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Writing Assignment #3: Effective Learner Analysis

Department of Education, University of the People

Dr. Alex Kumi

EDUC 5280 – AY2022 – T1

09/22/2021
 Writing Assignment #3: Effective Learner Analysis

Students are integral to the instructional design process, and should therefore be the center

of an education professional’s focus. It is vital for instructional designers or teachers to run a

learner analysis to understand "the target audience of learners and determining in advance what

they can and will do" (Brown & Green, 2016, p. 73). Brown & Green (2016) specify nine

benchmarks of learner analysis. This paper identifies three goals that are foundational to the

instructional design process: (1) Who is the intended audience for the instruction?, (2) What is the

motivation for participating in the instructional event?, and (3) What will make the instruction

effective, efficient, and appealing for the target audience of learners?

This essay will discuss the significance of the selected goals and share the limitations and

pitfalls of their implementation in a typical K-12 classroom.

Who is the intended audience for the instruction?

Teachers naturally have expectations of how students behave at different age groups.

Appropriate content and instructional methods would need to be chosen for students at different

developmental stages. As Dijkstra (2004) explains,

Designers have to solve the problem of which content of the domain knowledge should

be selected, how to sequence the different concepts and methods in a plausible order, and

how to describe the objectives in a way that meets the students' developmental age. (p.

150).

Educational professionals should also note the cultural background of their students. For

example, teachers in Asian countries such as Singapore or Vietnam may find that their students are

used to a much more lecture-based, direct style of education, compared to countries such as the

United Kingdom where more experimental forms of learning are acceptable. Furthermore, many

“high-stakes” testing programs, such as the American Advanced Placement (AP) program, end up
rewarding students who study with the specific intention of doing well on an end-of-year,

summative examination.

To many students in Singapore, self-exploration and learning takes too much time and are

counterproductive in their quest for high marks in standardized examinations. When I moved to

Indonesia and then China, I realize that even though the students are culturally similar, their

mindsets have begun to change as they were exposed to the International Baccalaureate (IB)

framework. In the IB environment, I use a more learner-centered approach instead of a teacher-

centered approach in Singapore. As pointed out by Sharif & Gisbert (2015), I have to be aware of

my cultural disposition influencing my instructional design process.

There can be challenges to this goal. In China, there are certain boundaries that teachers

cannot trespass. An IB workshop leader shared that the authorities approached him after he

discussed certain aspects of World War 2 in his history lesson. A student from Japan noted that,

likewise in Japan, some information is omitted from their textbooks. Teachers will have to find

ways to skirt around these issues while trying to stick to the lesson objectives. Another challenge

I faced was changing students' predisposition. In Singapore, it was difficult for me to change the

mindset of my students, who are used to teachers providing them with information on a platter. It

does not help when the system itself rewards students who rote-learn and are risk-averse.

What is the motivation for participating in the instructional event?

Motivation is a vital aspect that teachers can identify to help them raise the performance.

There are two forms of motivation - intrinsic and extrinsic. Ryan & Deci (2000) defined intrinsic

motivation as "doing of an activity for its inherent satisfactions rather than for some separable

consequence" (p. 56). Conversely, Ryan & Deci (2000) defined extrinsic motivation to be

"doing something because it leads to a separable outcome" (p. 55). When teachers know what

gets their students going, they can plan relevant instructional materials that engage students'
intrinsic motivation. Sansone et al. (2000) suggested that teachers should find the optimal

balance between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation.

There may be challenges to understand students' motivation, especially in the case of

students who come from affluent families. In this particular case, student may have a lackluster

attitude towards their learning as they may believe that they will have success no matter their

actual performance. On the other hand, students in, say, China, may find that the most effective

way of advancing in society is through school performance. In the case of China, the gaokao (a

kind of grand summative examination that tests a plethora of subjects from high school) largely

determines the university one attends and, consequently, what position one occupies in Chinese

society. The test, for better or worse, motivates students to study for long, often unreasonable

periods of time (Sansone, 2000).

In either case, when my students know their teacher cares for them, they are more willing

to participate in the classroom environment. The ARCS model developed by Keller (1987, as

cited in Gagne et al. 1992) is an example of a model that teachers can use to demonstrate

empathy in the classroom and, consequently, to improve student participation and interest.

What will make the instruction effective, efficient, and appealing for the target audience of

learners?

Students living in the 21st century overwhelmingly have more access to information than

any other generation in history. Given the plethora of sources of information available, such as

Khan Academy, it is not prudent for teachers to present information in the form of a lecture or

some other static way. Instead, teachers should find ways to use project-based learning, or even

inquiry-based learning, in order to foster a spirit of creativity and entrepreneurship in the

classroom. Teachers at schools that utilize progressive educational philosophies such as these

are encouraged to develop a classroom environment where the entire learning ecosystem is

student-centered.
 As an example, students in a science class should not merely be given a list of

experimental results to memorize. Instead, students should be encouraged to synthesize

knowledge through their own investigations. In this way, students mirrors the challenges,

uncertainties, and joys of authentic scientific discovery and are therefore much more likely to be

able to apply these experiences outside of the classroom.

Managing students’ expectations is a key component of project-based or inquiry-based

learning. To be blunt, the “entertainment factor” in these lessons may make some teachers feel

that they must constantly outperform themselves in order to keep their students engaged (Sharif

& Gisbert, 2015). Furthermore, students may end up feeling burnt out from the noticeable

amount of extra work it takes to perform well in learning environments such as these.

Also, schools may take on extra costs in order take on the challenge of educating students

in this way. Schools must think of clever ways to show teachers can use readily available, free

materials (such as Khan Academy) to create exciting devices that can engage students at a

minimal cost.

Conclusion

Learner analysis helps enable education professionals to know more about how their

students think and learn in an authentic way. Teachers can use the information contained in

theses inquiries to help students with their individual needs. In rethinking education in this way,

education professionals can reach students on a personal level and thus help students become

intrinsically motivated to learn more.

 References

Brown, A. H. & Green, T. D. (2016). The essentials of instructional design: Connecting

fundamental principles with process and practice.

https://ikhsanaira.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/the-essential-of-instructional-design.pdf

Dijkstra, S. (2004). The integration of curriculum design, instructional design, and media

choice. Curriculum, plans, and processes in instructional design: International

perspectives, 145-170.

https://www.academia.edu/download/45535500/1_CURRICULUM_PLAN AND_PRO

SESS_IN_INSTRUCTIONAL_DESIGN.pdf#page=160

Gagne, R. M., Briggs, L. J., & Wager, W. W. (1992). Principles of instructional design.

https://www.hcs64.com/files/Principles%20of%20instructional%20design.pdf

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations: Classic definitions and

new directions. Contemporary educational psychology, 25(1), 54-67. Retrieved from

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0361476X99910202/pdf?

md5=b9e2589a068cf7f9529c1bff165ddd55&pid=1-s2.0-S0361476X99910202-main.pdf

Sansone, C., Harackiewicz, J. M., & Sansone, D. C. (Eds.). (2000). Intrinsic and extrinsic

motivation: The search for optimal motivation and performance. ProQuest Ebook

Central https://ebookcentral.proquest.com

Sharif, A., & Gisbert, M. (2015). The Impact of Culture on Instructional Design and Quality.

International Journal of Instruction, 8(1), 143-156.

https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1085297.pdf