Analyzing Learners and Contexts
Goals and Outcomes
After completing this module, students will be able to:
- Name the general characteristics of a target population that are important to consider when developing instruction.
- Name contextual characteristics of the eventual setting in which acquired skills will be performed.
- Name contextual characteristics of the instructional setting.
- Analyze and describe the general characteristics of a target population.
- Analyze and describe the contextual characteristics of the eventual performance and instructional settings.
- Review instructional analysis work in light of learner and context information and revise as indicated.
Selected Readings
Chapter 5 from Dick, W., Carey, L. & Carey, J.O. (2015). The systematic design of instruction. (8th ed.). New York: Pearson.
Lecture Outlines
“To Do” List
Do: Begin working on Report 1. Report 1 will require you to synthesize and apply all your knowledge gained from chapters 1-6. Report 1 will be due on the first day of module 7.
Do: Begin your Learning Blog. See your Learning Blog assignment details in Assignments. The initial link to your evolving reflective Learning Blog is due on the first day of module 7.
DO: Discussions
Discussions Forum 5: Analyzing Learners and Contexts
Chapter 5 is about Analyzing Learners and Contexts: How do you learn about your learners?
One of our objectives for this chapter is to (for a given instructional goal and context), describe methods and sources for obtaining information about the target population, performance setting, and instructional setting.
For this discussion, think of the target population for or something you teach, then describe methods and sources for obtaining information about the target population so that the main goal of instruction can be accomplished. In other words, how do you learn about your learners? List something you have learned in this manner and state whether or not it was helpful in your instructional planning and implementation.
For all discussions, full credit is awarded for providing a meaningful and well-written original thread and responses to two classmates. Discussion postings should always be thoughtful, courteous and on topic. In order to ensure that postings are appropriate in length and substance, please limit your initial postings to @100 words and each of your responses to @50 words.
Make your initial posts before 11:59 p.m. U.S. EST/EDT on Day 5 of this module. Complete your replies before 11:59 p.m. U.S. EST/EDT on the next Monday.
Discussion postings should always be thoughtful and courteous and include some references or direct evidence from the module’s content, readings, or assignments to support your statements.