identifying the skills and knowledge that should be included in instruction. • What exactly would learners be
doing if they were demonstrating that they already could perform the goal?
What Should Task Analysis Answer?
• What is the task that a learner needs to be able to accomplish or perform?
• What are they key components of this task (what are the skills and knowledge learner needs in order to complete or perform the task)?
• How will you determine whether a learner is able to complete the task?
Learner Analysis
• Learner analysis is understanding the target learners and determining in advance what they can and will do is an essential part of any instructional design. • Instructional designers and educators
must conduct evaluation for a group of learners
Different Approaches to Learner Analysis
• Mager
• Dick & Carey
• Smith and Ragan
Learner Analysis for Instructional Design
• Who are the intended learners for the instruction?
• What common traits do members in the learning group possess?
• What are the differences among the learners?
• What are the achievements and general ability levels of the learners?
• How do the learners feel about the organization/institution providing the training?