Needs analysis and creating learning goals/objectives
Needs Analysis
Why do we do a Needs Analysis?
Instructional designers do a needs analysis to determine the gap between the current state and the desired state of a particular organization or group. It is the process of identifying the learning or performance problem, the causes of the problem, and potential solutions to address the problem. The needs analysis is important because it helps instructional designers to:
Identify the learning goals and objectives: A needs analysis helps instructional designers to identify the desired outcomes or objectives that learners should achieve after completing the instructional program.
Identify the target audience: A needs analysis helps instructional designers to identify the characteristics and needs of the target audience. This includes their age, gender, educational background, work experience, and learning preferences.
Identify the learning content: A needs analysis helps instructional designers to identify the content that needs to be included in the instructional program. This includes the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that learners need to acquire to meet the learning objectives.
Determine the delivery method: A needs analysis helps instructional designers to determine the most appropriate delivery method for the instructional program. This includes determining whether the program should be delivered online, in-person, or through a blended approach.
Evaluate the effectiveness of the instructional program: A needs analysis helps instructional designers to evaluate the effectiveness of the instructional program by establishing criteria for success and measuring the results of the program against those criteria.
How can you do a Needs Analysis?
Instructional designers can complete a needs analysis by following a structured and systematic process. Here are some steps that instructional designers can take to complete a needs analysis:
Identify the learning problem: The first step is to identify the learning problem that needs to be addressed. This may involve conducting a thorough review of the organization's performance data, surveying employees, and conducting interviews with key stakeholders to identify areas for improvement.
Determine the learning goals and objectives: Once the learning problem has been identified, instructional designers can determine the learning goals and objectives that will address the problem. This involves determining what learners need to know or be able to do to address the problem.
Analyze the target audience: Instructional designers should analyze the target audience to identify their characteristics, needs, and preferences. This may involve conducting a needs assessment, analyzing demographics, and considering the context in which the learning will take place.
Identify the content: After analyzing the target audience, instructional designers can identify the content that needs to be included in the instructional program. This may involve reviewing existing materials, developing new content, and aligning the content with the learning objectives.
Determine the delivery method: Instructional designers can determine the most appropriate delivery method for the instructional program. This may involve choosing between online, in-person, or blended delivery methods, based on the characteristics of the learners and the content.
Develop an evaluation plan: Finally, instructional designers should develop an evaluation plan to assess the effectiveness of the instructional program. This may involve developing assessment tools, collecting feedback from learners and stakeholders, and analyzing the results to identify areas for improvement.
Overall, completing a needs analysis requires a thorough understanding of the learning problem, the target audience, the content, and the delivery method. By following a structured and systematic approach, instructional designers can develop effective instructional programs that meet the needs of learners and achieve the desired outcomes.
Creating Learning Objectives
Creating learning objectives is an essential step in the instructional design process. Learning objectives help to clarify what learners are expected to know, do, or understand after completing the instructional program. Here are some steps to create effective learning objectives:
Identify the learning domain: Learning objectives should be based on one or more of the three domains of learning: cognitive, affective, and psychomotor. The cognitive domain refers to knowledge and intellectual skills, the affective domain refers to attitudes and values, and the psychomotor domain refers to physical skills and coordination.
Use action verbs: Learning objectives should be written using action verbs that describe the observable behavior or outcome of the learning. Common action verbs include analyze, apply, create, demonstrate, evaluate, and understand.
Specify the level of performance: Learning objectives should specify the level of performance that is expected of the learner. This may involve using Bloom's taxonomy or other frameworks to describe the cognitive complexity of the learning objective.
Be specific: Learning objectives should be specific and clearly defined. They should describe what the learner will be able to do, rather than what the instructor will do. Avoid using vague terms like "understand" or "know" and be as specific as possible.
Align with overall goals: Learning objectives should align with the overall goals of the instructional program. They should be relevant to the target audience, reflect their needs and interests, and be achievable within the context of the instructional program.
Check for clarity: Review the learning objectives for clarity and consistency. Ensure that they are understandable to the target audience, and that they accurately reflect the content and activities of the instructional program.
My needs analysis and learning objectives example (click here for earlier posts) :
This needs analysis is based on the first empathy map in the previous post. This learner group will be referred by the title “Carrier Sales Representatives” throughout.
Step 1: Define the target instructional setting and Learner group
The instructional setting for the first group I chose would be in-person. One of the challenges this group mentioned in the case study was that they were struggling with communication and feeling part of the group. This group should meet in-person for training in these skills at least if and when they are comfortable with communicating and training virtually.
Step 2: Identify a problem from your analysis that can be solved with eLearning
A common problem I saw in the case study was that every group seems to need some help with communication. This is not surprising since switching to a fully remote environment due to a pandemic is a big change that had to happen quickly and without preparation. Instruction on communicating such as: what tools to use depending on what you need to communicate, how often to communicate with your team/leadership, and how to use the tools that are available. Many companies I have worked for in the past struggled with communication in-person, so it may be helpful to have some soft-skills training as well to improve.
Step 3: Describe the “KSAs” of this learner group, gaps in knowledge, and desired end-result
Currently this group seems to know how to communicate and develop relationships in-person.
This group wants to learn how to better communicate remotely. This group also wants to have the opportunity to communicate in-person if that is possible.
I think the gap in knowledge between where they are now and where they want to be depends on the individual. If someone is still really resistant to working/communicating remotely they may not want to learn how to use the remote tools, therefore the gap is large. If someone wants to learn these tools to work better remotely, and maybe they already know how to use the tools on a basic level, the gap is much smaller.
Step 4: Write a problem statement that clearly defines the problem to be solved with eLearning (Who needs it, what do they need, and why do they need it)
Carrier Sales Representatives need to be able to communicate effectively using remote tools because they want to better communicate with coworkers and customers.
Step 5: Take your problem statement and create a learning goal
Learners will be able to communicate using the correct remote tools effectively.
Step 6: Create learning objective. Don’t forget about Bloom’s Taxonomy ;)
Learners will demonstrate how to send, view, and respond to a message using Microsoft Teams.
The Blooms Taxonomy level of this objective is “Apply” and would be done early in the training after a learning experience that is specific to using Microsoft Teams for their group. It is important to see the learners utilizing Microsoft Teams to ensure they are being efficient and utilizing the program to its fullest extent. The activity should ideally be done within Microsoft Teams itself and could include activities where they message teammates who are also in the training (social learning). Learning in a group when using software is helpful since everyone comes with their own ideas of how to use the program and “tips and tricks” they can share.
Learners will compare 3 different remote communication tools to identify the best use for each.
The Blooms Taxonomy level of this objective is “Analyze” and would be used earlier in the training (prior to learners actually utilizing the tools themselves). I think it is important for this group to understand the differences in the tools and when/why they are used before they start using them inappropriately (for example, using a messaging platform instead of using the CRM the company has already that would function similarly).
