In this assignment, you will be applying newly gained knowledge and skills to construct the elements of a needs analysis for a performance concern that you will create. In doing so, you will analyze a specific training and/or instructional problem for discrepancies between current and desired learning outcomes.
This assignment will provide you with an opportunity to produce a scenario that is of personal/professional interest to you. You are encouraged to consider a scenario that is applicable to your current work situation, or career aspirations, as related to the fields of education, training, and instructional design and technology. For example, if you currently work (or wish to work) within the academic field (K–12 or higher learning) or military ranks, please consider a performance concern that can be identified, analyzed, and subsequently addressed with specialized training. If you are currently working in a business setting, you might create a corporate scenario whereby a performance issue is impacting the bottom line and a training response is warranted. This is your opportunity to be creative as you devise your own practical Workforce Learning and Performance (WLP) issue that can be formally assessed and analyzed.
The following are examples of practical WLP scenarios that could very well be created for this assignment. As you consider a scenario that would be of interest to you, think of your own experiences where a performance issue could have been resolved through training.
Higher Education Example: The administration of an institution of higher learning is concerned with student retention. It seems that increasing numbers of newly enrolled students are leaving the school within the first 6 weeks of their first term of enrollment. There is a lot of speculation as to why this is occurring, but the actual cause of the apparent gap in performance must be formally reviewed. As the Instructional Designer for the institution, the provost has requested that you conduct a needs analysis regarding this concern. Based on the findings of your analysis, you might also be asked to propose a training solution in the future that can be implemented to improve the retention rate of new students.
K–12 Education Example: Your local school district recently responded to a request for proposals (RFP) from a nonprofit organization interested in placing instructional technology into K–12 classrooms. Lo and behold, the grant is awarded and the superintendent was notified that 10 SMART boards are on their way. The award letter also states that a review team will arrive 60 days after delivery to verify how the new technology is being used, and a follow up article will be released to the press. There is only one problem: it has been reported that few of the faculty even know what a SMART board is, or how such technology could be effectively integrated into the classroom. As the Instructional Designer, the superintendent has asked you to conduct a needs analysis to determine whether a gap in performance concern actually exists.
Corporate Example: Business has been great since opening the doors at XYZ Enterprises. Sales are at an all-time high, but so are the customer service complaints. It seems like the new left-handed widget that everybody is so crazy about is not as intuitive to operate as expected, and when customers trying to figure out the newfangled device call tech support, they are treated in a very rude manner. The owner’s group has been reading the negative comments posted on social media and are convinced that there is some sort of a performance gap that is causing the issue. As the Instructional Designer, the CEO requests that you figure out what is truly going on. Depending on what you find out, a training package might be assembled if it is determined that it will correct the deteriorating conditions.
Barksdale & Lund’s (2001) Rapid Needs Analysis is an outstanding resource to consider as you construct the various sections that are commonly included in a formal needs analysis. You will find that the authors have assembled various resources as a guide toward completing the prescribed activities. Additionally, a variety of other related resources pertaining to conducting a formal needs analysis at your disposal, including those listed in the reading section of this unit.
Instructions
To begin this assignment, you will need to imagine a scenario where a Workplace Learning and Performance (WPL) concern has been reported. Once defined, you will compose a detailed response reflective of the activities included in the steps common to a needs analysis, as reflected in models such as the Barksdale and Lund Rapid Needs Analysis (2001) or other resources included in the reading list for this unit. The following outline accounts for the fields that must be included in your assignment, but additional categories could be added from other sources as you deem appropriate.
Identifying the Current Situation:
Develop a list of all pertinent background information.
Determine data collection methods.
Develop data gathering instruments.
Identify gaps and biases noted during the data collection process.
Analyzing the Data:
Identify the type of analysis.
Identify data bias.
Identify steps to be taken to analyze the data.
Interpret the results and identify the performance gap.
Identify the most appropriate solution.
Identify the performance measures linking the solution to the performance gap.
As you complete the components included in a needs analysis, you will use your own discretion for the actual resources (tables, tools, worksheets, etc.) that will be included. Your response will be evaluated based on the detail offered, and the rationale you establish for the decisions and direction you take in constructing the various components of your needs analysis. Just as if this was an actual instructional design project assigned to you, you will want to be thorough in the descriptive content you develop for this assignment. Those that read your evaluation strategy might not be as knowledgeable about the process as you are, so you will want to make sure that your response fully demonstrates the knowledge that you have acquired from the assigned readings and related materials you have investigated.
Format: In an applied setting, you would most likely be provided with format specifications or asked to create your own. Whatever format you devise to form your report should employ the use of headings, lists, and other formatting conventions to aid readability. Use the outline presented above as a guide for your section headings and subsections. All sources included in the body of your work should be cited appropriately, and a reference page should also be included. For citations and references, title and reference pages, please follow APA current edition style guidelines.
https://kapextmediassl-a.akamaihd.net/EdCommGrad/IX520/RapidNeedsAnalysis/RNA-Step-2-Identifying-the-Current-Situation.pdf
https://kapextmediassl-a.akamaihd.net/EdCommGrad/IX520/RapidNeedsAnalysis/RNA-Step-3-Analyzing-the-Data.pdf
