Professional Documents
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Environmental Analysis
Environmental Analysis
Keenan Flegel
May 1, 2017
When creating a new course of study or instruction it is important to identify the
characteristics that will achieve the desired learning outcomes (Morrison et. al., 2013). This
report will focus on the analysis of the environment which the students will learn and what type
Learner Profile
Morrison et. al. (2013), lists 8 learner characteristics. This report will analyze the
characteristics to which are important in meeting the learning objectives of the resistance training
course of the Personal Fitness Trainer Health Promotion program (PFTHP). The first
characteristic is from the category general characteristics. Age, gender and ethnicity are not
primary factors. General guidelines for all three to enter a program at Saskatchewan Polytechnic
will apply. For example, the minimum age to join a post-secondary institution. To enter the
program (PFTHP), the applicant will have to have a grade 12, GED or equivalent to enter the
program. The resistance training course will be done primarily in class via face to face
instruction. The face to face instruction will include lecture and lab work. Material will be
available via textbook and using the schools online D2L tool to hand in assignments, complete
exams and create communication networks between peers. The type of applicants may vary but it
is suspected that a majority of applicants and students in this course will be new students with
will come from those holding non degree certifications and work in the field and a very small
portion if any that currently have a degree and work in the field.
The second set of characteristics will come from the category “Specific Entry
Characteristics.” Because this is a new program, the exact prerequisites are not yet determined.
For the course resistance training, the same issue occurs within the program. Because this is a
new course the exact prerequisites have yet to be determined but because if the nature of the
will be needed first. Students within the PFTHP program will have an opportunity to transfer
credits or PLAR the course. It is assumed that most in the resistance training course will be
inexperienced students or students who have never taken an applied movement or resistance
training course. For experienced learners documentation of time spent training clients in
resistance training can be included in the PLAR process. Students will have to be prepared to
learn how to think on their feet and use critical thinking skills within the resistance training
course. When working with the many different needs and abilities of clients, students will have
Morrison et. al, (2013), academic information is easily obtainable. Entrance into the PFTHP
program will consist of schools grades or education level. Students will have to have a grade 12
proportion to applying for the program or previous transferable courses from another
postsecondary institution. For students with previous experiences in personal training, academic
information of courses and certifications previously taken will be collected. There is also the
potential for protests to determine the knowledge of the students in resistance training
(Morrison et. al., 2013). Because this course is designed to teach resistance training and students
will actively be involved in practicing teaching and coaching in labs many things will be
considered. An obvious characteristic is that of motivation and attitude toward the subject.
Students should be excited to learn the content and to improve their job related skills in personal
training. Therefore, strategies will be carefully considered when designing content that will
create interest and motivation. To do this, previous and current employment and work experience
will be considered. If students have previous experience and topics are being covered that they
have a deep understanding in, motivation to learn may be less. Learner attitude, as mentioned my
Morrison et. al. (2013), is “different from motivation” (p. 56) and is where a learner is interested
in a course but is doubtful they will pass. Morrison et. al. (2013) suggests that this attitude will
surely create failure and if the designer finds these common then strategies can be used. In the
resistance training course similar considerations will be used. Techniques such as Morrison et. al.
suggests as to “start instruction with very easy content and gradually increase difficulty over
increasing at a dramatic rate. This is why awareness of culturally diverse learners is very
important. As mentioned in Morrison et. al. (2013), the most prevalent problem may be
have great programs in place to teach English to newcomers to Canada. It is also recognized that
with the increase in cultural diversity at the organization and potentially in the resistance training
program, cultural and social differences must be recognized (Morrison et. al., 2013). Morison et.
