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For the purpose of designing a learning experience aimed to cultivate a growth mindset among graduate students, it is imperative to gain a comprehensive understanding of the characteristics, prior experiences, and learning preferences of this target audience. More specifically, I need to delve into their existing beliefs and attitudes towards personal and academic growth, their familiarity with mindset concepts, and their receptiveness to adopting new approaches to the mindset around learning.
My approach to the learner analysis draws inspiration from the framework proposed by Smaldino, Lowther, and Russell (2012), which emphasizes gathering information about three key aspects of the target audience: general characteristics, specific entry competencies, and learning styles (Brown & Green, 2015, p.80).
General Characteristics
I will identify the overarching traits and demographics of graduate students at NYU, which will include factors such as age, academic background, career aspirations, and cultural diversity. Understanding these general characteristics will help tailor the instructional design to resonate with the diverse needs and backgrounds of the learners.
This information will be gathered through conducting interviews and disseminating surveys to target learners.
Example Questions
What is your age range?
What graduate program are you enrolled in at NYU?
What are your future career aspirations after completing your degree?
Do you identify with any particular cultural or ethnic background?
Specific Entry Competencies
I will focus on gathering existing knowledge, skills, and attitudes of graduate students related to growth mindset principles through interviews and surveys with learners and other stakeholders . I aim to explore their familiarity with the concept of growth mindset, their experiences with overcoming academic and professional challenges and setbacks, and any preconceived notions they may hold about intelligence and learning.
By identifying specific entry competencies, I will be able to address gaps in understanding and tailor the learning experience to meet the needs of learners at various levels of readiness.
Example Questions:
How familiar are you with the concept of a "growth mindset"?
Can you describe a time when you faced a significant academic or professional challenge or setback?
What is your perspective on whether intelligence is fixed or can be developed over time?
Learning Styles
Gathering insights into how graduate students prefer to learn, process information, and receive feedback is essential for designing an engaging and effective growth mindset training program.
Through interviews and surveys, I will explore factors such as:
Preferred modalities for receiving instructional content (e.g., text, visuals, audio, hands-on activities)
Environments or contexts in which learners feel most focused and receptive
Desired formats for instructional materials (e.g., videos, readings, interactive modules)
Learners' self-awareness of how they best understand and retain new information
Rather than strictly labeling learners into categories like "visual" or "kinesthetic" learners, the goal is to gain a nuanced understanding of each individual's unique preferences, strengths, and needs when it comes to learning. This data will inform the design of a blended learning experience that incorporates multiple modalities, allowing learners to engage with content in ways that resonate with their personal inclinations.
Synthesizing and Visualizing Data
Qualitative Synthesis
To find themes and commonalities across learners that will influence the design of an effective learning experience, I will use the affinity mapping method to analyze and synthesize qualitative data from interviews and surveys.
Quantitative Synthesis
For quantitative data collected from surveys, I will use the Google Forms tool that will visualize the data and export it into an Excel sheet where it can be analyzed and traingulated with qualitative findings.
Learner Persona
As a way to align the learning solutions with research findings, I will create a Learner Persona that is an amalgamation of the research findings and a way to center the learning solution on the needs of the key personas.
Reference
Brown, Abbie, and Timothy D. Green. “Chapter 3: Needs Analysis.” The Essentials of Instructional Design: Connecting Fundamental Principles with Process and Practice, Third Edition, 3rd ed., Taylor and Francis, Florence, 2015, p.80.
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