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Learner Analysis

Information Categories / Data Sources / Learner Characteristics / Implications /
1. Entry behaviors / Questionnaires and interviews: The survey participants included approximately eleven employees from several organizations. / Learners have little or no prior experience with writing grant proposals. They have access to and are comfortable using computers and the online environment. Learners have prior success with acquiring skills using computer and print-based technologies. Tryout learners describe themselves as independent self-directed learners who are highly motivated to learn this skill using these technologies. / The instructional focus should be directed primarily to the specifics of grant-writing at an introductory and generic level (e.g. inclusion of basic definitions). Familiarity and confidence with the online delivery system (e.g. computers) can be assumed and so relatively little instruction will be required in this area.
2. Prior knowledge of topic area / Questionnaires and interviews / The majority of the tryout learners (survey participants) have not written a grant proposal and those who had were not successful in acquiring funding. They are working professionals with a basic familiarity with business terminology and understand the need to seek outside sources of funding. / Prior knowledge of the specifics relevant to the topic area is minimal so instruction should be phrased so that it is understandable at an introductory level (e.g. include definitions of grant-related terms). Basic familiarity with broad concepts can be assumed (e.g. learners will understand what a budget is, but may not know which components are most relevant in grant-seeking).
3. Attitudes toward content / Questionnaires and interviews / All learners recognize that they need to acquire grant-writing skills as part of their job requirement and for the continued functioning and productivity of their workplace.
Those who have experience with grant applications but have been unsuccessful believed that with the necessary skills they could do a better job and be successful in acquiring funding. / All learners see the content as relevant, but motivation and attentiveness may be less for those who have previously failed to acquire grants because they may lack confidence. Instruction should include encouraging terminology (yes you can! etc.) and possibly a brief positive case studies.
4. Attitudes toward potential delivery system / Interviews / Learners are familiar with computers and the internet and feel comfortable using a computer for delivery of instruction. As busy working professionals, they like the convenience and flexibility of the delivery system. / Material must be relevant and targeted. The emphasis for learning can be directed more towards specific grant-application content, relevance and timeliness than towards use of the delivery technologies.
5. Attitudes toward organization – training organization and workplace organization / Interviews / All tryout learners had positive attitudes about their workplace organizations, about the academic organization from which the lesson would originate, and about web-based instruction delivered via the internet. / Given their positive attitudes towards their home organizations, the teaching organization and the method of delivery, the implication is that learners will approach the lessons with a more positive attitude and motivation than if they had back experiences with academia or were not motivated to support their workplace.
6. Motivation for instruction (ARCS) / Interviews / All tryout learners interviewed believe that the ability to successfully complete a grant application will be relevant to their needs. As self-described motivated and self-directed learners, there is a basis for confidence that they can achieve the required skill. There is therefore a basis for ensuring attentive learning. Because the skill is relevant to their workplace or organization, there will be intrinsic and extrinsic satisfaction in successfully completing the lesson; e.g. recognition at work through having contributed towards funding, and self-satisfaction in acquiring and mastering a skill that they will continue to need for the future. / Some instructional implications are indicated in the learner characteristics column and have been addressed previously, but to reiterate: attention may initially be assumed because the skill is seen as relevant, but could be sustained through the inclusion of personal questionnaires and successful human-interest grant-writing case studies with the learning materials. Ensuring confidence with the technologies is not a major concern, but content design may have to balance a tendency for both under-confident (e.g. those who have previously failed to acquire funding) and over-confident learners (e.g. those with no prior funding experience but good computer skills who assume they will be able to complete the task easily). Instruction will therefore have to stress encouragement (e.g. positive phrasing and case studies) with the need to pay attention to details (e.g. close attention to subtle but important distinctions in possible funding sources). Satisfaction could be reinforced through the inclusion of a personalized certificate acquired upon successful completion of the lesson.
7. Educational and ability levels / Interviews / All tryout learners have at least a four year degree. All learners will have completed post-secondary formal education. / Materials can be designed appropriate to adult learners with some formal education; e.g. with regard to terminology
8. General learning preferences /

Interviews

/ Most of the tryout learners described themselves as visual learners, commenting on a preference for graphics, charts, animations, and other visual media over text-based materials. This was an informal comment made by multiple interviewees who preferred visuals (charts, graphics, animations, etc.) over reading from a book or other print source. This was not true for all the tryout learners however and the same diversity can be anticipated for the target population. All learners have had previous success with independent learning. / Materials can be designed for independent web-based learning. The course materials can favor the visual learner (e.g. include graphics and charts) but should accommodate a blend of learning styles appropriate for other learning preferences, such as auditory (verbal) and kinesthetic (hands-on) learning (e.g. print-based materials, case studies and questionnaires emphasizing relevance to the learner’s organizational type).
9. Group Characteristics / Interviews / Heterogeneity: a variety of ethnicities exists with the tryout learners. Several are at least second-generation American citizens of Hispanic ethnicity with excellent English literacy skills and live within easy driving distance to the organization. Ages range from 24 to late 50’s. Overall, sample learners represent a mix of age, gender and cultural backgrounds, and all are working professionals. The same can be anticipated for the broader target population.
Size: There will be a total of eleven learners, with seven learners at one site and four learners at another site.
Overall impressions: All learners appear to be highly motivated. / The potential exists for incorporating both synchronous and asynchronous communication amongst the learner group. Course materials can be designed in English only. They should however avoid any content restrictions that would be specific to any one geographic or cultural region. The academic level and motivation suggests that the materials could incorporate concepts that would be understandable to adult working professionals, and that most learners will complete the entire process of instruction.

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Interviews were accomplished with tryout learners having characteristics similar to the learner population being targeted for this training module. The purpose of these interviews was to get a clearer picture of the learner characteristics that will assist in the overall design of instruction and the various influenced that may occur. The interview questions were unscripted but were based on the information categories found in DCC Table 5.1., Example form for Analyzing Learner Characteristics. The learner characteristics interviews were done over the course of several days and by multiple interviewers.