Instructional Development (EDER675) February 3 , Needs Analysis

Instructional Development (EDER675)February 3,Needs Analysis

Agenda for tonight • Needs Assessment • Review of The Text • Application of Leshin, Pollock & Reigeluth 2 Step Method 2. Examples of Needs Analyses 3. Case 16: David Jaminez

Terms Need: The performance gap separating what people know, do or feel from what they should know, do or feel to perform competently • Needs are linked to the essential knowledge, skills an attitudes an individual must possess to perform work competently and thereby accomplish the desired results. Needs Assessment: A procedure that identifies gaps in results, places them in order of priority, and selects the most important closure for reduction.

Kaufman’s Hierarchy of Needs Assessment • Alpha: identify the nature and cause of a pfc. Problem • Beta: solutions require cost benefit analysis • Gamma: examination of the differences between two alternatives to a performance problem. • Delta: performance gaps between what is and what should be. • Epsilon: examines discrepancies between what is and what should be. • Zeta: continuous feedback/assessment/change

Needs Assessment Planning • There are 2 kinds of needs assessments: This is the process of collecting and evaluating the needs, assuming that a need exists. • comprehensive needs assessment planning: broad based, includes internal and external factors (macro needs assessment) • situation specific needs assessment planning: based on a specific problem (micro needs assessment)

Steps in a Needs Assessment Plan • Objectives: What results are desired from the needs assessment? • Target Audience: Whose needs will be assessed? • Sampling Procedures: What methods will be used to select a representative group of people from the target audience for participation in the needs assessment itself? • Data Collection methods: How will information about needs be gathered? • Methods of Data Analysis: How will the information collected during needs assessment be analyzed? • Descriptions of how decisions will be made based on the data: How will needs be identified from the results of data collection and analysis?

1. Objectives • About a performance problem • Create a statement of the desired result • Use a testable hypothesis.. Can you find the problem? Can you figure out what learners must do? • Set some agreed-upon outcomes • Figure out what the learners must do • Final Product is a written report to stakeholders

2. Target Audience • Define who the performers really are. • Folks whose instructional needs will be identified in the needs analysis • Who is affected? • How? Which jobs? • Define who the decision makers are. • Owners? • Workers? • Instructional designers? (The personal values and skill sets will dictate how they interpret the results)

3. Sampling Procedures • You need a representative sample - the procedure you use gets you that sample. 4 types of sampling procedures often used: • Convenience or judgmental method • Most common - fast and inexpensive • You just ask people easiest to ask… • Simple random sampling • Each subject has an equal chance of being “in” • Stratified sampling • Use where subgroups are involved ie: All Librarians • Systematic sampling • Calculate N • Select ever nth and go.

4. Data Collection Methods All methods require consideration of the people (management, workers) involved, of time, of cost and of quantifiable data. Methods include: • interviews : structured or unstructured conversations, time consuming and expensive • direct observations: examine what the audience does. • indirect examination: judge from results (quality control) • task analysis: testing of job procedures • key informant group or focus group: select "in the know' to suggest instructional needs • normal group technique (NGT): panel discussion including stakeholders • delphi : rounds of questionnaires to representative sample (panel) • critical incident method: use experts to express needs • competency assessment: find out "ideal" from experts and compare to actual • assessment center: use observation at "centers" to judge performance (expensive) • exit interviews: ask those who are leaving

5. Methods for Data analysis • Depends on the study • Historical, descriptive, case / field study, correlation, causal-comparative, experimental, quasi-experimental, action research (qual or quant).

Tips for Needs Analysis • Get to know the culture of the organization or sub group • Find out who does what - and who you work with • Find out who is your contractor / supervisor • Content matter experts? • Officials? • Protocols? • Grapevines? • Establish communication patterns to the employer • No surprises

Bruce Clark's contribution to Needs Analysis Overlapping Terminology: Front End Analysis: Joe Harlass, "an ounce of analysis is worth a pound of objectives" * what is the nature of the the problem is * be careful not to solve a problem with training where that is not the solution (ie.may be a system or production problem) * applying an instructional solution to a non-instructional problem is a waste of time and money * a non-academic approach Performance Analysis: the political component of ID, required to save jobs in the early '90's as training departments were the first to get the boot with downsizing! Best to call yourself this, rather than Instructional designer. Allison Rossett is the guru in this area: http://edweb.sdsu.edu/EdWeb_Folder/People/ARossett/Arossett.html Plan in LAYERS 1. optimals : identify the best condition performance (management, literature, expert) 2. actuals: what is happening now 3. feelings: affect of performance (attitude, sabotage, reward) 4. causes (problems): 1. skill 2. knowledge 3. environmental: flow of information/lighting/non-training solutions 4. incentives: productive vs counterproductive 5. motivation: attention, relevance, confidence, satisfaction. NOTE performance may be as negatively affected by overmotivation and overconfidence (carelessness) as it is with undermotivation and low confidence. 5. solutions

Examples of Needs Assessments and related Sites http://classweb.gmu.edu/ndabbagh/Resources/IDKB/instruct_design.htm http://classweb.gmu.edu/ndabbagh/Resources/IDKB/front_end.htm http://classweb.gmu.edu/ndabbagh/Resources/IDKB/needs.htm http://www.westsprings.ca/whittaker/crichtonoral.htm http://members.shaw.ca/gchoate/html/eder675/needsassessment.htm#objectives http://www.ucalgary.ca/~rllegass/eder675/comments.htm http://www.ucalgary.ca/UofC/faculties/EDUC/jdnowlan/eder673week5.htm#a2 http://nnlm.gov/ner/nesl/9410/tol.html http://www2.edc.org/NTP/needsassessment.htm http://www.lifelines2000.org/partners/info_referral/sec_II_assessment.asp http://www.acsap.org/Programs/DDR/edco.chap4.pdf http://curry.edschool.virginia.edu/curry/class/edlf/700/private/section3.html http://216.239.53.100/cobrand_univ?q=cache:oCLZlVQHmPsC:www.ucalgary.ca/~rllegass/eder675/survey.pdf+needs+assessment&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

The Reigeluth Approach: 2 Steps to a Full Needs Analysis1. Analyse the problem2. Analyze domains

Next Week • Read Rothwell & Kazanas Chapter 5 • Handout: Leshin & Pollock: Needs Analysis Next week: Case 29 page 178 Mary Robbins

Instructional Development (EDER675) February 3 , Needs Analysis