Instructional Analysis

        The purpose of the analysis phase of the design process is seen as the foundation for all the other phases of instructional design. During this phase, you must define the problem, identify the source of the problem, and determine possible solutions. In this phase, three vital components are analyzed as part of the instructional design process. The first component that must be considered to begin with is the learners themselves. There are several learner characteristics that are necessary to consider as knowing your learner and their needs and prior knowledge is the basis of building an effective instructional design plan. To begin with, we can consider two broad types of human characteristics: individual differences among people and similarities among people. Some schools of thought in education have emphasized individual differences, ignoring the critical ways in which people are alike (Smith & Tillman, 1999). These characteristics are equally important in the design of instruction. 

The second component is learning tasks, which is a process of analyzing the kind of learning students are expected to know how to perform. Here is where the instructional designer must identify a goal and principal objective for their learners. A needs assessment will conclude a determination that an instructional need exists. The task analysis is used to analyze that need for the purpose of developing the instruction. The process of task analysis transforms goal statements into a form that can be used to guide subsequent design ((Smith & Tillman, 1999).

Lastly, the third component is the learning context, which is the setting where the actual learning will take place. The goal is to familiarize yourself with the area where the learning will occur. It is equally important to identify any limitations of the setting that might affect the design of instruction. Context shapes the learning experience. By examining the multi-layered world of people at work, we can begin to understand the constraints of a person’s situation as well as its hidden opportunities. This may lead us to design more holistic and effective solutions for performance improvement (Malamed, 2018). The physical locations and surroundings are crucial to consider in the princess of instructional analysis as it can have negative or positive effects on the design and ultimately the learners. 

           Learning environments play an essential role in the education of learners and thus are a vital part of the instructional design process. The purpose of analyzing the learning environment is to assure all aspects are being considered of where students learn. Instructional materials, displays, classroom setup, interactive areas, and so on are all part of how instructional design will or will not successfully aid the learning process. They need to be capable of being autonomous in their learning because to be successful today and tomorrow we all need to be capable of continuously re-inventing ourselves. We need to know where to find information to help us continue learning on our own, where to find and how to contact experts in different fields, and how to judge what’s important to learn ( Stander, 2020). Students tend to learn best when they are critical thinking, collaborating, and creating. The use of these technologies is adopted in order to create an engaging learning environment where students are immersed in their learning through the use of different forms of technology. Educators are at the heart of educational systems and I firmly believe that nothing can replace a great teacher. Teachers are the direct link to students and they are in charge of their learning journey. They create effective classroom environments where students are immersed and actively learning. All of these factors must be considered in the instructional design process so that the learning environment is most conducive to successful learning. 

Food for thought: factors affecting students learning...

References

Malamed, C.  (2018, February 8). The Importance Of Context In Learning Design. The ELearning Coach. https://theelearningcoach.com/elearning_design/context-in-learning-design/

Smith, P. & Tillman, R.  (1999). Instructional Design (2). New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Stander, S. (2020, September 13).  Instructional Design – learning environments. The Inquiring Teacher. https://www.inquiringteacher.com/instructional-design-learning-environments/