Read Chapter 5, Analyzing Learners and Contexts, from Dick, Carey, and Carey
Before we can move forward and design the instruction that is needed, we need one more set of analyses. In this lesson, we will take a closer look at the learners, the learning context, and the performance context. With the information from these analyses, we are better equipped to design instruction that will effectively meet the needs of our learners and the environment in which they will learn the material as well as provide them the skills and knowledge necessary to be successful when they need to use the skills and knowledge.
At a most basic level, instructional design is learner-centered. What does it mean when
something is learner-centered? It means that the entire process of "instructional design" focuses
on the learner and his or her needs in order to achieve a goal. The more we know about the
learners, the better we can tailor an instructional product to meet their needs. When something is
learner-centered, it means we put the needs of the learner before our needs or desires to instruct.
There are many factors that can affect a person's ability to learn. Dick, Carey & Carey suggest
several characteristics that need a closer look before we begin to design the instruction. A
learner analysis involves examining the following characteristics in detail:
General Characteristics – What are the general characteristics of the intended audience of
learners? In the needs analysis, the learners were briefly discussed. What more can you say
about the intended learners than what was presented in the needs analysis? What must you
remember about the learners when designing the instruction?
Entry Skills - What will the learners already know how to do before facing your instructional
module? What general skills, not included in the subordinate skills analysis, would be helpful to
note? For example, is it important to note that your learners will have the ability to read, or the
ability to perform basic math functions?
Prior Knowledge of the Topic - What will your learners already know about the topic?
Attitudes Toward Content and Potential Delivery System - What are the learners' impressions
and attitudes about the topic of the instruction you will design and how it could be delivered?
What are the attitudes of the learners toward the system you plan to use to deliver the
instruction?
Academic Motivation - How motivated are learners to learn the topic and how much is it likely
to interest them? Many of you will know your learners attitudes toward academics and their
levels of motivation. However, if you are unsure, you could pose the following questions to a
group of students:
The performance context is a future, real-world setting in which the new skills and knowledge
will be used by learners after the instruction is completed. Why is it important to analyze the
performance context? If we understand the setting in which new skills, knowledge, or attitudes
will be used then we can do a better job of planning instructional activities that will approximate
what learners will face when they are finished with the instruction and head back into the real
world. Learning will be more meaningful and skills should transfer easily.
It may be necessary to arrange a site visit and brief interviews to perform a thorough
performance context analysis. The purpose of a site visit is to gather information from potential
learners and managers, as well as observe the work environment where learners will eventually
use their new skills. For school teachers, since it may be years before students enter the "real
world" to use the skills you are teaching, it would be a good idea for you to spend some time
thinking about the context in which the skills learned in school will actually be used. Completing
this analysis could help you answer the "Why do we need to learn this?" questions from your
students.
A performance context analysis involves examining the following characteristics in detail:
Managerial Support - This is the organizational support that learners can expect when using
new skills. What support will the learner receive when they need to perform the goal in the
performance environment? What support can they expect from management?
Physical Aspects of the Site – What could the performance site look like? What equipment,
facilities, tools, timing, or other resources are needed in order to use the knowledge and skills
learned from the instruction you will design?
Social Aspects of the Site - Will workers work alone or in a team when they use the skills
addressed in your instructional module? Will they work independently in the field or as a
supervisor? Will they be the first to use these skills?
Relevance of Skills to Workplace - How relevant are the new skills to the actual workplace?
Are there physical, social, or motivational constraints to the use of the new skills?
As with the learner analysis, you may not know where your potential learners could use the
knowledge and skills gained from your instruction. If this is the case, describe an example of a
performance context where the learners might use the skill. For example, if your learners need
to know how to conduct online research using the AltaVista search engine, you know that this
could be used anywhere there is a computer and internet connection. An example performance
context could be in a library while conducting research for a school or work project or it could be
at home while researching how to make a Lemon Meringue pie.
All learning takes place in a context. The goal of a learning context analysis is to familiarize
yourself with the facilities where the learning will occur and to identify any limitations of the
setting that might affect the design of instruction. The context in which learning will occur may
affect the accomplishment of your goal. Keep in mind that this will differ from the context in
which the skills will actually be used.
Analyzing the learning context may also require a site visit, interviewing instructors, managers,
and potential learners as well as observing the site in use. Even if you feel you are very familiar
with the site, your analysis may uncover opportunities to provide activities for your students that
are a better fit with the site where learning will take place.
A learning context analysis involves examining the following characteristics in detail:
Number and Nature of Sites - How many sites are there and what facilities, equipment, and
resources are available at the sites? Describe the physical characteristics of the sites.
Compatibility of the Site with the Instructional Requirements - Does the environment
include the tools or other items that are necessary for the learning of the goal? For example, if
your instruction requires computers, are they available at the site, and are they properly
configured? Can the site support the desired delivery approach?
Compatibility of the Site With the Learner Needs - Are the sites convenient to the learners,
are there necessary conveniences available, and is there adequate space and equipment for the
expected number of learners?
Feasibility for Simulating the Workplace - Does the learning environment adequately simulate
the eventual work environment? Is there anything that can be done to make it more like the work
environment? The closer you can simulate the performance site, the easier it will be for the
learners to transfer their newly acquired skills.
In this activity conduct an analysis of the learners as well as the contexts in which they will (a)
use the skills (the performance context) and in which they will (b) acquire the skills (the learning
context).
Conduct each analysis individually and compose a response for each characteristic discussed
within the lesson. Consider the explanation of the characteristic and the sample questions when
you compose your response. Your assignment must include (a) your discussion of each
characteristic, (b) a discussion of how you obtained the information included in the analysis, and
(c) an organized summary of the examination of the characteristics. It is helpful to use the rubric
items as headers for your analysis.
Your assignment should be produced using Microsoft Word. The title of this assignment is "Learner and Context Analysis". Beneath that, enter your name, email address, and the date. Save your assignment using the filename "learners". After you have saved your file, go to the student interface and submit your assignment for grading. Click here if you need additional information regarding submission of your assignment.