Instructional design/Learner analysis/what when why/demographics/cognitive

Intro to Learner Analysis Worksheet - Cognitive and Prior Knowledge (2 minutes)

As a designer, it is extremely helpful to understand how much knowledge and skill the learners have when they enter the learning environment. The cognitive and prior knowledge data that you collect about your learners during the leaner analysis process will help you make effective decisions on where to begin the instruction (entry level fundamentals or more advanced concepts), what types of activities would be meaningful and of interest, how much support (technology, research, etc) should be included in the design. As you get more experienced in conducting a learner analysis, you will discover a wide range of characteristics to consider, that will impact your design choices in many ways.

POSSIBLE DATA SOURCES

Below are possible sources for the collection of cognitive and prior knowledge information about students:

IDs only -

Surveys
Transcripts
Resume or CV
Employment records
Performance records
Student records
Personality inventories, including learning style inventories, StrengthsQuest, etc.

ID who are also teaching -

Surveys
Personal interactions with students
Observations
Transcripts
Resume or CV
Employment records
Performance records
Student records
Personality inventories, including learning style inventories, StrengthsQuest, etc.
Pre-tests

POSSIBLE DESIGN IMPLICATIONS

Category	Design Implications
Education Level	Course content aligns with learner levels of mastery. Learners may share similar skills and experience, which can allow for real-world problem solving activities and collaborative group projects.
Prerequisite skills	Include supplemental resources/instruction if learners fall short of meeting prerequisite skills. Align instruction with learners entry level skill sets and provide resources for tutoring or online training/support.
Learning styles	Design instruction to keep students actively engaged (active learning, Problem/Inquiry based learning activities, etc.) Provide multiple modalities of content presentation (visual, textual, auditory) Activities/support should address needs of independent/dependent learners.
Technology skills	Provide technology support or skill development to get student to the required level of proficiency. Connect to local or online help support systems. Build in tutorials for required tools.
Learning disabilities	Collaborate with Disability Services to ensure learner needs are identified and met. Provide accessible content, additional support people into the course. Adapt or provide alternative activities to accommodate user needs.

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE!

(select all that apply)

Move to Page 5: Intro to Learner Analysis Worksheet: Physiological

	Personality inventories, including learning style inventories, StrengthsQuest, etc
	Observations
	Transcript
	Syllabus