Analyzing Learners & Context
Dick & Carey, Chp. 5
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Review:

Do a Needs Assessment to identify
instructional goals
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Review: Criteria for Estab.
Instr. Goals
1. Will the instruction achieve the goal?
2. Are the goals acceptable to the boss?
3. Are there sufficient resources to develop
the instruction?
4. Is there enough time for learning?
5. How good is the designer?
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Review: Set a Goal
What do we want the learners to be able to do?
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Review: Complete a Goal
Analysis
Goal Analysis A two-part process used to identify all of the
the skills and knowledge that should be
included in the instruction.
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Review: Part 1
The Goal Analysis
Step 1. Classify the goal according to the
type of learning outcome (domain of
learning)
– psychomotor, intellectual, verbal information,
attitudes
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Review: Part 1 (cont’d)
Step 2. Describe exactly what a student will
be doing when performing the goal
– using observable verbs like moving, painting,
etc.
– Decide on the instructional content
– What’s going to be taught
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Review: Part 2
Identify Subordinate Skills

For Intellectual or Psychomotor Goals Use
Hierarchical Approach
– For each step in the goal ask this question:
“ What must the student already know so that , with a
minimal amount of instruction, this task can be
learned?”
– Yields one or more subordinate skills
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Review: Part 2 (cont’d)

For lntellectual Skills
The subordinate skills should follow Gagne's
hierarchy
higher-order rules
 rules
 concepts
 discriminations

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Review: Part 2 (cont’d)

For Verbal Information Skills Use Cluster
Analysis

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Identify the information needed to achieve the goal
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Review: Part 2 (cont’d)
For Attitude Goals ask two questions:
? Question # 1
“What must the learner do when exhibiting this
attitude?”
– answer is almost always psychomotor or
intellectual skill (hierarchical analysis)
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Review: Part 2 (cont’d)
? Question # 2
“Why should the learner exhibit this attitude?”
– the answer is usually verbal information
– analyzed using a separate cluster or
integrated into the basic hierarchical
analysis that was done in the first half of
the analysis
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Review: Part 2 (cont’d)
Entry Behaviors
Identify steps in the procedure for relevant
entry behaviors and modify procedural and
goal analyses as necessary.

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New Content - Analyzing
Learners

Synonyms:
– “Target Population”
– “Target Audience”
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Focus
Characteristics of the learners
 Context(s) in which the instruction will be
delivered
 Context in which the skills will eventually
be used
 Try-out learners

– specific group, i.e. college students, bakers, etc.
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Learner Characteristics
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Entering Behavior
Prior Knowledge of Topic
Attitude toward Content & Delivery System
Academic Motivation
Educational Ability Levels
General Learning Preferences
Attitudes toward the Organization
Group Characteristics
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Context of Performance
Setting
1. Managerial Support
– little support, little or no skills transfer
2. Physical Aspects of the Workplace
– skills practiced in conditions similar to
workplace
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Performance Setting (cont’d)
3. Social Aspects
alone or in groups?
 work independently or with direction?
 most workers familiar with content or new to
everyone?

4. Relevance of the Skills to the Workplace
Constraints:

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physical, social, or motivational
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Collecting Data for Context
Analysis
At the site
 Preplanned
 May be unannounced

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Data for Context (cont’d)

Purpose: Gather data
– utilize workers, managers
– any source that will help

Output Document
– Description. of physical & organizational
environment
– List of factors that may facilitate or interfere
with learner’s use of new skills
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Context of Learning
Environment

Determining “what is” and “what should
be”
– facilities, equipment, & resources
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Learning Environment (cont’d)
The “Cover Your Butt” phase, determine:
? is the site compatible with the instructional
mandates?
? is the instructional area adaptable to simulate
workplace performance?
? is the site adaptable for using a variety of
instructional training delivery approaches?
? what are the constraints present that may
affect the design & delivery of instruction?
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Collecting Data from Learning
Environment
Similar to analysis of workplace
 Purpose is to identify :

– available facilities
– limitations of the settings
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Data from Learning
Environment (cont’d)

Procedure:
–
–
–
–
–
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visit one or more sites
interview instructors, managers and learners
have prepared questions
obtain information about workers’ use of site
determine site limitations
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Data From Learning
Environment (cont’d)

Output
– description of the extent to which the site can
be used to deliver training on skills that will be
required for transfer
– list of any limitations
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Evaluation & Revision of the
Instructional Analysis

One-on-one review of Instructional Analysis
with learners
– hear yourself explaining steps in the analysis
– gauge learner reaction
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Summary

In this chapter, we covered:
– the analysis of learners
– performance context
– and learning context

The next step is writing appropriate
performance objectives
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