Instructional design/Learner analysis/what when why/demographics

DEMOGRAPHICS
Starting out by learning general demographic information about your learners can shape your design strategy rather quickly. Knowing if you are designing a course for 40 students or 400, the geographic locations of the students, cultural characteristics and their socioeconomic status will drive what learning technologies you can implement, resources you provide, pedagogical choices and methods of delivery and communication. The chart below provides demographic considerations that instructional designers should seek to locate in the learning analysis process.



An important part of learner analysis is knowing where to find the information you hope to gain about learners. IDs who are also teaching have direct access to students, which opens up additional sources above what might be available to someone who is designing instruction with the help of a subject matter expert. If your subject matter expert is the teacher, or you have direct access to the students' current or past teachers, this additional information may be requested from them.

POSSIBLE DATA SOURCES
Below are possible sources for the collection of demographic information about students:

IDs only -

 * Surveys
 * Enrollment documents
 * Transcripts
 * Previous instructors
 * Resume or CV
 * Employment records
 * Student records
 * Census data, if available
 * Disclosure documents

IDs who are also teaching -

 * Personal interactions with students
 * Observations
 * Surveys
 * Enrollment documents
 * Transcripts
 * Previous instructors
 * Resume or CV
 * Employment records
 * Student records
 * Census data, if available
 * Disclosure documents

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE!
(select all that apply) {Which of the following demographic information could be valuable in a learner analysis? + Learners native language + What time zone they live in - Prior knowledge on subject + Socioeconomic status
 * type="[]"coef="3"}
 * Yes! Language barriers can have a huge impact on communication within a hybrid or fully online course.
 * Correct! If you have learners who are going to have to virtually meet with team members or the instructor, you need to be sure they are scheduled at times when all participants available.
 * This is actually not a demographic characteristic. It falls under the Cognitive/Prior Knowledge considerations.
 * Yes! You definitely need to know if your learners will have the resources (technology, textbooks) to successfully complete the course and may need to provide alternative resources (e-texts, lab or free technology options) for the learners.

RESOURCES
Eastham, N. (2011). Instructional Design Course: Learner analysis (Web resource). University of Northern California. Retrieved from http://www.unco.edu/cetl/sir/sizing_up/learner_analysis.html (Links to an external site.)

Justice, L. K. (2003). Learner/Context Analysis (Web resource). Retrieved from http://www.personal.kent.edu/~lkjusti1/objectivelyspeaking/learner_context_analysis.htm (Links to an external site.)

Move to Page 4: Intro to Learner Analysis Worksheet: Cognitive and Prior Knowledge
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