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Instructional Design Activity: Needs Analysis

 

Overall Instructor Rating: Satisfactory

Ratings explanation:

  • Exemplary - A model answer in almost every way (this is given out very rarely).
  • Satisfactory - Very well done; you've met the expectations of the assignment. There are some minor problems, so read my feedback well.
  • Marginal Pass - You pass, but there are lots of issues to consider. Read my feedback very carefully and be sure you understand the points/issues I raise.
  • Not satisfactory, redo and resubmit - The assignment was not completed appropriately. I am concerned that you do not understand the process well enough yet. To get credit for the assignment, you need to redo it, most probably on another topic. Read and consider my feedback very carefully before redoing.

Instructor's Overall Feedback:

Hi Cheryl: Great job on your Needs Assessment. Looks like you had a good buddy too. Just a few suggestions to think about: You wrote, "Households in Gwinnett county do not understand the impact of recycling on the environment, therefore; they do not participate in curbside recycling." It might be more of a positive approach to replace the word "impact" with "benefits" throughout. This would lend itself well to instruction (i.e., learners being able to identify the benefits of participating in curbside recycling). I see you added this emphasis in the later steps. Good.

 

1. Preliminary: Describe the context within which this potential instructional problem takes place. This will pinpoint where the problem is located. If instruction is deemed necessary, this will be the place where it will be designed and implemented.

a. List the context, also known as the "system of interest".

Your final response:

Households in Gwinnett County

b. Describe or show how the context relates to the bigger environment. Show how this context relates to other levels of the system within which it works.

Your final response:

Gwinnett County is one of the fastest growing counties in the nation. Households in the county may choose from several companies for weekly garbage removal. Each company is required to provide weekly recycling pickup including a bin which is placed at the curb on the assigned date. This is provided at no additional charge to customers. Cans, bottles and some plastics are easily recycled and can reduce landfill usage and decrease the need for resources such as oil and trees for household products. Individual household recycling does impact the overall national need for more landfill space, tree cutting and energy use.

The instructor's feedback to step 1:

No specific feedback given on this step.

2. Symptoms of a problem. Write a brief description of some symptoms that make you stop and wonder if something is wrong.

Your final response:

Of the twenty houses on my street, only 2 place recycling bins at the curb on a regular basis. The other 18 houses never take advantage of curbside recycling. Outside of my neighborhood most of my friends, coworkers and family members state they do not recycle household items with any regularity and are not aware of the impact of recycling. Residents of the county do not understand the importance of recycling on a local or national level.

Using the evidence cited above, describe why you believe that these symptoms signal a problem. Keeping these questions in mind, describe the reasons for identifying these symptoms as problematic.

Your final response:

According to Gwinnett County Clean & Beautiful, the organization promoting recycling and environmental awareness in the county, our county has a significantly lower rate than the national average of 56% of households that recycle and we have landfills that are running out of space. New landfills will add additional cost to citizens of the county. Most residents of the county are willing to take measures to reduce the national need for oil by driving fewer miles or buying automobiles that get better mileage but do not understand the relationship between household plastics and oil usage.

The instructor's feedback to step 2:

No specific feedback given on this step.

3. Preliminary Problem Statement. Based on 1 and 2, write a preliminary draft problem statement. Your context should be the subject of the statement. This is just the initial pass -- the statement will be revised in subsequent steps.

Your final response:

Households in Gwinnett county do not understand the impact of recycling on the environment, therefore; they do not participate in curbside recycling.

The instructor's feedback to step 3:

No specific feedback given on this step.

4. Verify the problem and determine specific needs. Two things will now happen concurrently. First, you need a systematic procedure to identify and collect data in order to verify that a problem exists. Second, you must identify information that the data sources may help uncover.

 

Data sources (who, what)

Information gathered

What did you find? (Needs)*

Example: Interview participants in course; administer class survey; administer test of understanding.

Example: Participant opinions on IDAs and course; Participant score on test.

Example: Participants believe there is too much jargon (felt need); Participants don't understand ID vocabulary as compared to other classes (comparative need); Participants don't score above national average (comparative need); Participants don't/couldn't see the relation between their work and the ID process)

Your final response:

Survey residents in the county to determine their knowledge and lack of participation about this issue. Survey companies that provide garbage pickup to determine amount of items picked up for recycling in comparison to other metro counties. Interview members of Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful to determine the impacts on residents of the county and recycling.

Your final response:

Residents of the county do not feel that recycling really matters and only 21% of those interviewed regularly recycle (felt need); Companies that offer recycling state that Gwinnett County places 5 in a list of 7 metro counties in overall recycling (comparative need); Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful has the results of an environmental impact study on the county in regards to present recyling efforts.

Your final response:

There is a need for an educational program about the costs and benefits of recycling. The program needs to be available to all county households.

*Note: You are not required to gather data; you can draw on your experience or imagination to list the data you might gather.

The instructor's feedback to step 4:

No specific feedback given on this step.

5. Prioritize your list of needs.Which are most important? Why are they most important?

Prioritized needs

Reasons/evidence for priority

Your final response:

1.Residents need to learn how this effects each individual household. 2.Residents of the county need to learn about how their reclying efforts impact the county landfills and the overall environment including natural resources. 3. Residents need to learn where Gwinnett County places in comparison to other metro counties.

Your final response:

Goal 1 will help the learner to see a personal connection to the issue of recycling . Goal 2 will help the learner to see the potential cost to taxpayers related to landfills and oil usage. Goal 3 will help the learner to see the success of other counties and how Gwinnett County can also succeed.

The instructor's feedback to step 5:

No specific feedback given on this step.

6. Rewrite your problem statement. Take a moment to look carefully at the initial problem statement that you wrote. Revisit your prioritized needs and check if your problem statement is still accurate and appropriate.

Rewrite the problem statement here:

Your final response:

(It needed minimal changes) Households in Gwinnett county do not understand the financial and environmental impact of recycling, therefore; they do not participate in curbside recycling.

The instructor's feedback to step 6:

No specific feedback given on this step.

7. Identify the instructional goals. The last step in Needs Assessment is to list a few goals of instruction. Remember, not all goals can be solved through instruction. The instructional goals you identify will be the starting information for the next steps in the instructional design process. List the instructional goals in order of priority.

 

Instructional goals by priority

Reasons for importance

Your final response:

After completing this course a learner will know: 1) how much their household recylcing will reduce landfill waste and personal costs 2) how recycling plastic goods reduces oil consumption 3) how other counties are successful in household recycling and the actual costs/savings 4) how to properly recyle household items and place them at curbside.

 

Your final response:

Most individuals who are not presently recycling need to identify a personal reason for taking the time and effort to recycle and using actual costs in taxes and oil consumption can provide this information. After participants identify the need for recycling they will be open to learning about how to recycle properly.

The instructor's feedback to step 7:

No specific feedback given on this step.