Conducting a Task Analysis
Background
Probably the most critical part of the design process, this component of the instructional analysis focuses on the tasks, steps or factors critical to performing the task identified in your instructional goal. Essentially, this is accomplished by specifying what an expert would do to solve the problem or accomplish the task. During this analysis you will also identify the type of learning represented by your learning objectives. Pre-requisite skills analysis is focused on identifying the learning objectives necessary to complete tasks identified in the IDA. The sequence in which these objectives will be presented to the learner, and the entry skills required of the learner prior to beginning instruction are also identified during this analysis.
This activity builds on the previous IDAs. In this activity, you will design an outline of a steps/learning objectives required to accomplish the instructional goal as well as the learning objectives. This activity is designed to give you hands-on practice with task analysis.
Important Note! As you begin work on this IDA, you may find that your goal is more on the course level and needs to be broken down into smaller modules. By identifying the level of your goal, you will know where to start with the IDA (e.g., part one: course, part two: unit, or part three: lesson), and will be able to focus your analysis on one or two “lessons” or modules of instruction that will comprise your final project.
- Restate the problem in the form of a title for your instruction, and re-write the instructional goal(s) statement from IDA#1 so that it is written as a “Learning Goal”. A learning goal should state what learners will be able to or what capabilities they will possess upon completion of instruction. The learning goal should include the following elements: a) an observable learning behavior or action, b) a description of the condition under which learning may be observed; and/or c) a description of the criterion or standard to measure attainment of learning.
Example:
Instructional Goal (from Performance/Goal Analysis): Assessa patient for hypertension.
Learning Goal: Learners will implement a 4-step assessment process to probe for common risk factors of hypertension in a patient.
Instructional Goal:Rewrite as Learning Goal:
Morrison, G.R., Ross, S.M., Kalman, H.K., & Kemp, J.E. (2012). Designing effective instruction (7th Ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Richardson, J., et al. (2013). Purdue EDCI 575 IDA course materials.
- Based on Bloom’s Taxonomy ( )
or Gagne's Types of Learning Outcomes ( identify the type(s) of learning reflected by your learning goals.
Learning Goal(s) and Subordinate Tasks / Type(s) of Learning Reflected- Identification of Learning Tasks.In this section, in order to clarify what the learners need to be able to do after the instruction, you should analyze, step-by-step, what a person performing the goal would do. This is where you identify what tasks are to be learned by decomposing the learning goal. Later you will identify how the task will be learned. It is recommended that you create a visual map of steps/factors/concepts you believe to be related to the learning goal.
Note: This is a time-consuming process. Designers use lots of different tools to create these visual models: MS Word Charts, PowerPoint, online flowchart or mind mapping software (e.g., LucidChart; Gliffy; etc.). Simple examples of visual models are provided below.
Complete a visual model that includes all pre-requisite skills needed in order to achieve the learning goal. The purpose of this process is to identify the cognitions that make up the higher order learning goal. For each task/step identified in the IDA, ask: “What must the learner know or be able to do to achieve this task/step?” Do this for all task/steps until you know everything the learner must know to achieve the learning goal.
Tip: This is when you are really beginning to focus on how learners will learn. From this point forward, you will identify sequence of learning tasks, related assessments and instructional strategies.
Guiding Questions/Steps for completing this analysis:- “What must the learner know or be able to do to complete each step in the process?”
- “Is there any specific content knowledge that the learner must possess to execute each step?”
- “Is there any specific attitude or characteristic that the learner must possess to execute each step?”
- “Are there any physical abilities or psychomotor skills that a learner must possess to execute the steps in reaching the goal? (This may only be applicable if your goal is primarily a psychomotor goal.)”
- “One way to proceed is to ask, “What mistake might students make if they were learning this particular skill?” Often the answer to this question is the key to identifying the appropriate subordinate skills for the skill in question. The kinds of misunderstandings that students might have will indicate the understandings, also known as skills, which they must have.”
Insert your visual/ flow charts here:
Learning Goal 1:Learning Goal 2:
Learning Goal 3:
Morrison, G.R., Ross, S.M., Kalman, H.K., & Kemp, J.E. (2012). Designing effective instruction (7th Ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Richardson, J. (unknown). Purdue EDCI 575 IDA materials.