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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:

I thought you did a fine job. My most signficant feedback is how to rewrite your problem statement, so read those comments carefully.

 

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:

Doing Research at the Trilobyte Library: a How-To Course for Neophytes (University of Wisconsin - Flambeau Falls)

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:

Library instruction is available to all faculty, staff and students attending the University of Wisconsin - Flambeau Falls (UW-FF). UW-FF is a four-year college, and one of 27 academic institutions that comprise the University of Wisconsin System. The "Doing Research" course can be a one-time session that provides basic information about searching the catalog and databases, and the research process. It can be expanded to comprise a series of sessions in which classes focus on specific goals (e.g. census databases, maps and atlases, etc.). Basic information includes knowing when and how to search the catalog/databases; use of search skills to conduct research efficiently and effectively; and techniques that promote critical and creative thinking with regard to using electronic and print library resources.

The instructor's feedback to step 1:

Very good identification of the system of interest and how it interrates to other systems.

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:

Students do not understand the difference between the catalog and the electronic databases. When asked what resources they have tried, they describe using the catalog when their research need would be better answered by a database. Alternatively, they admit when asked that they do not know the difference between the two kinds of resources, and that doing research electronically can be confusing. It is also observed that new users do not make a distinction between research topics and search strategies. There is little recognition that a computer is unable to translate a research topic into a workable search strategy without human intervention.

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:

Inability to satisfy research needs will disqualify users from participating fully in their classes and research communities. Inefficient and ineffective search strategies can confound and frustrate users by presenting false negative information.

The instructor's feedback to step 2:

Excellent! (It's great that your buddy points to even more hypothetical symptoms.)

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:

Research abilities in electronic and print environments cannot be assumed. An introduction to electronic searching in catalogs and databases provides skills upon which users can continue to build.

The instructor's feedback to step 3:

I recommend you change this. Make the system of interest the subject of the problem statement, such as this: "The 'Doing Research at the Trilobyte Library: a How-To Course for Neophytes' does not adequately prepare students to conduct research with electronic catalogs and databases". By stating it this way, it directly points to where the instructional action needs to take place.

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:

1. Keep a qualitative log of volunteered client queries concerning their interaction with the catalog and databases; 2. Collect numbers of questions concerning use of the catalog and the databases; 3. Survey instructors' expectations of students' abilities to conduct research in an organized, thoughtful manner.

Your final response:

1. Log provides clients' responses about their experiences with the catalog and databases; 2. Statistics quantify the number of questions asked about the catalog and databases, and also mention which databases are asked about the most; 3. Instructors provide opinions on quality of students' research with regard to sources cited and used in papers, reports, etc.

Your final response:

a. Serendipity features largely in finding research materials (felt need). b. Clients often expect that one database will be sufficient to search (felt need). c. Many share frustration that an introduction to the library is not stressed by instructors or departments "till I'm knee-deep in research" (felt need). d. Clients cite prior experiences at other institutions where the library is intimately involved with researchers at all levels (comparative need). e. Statistics show a large number of clients asking 'basic' questions (expressed need). f. Instructors opinions of their students research is not high (normative need). g. They often state that at other institutions, students were better prepared for rigorous research (comparative need , felt need). h. Instructors often express incredulity that their "go-to" databases are often ignored by undergraduate researchers. (comparative need/felt need).

*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:

Your hypothetical data sources and data are excellent. Your needs are OK, but a little confusing -- try to state these in terms of gaps between where people are and where they ought to be.

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

Prioritized needs

Reasons/evidence for priority

Your final response:

Clients need to learn how to find articles and books on their topics. Clients need to know when to use a catalog and when to use an article database. Clients need to learn to use more than one article database.

Your final response:

This is an essential step to support ongoing research and learning. Looking in the wrong place and finding little or nothing does not support the research process. No one database covers all the literature in a subject area.

The instructor's feedback to step 5:

Good. You've actually restated the needs more simply and directly here (you could have done that back in step 4).

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:

New users at the University of Wisconsin-Flambeau Falls need an orientation to the print and electronic resources at the Trilobyte Library in order to conduct efficient and effective research.

The instructor's feedback to step 6:

Based on what I wrote above, I recommend this: "The 'Doing Research at the Trilobyte Library: a How-To Course for Neophytes' does not adequately prepare students to conduct efficient and effective research using print and electronic resources".

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:

1. Teach the difference in the contents of a catalog and databases. 2. Demonstrate translating topic into search strategies. 3. Prove the transferability of search skills among catalogs and databases.

 

Your final response:

1. Knowing where to look for what kind of information is crucial to a research process. 2. Search strategies are more successful than topics when using a computer. 3. Comfort levels with unfamiliar catalogs and databases strengthens research by giving results breadth and depth.

The instructor's feedback to step 7:

Good general instructional goals.