al. (2013) suggests “selecting bias-free material and provide alternative resources and activities
to support instructional objectives” (p. 57). Azziz, R (n.d.) suggests that the instructor must
“understand the impact of culture on learning.” Azziz, R (n.d.) also suggests that instructors
should consider “communication style, response style, processing style and social interaction
style.” The design of the resistance training course will gather information about the abilities of
the learners of different ethnic groups by using interviews, questionnaires and literature
(Morrison et. al., 2013). Appropriate tools and strategies will be developed that are needed and in
The understanding of cultural diversity and how to create non-bias course material that is
all inclusive is very important. That all being said the number of adults returning to post-
secondary education is also increasing. For the resistance training course the design process will
focus on creating an outline and course description that highlights how the course content will
benefit students. For students coming in from the field such as those with non-degree
certifications who are using the program for professional development reasons, they would
expect clear explanations on how this program and course will benefit their career. As mentioned
in Morrison et. al., (2013), “they expect the material to be relevant, and they quickly grasp the
practical use of the content” (p. 58). Addressing adult learners appropriately is a very important
part of the design process. Considerations will also include the busy schedules adults have and
Context Analysis
The next analysis to be completed is a Contextual Analysis which has three categories:
Orienting Context, Instructional Context and Transfer Context. When designing the resistance
training course some key variables need to be considered regarding the learner. Orienting context
focuses on the learner’s goals and reasons for taking the course or training (Morrison, et. al.,
(2013). The first step is what the goal of the learner is for taking the resistance training course. If
the student is new to personal training, will the course and program of study get them a better
job, or give them the skills to run their own business. The resistance training course will give the
students more experience when working with clients regarding resistance training assessments,
program design and continued coaching. If the student is new to personal training this course will
give them the hands on experience that will help them when they start working with clients. For
those who do have some experience in the field, taking this course might give them professional
development credits for a certification or bump them up in pay in their organization. The second
Orienting context question is what the learner perceived utility of instruction is. This resistance
training course is great for those students who have not worked with clients with resistance
training or have little experience. The learners will find this course helpful if resistance training,
specifically program design and periodization as well as the squat, bench press and deadlift are
skills they have little experience with. Because some individuals have experience with weight
machines this course is still design to be good for those people. The skills needed to teach
movements like a squat are much greater than those of weight machines. Those individuals may
also benefits from learning how to write programming in that fashion. The last orienting context
activities will be a part of the course. Students will be expected to complete all parts of the
assignments, discussion post and demonstrations. As mentioned in Morrison et. al. (2013)
students’ need some sort of accountability in this case will be attached grades to these
components.
The second contextual analysis is instructional context. Planning where the instruction
will take place, what equipment is needed and how students will get there are all important
pieces. The resistance training course will take place at Saskatchewan Polytechnic Regina
Campus. The lecture classes will be held in a classroom and will require projector equipment
with sound. The classrooms will need to have tables that can move easily to create space in the
room and for group activities. Because the classes will require frequent group work, a classroom
that is more secluded may be better as we do not want noise to affect other classes that surround.
The labs will be done in the fitness center which houses most of the equipment needed to
complete labs. Some additional equipment will need to be purchased to complete some parts of
the assessment pieces in the lab such as ECG’s, cycle ergometers etc. Some extensive planning
will need to be done with Fitness Center staff to ensure classes are not overlapping with other
Fitness center classes. It may be important to note where students can park, how far that is from
the classroom and lab as well as the best transportation methods to the campus.
Lastly, transfer context is an important goal of any instruction. Where will the learners
transfer their knowledge to and how. Creating an environment that allows students to take
knowledge and transfer it to a situation and multiple situations is important. Morrison et. al.
(2013) suggests that “learners are more likely to transfer the knowledge if they perceive that it
can help them do their jobs” (p. 63). Creating a learning experience where they can apply
knowledge in the resistance training program will be most important. Learners will be expected
to work with many different people and situations (injuries and more) in assessment and program
design. Students will have the opportunity to work with different clients to create different
programs. Students will have the opportunity through either case study assignments or working
with actual people (SaskPoly staff or students). This opportunity will allow them to gain
experience while working with actual clients in the program and will provide them with skills
they can transfer to their jobs. Secondly, equipment used in the program will be equipment that
they have access to in their jobs. It does not make sense to have students conduct assessments
with rare lab style equipment that is typically very expensive and is rarely in fitness centers.
Therefore, assessment protocols will be conducted using standard equipment that appears in
most if not all styles of gyms or that is easy and relatively inexpensive to purchase. The
assessment protocols will also be designed to support all accreditation organizations. For
example, most learners will have an opportunity for the certified personal trainer certification.
The protocols that will be used in the resistance training course will follow those used by the
accreditors. If the resistance training course can transfer to something that will improve student’s
jobs or benefit them then the program is more likely to have participants.
References
Azziz, R. (n.d.) Turning it Around: Strategies for Working with Culturally Diverse
Students [PDF document]. Retrieved from Lecture Notes Online Web site:
http://www.indiana.edu/~equity/docs/Strategies_for_WOrking_with_Culturally_Diverse_
Students__Renae_Azziz.pdf
Morrison, G., Ross, S., Kalman, H. K., & Kemp, J. (2013). Designing effective instruction (7th
ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.