Conduct and report a learner and context analysis for your course design project.
Data collection. Use at least two methods (interviews, observation, survey, existing records, diagnostic task). Reach real learners or people who work closely with them. A small sample is acceptable; imagined learners are not. Describe your methods and sample in a short section.
Learner analysis. Address each category from the learner analysis page: entry skills, prior knowledge and misconceptions, attitudes toward content and delivery, motivation, educational and ability levels, learning preferences (as engagement information, not as a basis for matching), attitudes toward the organization, and group characteristics. For adult learners, add competing demands, relevant experience, and expected autonomy. Where you have no data for a category, say so and state what you would do to get it.
Context analysis. Describe the performance context and the learning context using the dimensions on the page, and assess the fit between them.
Implications. For at least eight findings, write a specific design implication in a two-column table (finding, implication). This table is the deliverable the rest of the course builds on.
Length. 1,200 to 1,800 words plus the implications table. Include your instruments (interview questions, survey items) in an appendix.
Tell participants what the information is for and that it is for a course project. Do not collect names or identifying details you do not need. If your learners are minors or you are collecting sensitive information, talk to the instructor first; institutional review may apply.
PDF or Google Doc link. APA 7. AI-use disclosure if applicable.
| Criterion | Exemplary | Proficient | Developing | Beginning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Methods and sample (10) | Two or more methods, clearly described, appropriate to the population; instruments in appendix (9 to 10) | Two methods; description thin (7 to 8) | One method (4 to 6) | No real data (0 to 3) |
| Learner analysis (25) | All categories addressed with evidence; gaps acknowledged; subgroups identified (23 to 25) | Most categories with evidence (18 to 22) | Categories addressed generically or from assumption (12 to 17) | Incomplete (0 to 11) |
| Context analysis (15) | Both contexts analyzed on all dimensions; fit assessed with consequences for transfer (14 to 15) | Both contexts; fit noted (11 to 13) | One context or superficial (7 to 10) | Missing (0 to 6) |
| Implications (20) | Eight or more specific, actionable implications clearly derived from findings (18 to 20) | Eight implications; some general (14 to 17) | Fewer than eight or implications not tied to findings (9 to 13) | Missing (0 to 8) |
| Writing, ethics, APA (5) | Clear, ethical practice described, correct APA (5) | Minor issues (4) | Several (2 to 3) | Many (0 to 1) |