Audience AnalysisAudience Analysis

Wallace Hannum

Audience AnalysisAudience Analysis

Must know who is to be taughtVital factor in instructional successDetermines where to start instructionDetermines how to teach

Why BotherWhy Bother

Must take learners into account for instruction to be successful

If we underestimate their knowledge, boredom during training

If we overestimate their knowledge, frustration during training

Both result in poor training & waste of time

CategoriesCategories

General characteristicsSpecific entry behaviorLearner preference/style

General CharacteristicsGeneral Characteristics

Broad, demographic characteristics– educational level – job classification– prior experience – age – rank or level in organization– backgrounds

Collected from records typically

Specific Entry BehaviorsSpecific Entry Behaviors

Small, specific capabilities Based on instructional analysis Ability to: identify symptoms, select

appropriate actions, give injections Collect by pretesting & diagnostic tests

Learning Preference/StyleLearning Preference/Style

Intent is to match instruction to learners’ preference/style and improve learning

Visual lessons for visual learners; verbal lessons for verbal learners

Intuitively appealing but little research evidence

Learning Preference/StyleLearning Preference/Style

Visual Verbal

Am

ount

Lea

rned

Learning Preference/StyleLearning Preference/Style

Visual Verbal

Am

ount

Lea

rned

Not taken into account

Anticipated Effects from Learning StylesAnticipated Effects from Learning Styles

Visual Verbal

Am

ount

Lea

rned Audiotape

Video

All taught same way

Expected ImprovementExpected Improvement

Visual Verbal

Am

ount

Lea

rned

AudiotapeVideo

Actual Results from Learning StylesActual Results from Learning Styles

No significant differencesNo significant differences

Appealing, widely believedMany proponentsRoutinely recommended practiceResearch evidence fails to supportWe have preferences/stylesPreferences/styles do not interact with

instructional treatmentsCaution!

Learning Preference/StyleLearning Preference/Style

Audience ProfileAudience Profile

Sums up the audienceHelps us understand our learnersBasis for instructional decisionsHelps us start at right place

Audience AnalysisAudience Analysis

Helps prevent frustrationHelps prevent failureHelps save timeEnsures understanding

Consider Your LearnersConsider Your Learners

Learning happens in their headsWhat they know influences what they

will learnDispensing information is not

learning

Audience AnalysisAudience Analysis

Use info regarding General Characteristics Use info regarding Specific Entry

Behaviors Set expected entry behaviors based on

this Set the context of examples, exercises,

amount of detail & vocabulary based on this