Concern Matrix: Analyzing Learners' Needs

Abstract

Instructional development (ID) is a systematic and systemic process used in developing education and training programs. In the analysis phase, instructional developers need to account for the characteristics and particular needs of learners in order to design useful instructional interventions. It is very important to ascertain which learners’ characteristics are most crucial in instructional decision making. However, current ID models seem to advocate a pedagogical approach that treats the learner submissively during the analysis phase of the ADDIE process (Knowles, 1984). There is no active communication between instructional developers and learners during the learner analysis process. In-depth analysis identifying learners’ concerns and perceptions are usually not considered. In this chapter, we will introduce for use by instructional developers a learner analysis matrix that incorporates learners’ levels of concerns and perceptions at the personal and organizational levels. The learner analysis matrix can be used to identify four areas of learner concern: (1) individual compatible, (2) individual incompatible, (3) organizational compatible, and (4) organizational incompatible.