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| Module 5: Needs Analysis "If it ain’t broke
don’t fix it" or "If it ain’t in need don’t design it" Goals:
Using Needs Analysis for Problem Solving Instructional Designers are often called into environments that have operational shortcomings and are asked to create instructional programs that will improve conditions and in turn, increase motivation and efficiency. But… is the creation of instructional programming necessarily the solution? In this stage of the design process the designer must act as a sleuth conducting an investigation into every aspect of the problem. It may be that the solution lay in the development of new operational structures or routines, rather than instructional design. It is up to the designer to clearly understand the environment, the people involved and the specifics of the problem before suggesting any solutions. Needs Analysis or Needs Assessment is a tool for understanding this broader picture. What is the real problem? How are situations, related to the problem, handled? Who is involved? What are the objectives of the task? This module defines a systematic method for answering these questions, which help the designer suggest possible solutions to the problem. Needs analysis is most often done in environments outside of K-12 education and much of post-secondary education because in K-12 education provincial Departments of Education, and, in post-secondary education, the institution or one of its departments, have determined the educational need and prescribed/described the curriculum to meet it. Instructional designers most often find themselves applying needs assessment techniques in business/industrial, government, military, or sometimes social problem settings. After considering the suggested steps you will be ask to respond to a detailed case study which will allow you to answer specific questions about a problematic situation. You will be asked how you might respond, what questions might you ask and whom you would talk to. You and your team of designers will suggest the possible course of action based on this Needs Assessment. Before you begin you may want to consider the following quotations: "The important role that needs
assessment plays is to give us information, at the beginning of the effort, about
what is needed to improve performance." "A formal needs assessment is defined
as a systematic way to identify educational gaps or problems. The focus of the assessment
is not on solutions for specific problems but on clarifying and defining the
problems."
Readings: In this Module you are asked to read the following articles in preparation for the week’s activities and participate in the relevant computer conferences. Chapter 2 ~ Identifying the Need for
Instruction The Chronicles of Rocket Boy Activities: WebBoard In the WebBoard conference your instructor will assign you to a team of 3 or 4 colleagues. With this team answer the following questions concerning Rocket Boy. 1. What are the key issues of the case? 2. Identify all of
the key players and relevant stakeholders involved in this
case. 3. Identify the possible courses of action. Name and support the recommended course of action. Post your answers to the
WebBoard on October 17 and discuss it
with other students during the following week. Sub Assignment #1: Draft of Instructional
Needs Analysis ~ Due October 17
San Jose State University Curry school of Education, University of
Virginia
Wood Transportation Structures Research
Caffarella, Rosemary. (1994). Planning programs for adult learners: A Practical guide for educators, trainers, and staff developers. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers. |
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