Instructional design/Procedural analysis/Page 4: Procedural Analysis: An Overview

Procedural analysis involves identifying the steps required to complete tasks. The analysis covers both the observable and cognitive behaviors associated with a task. For example, while changing a tire, an observable step is to park your car at a safe place. For this step, a cognitive behavior (and decision point) would be to determine whether you are at a solid, level surface that is far from traffic.

This method is suitable for analyzing structured tasks, which have a defined number and sequence of steps that stay the same in any situation. Examples of structured tasks are changing a tire, baking a cake, and installing Microsoft Office on a Windows computer. In contrast, unstructured tasks do not have a defined sequence of steps. The number and types of steps vary, depending on the symptoms and constraints of a situation. For example, troubleshooting a network problem is an unstructured task whose steps vary, depending on the symptoms and cause of the problem.

{Which of the following tasks can you easily analyze using procedural analysis? (Select all options that apply and click Submit.) - A. Diagnosing a patient's condition, based on the patient's symptoms - B. Closing a sale of a car + C. Painting a room + D. Replacing the hard disk drive of a computer + E. Building a cupboard - F. Recommending investment options for people
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 * Options C, D, and E are correct. Painting a room, replacing a hard disk drive, and building a cupboard are all examples of structured tasks because their steps don’t really vary across situations. However, the specifications and inputs for the steps may vary. For example, the amount and type of paint would vary, based on the area of a room and customers' preferences. But the steps for painting would be the same. Such tasks can be easily analyzed using procedural analysis. On the other hand, diagnosing a patient's condition, closing a sale, and recommending investment options are highly unstructured tasks whose steps vary, depending on the requirements of a situation. Procedural analysis won’t be sufficient to analyze such tasks. One needs to dig deeper into the cognitive processing and decision making involved in such tasks.

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