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

Intro to Learner Analysis Worksheet - physiological (2 minutes)

Understanding physical challenges that your learners face is critical to building a learning environment that supports their needs. One considerations IDs sometime miss are the hidden challenges learners experience. Some of these are listed in the chart below. Taking into consideration the physiological needs of students affects what type of activities are chosen, presentation of content, and access to student services.

POSSIBLE DATA SOURCES

Below are possible sources for the collection of physiological information about students:

IDs only -

Surveys
Enrollment documents
Previous instructors
Student records
Disclosure documents
Job descriptions

IDs who also teach -

Observations
Personal interactions with students
Surveys
Enrollment documents
Previous instructors
Student records
Disclosure documents
Job descriptions

POSSIBLE DESIGN IMPLICATIONS

Category	Design Implications
Emotional	When confronted with problematic situations, learners will habitually respond in ways that they have shaped from experience or natural tendencies. Design scaffolded presentations and activities to promote deep processing of concepts.
General Health	If basic needs are not being met, it may have negative impacts on student motivation and engagement. Provide flexibility in course activities if possible, create a supportive and aesthetically welcoming and calming environment. Build a learning community of support. this may include local or campus resources that can assist students with food, shelter or health related assistance.
Environmental	Accommodations will need to be implemented based on learner needs and type of sensitivity. The amount of sound, video, screen time required, may need to be adjusted.
Physical Disabilities	Collaborate with Disability Services to ensure learner needs are identified and met. Provide accessible content, add additional support people into the course if needed. Adapt or provide alternative activities to accommodate user needs.

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE!

(select all that apply)

	Choice of learning platform (LMS)
	Use of Lecture Capture
	Video conferencing sessions
	PDF's, images