To kick off the project, I began with the analysis phase. Specifically, I conducted a needs, learner, and context analysis by adapting an instrument from Instructional Design LLC. The primary method I used was an interview with the library director, the person who oversees all activities and operations within the library.
She invited me to her office for the interview/meeting, and I came in prepared with the instrument in hand to ensure that I gathered all the necessary information to inform the instructional design plan that I would be producing.
During the interview, she shared that the major problem the library faces is wayfinding among patrons. For a more thorough discussion of the key points raised during the interview, you may watch the video recording above, read the results of the analysis phase in the Background section of this ePortfolio, or go through the evidence of analyses (see Appendix C).
After the interview, Ms. Melissa offered to give me a detailed tour of the library. She showed me around, and the library was so vast that it took us an hour just to walk through it. She guided me through both the indoor and outdoor areas, shared the library’s history, introduced me to all the employees, and provided me with resources I could use for my special project. This tour could serve as a very thorough context analysis that could greatly inform the direction of my work.
After going through this phase, I gained a deep appreciation for the importance of conducting a needs assessment and a thorough needs, learner, and context analysis. It is easy to approach a project with preconceived notions about what might be needed, but a structured assessment helps identify actual, rather than assumed, challenges faced by the organization.
Through this analysis, I was able to identify that the primary instructional need the library faces is wayfinding among patrons—a need that I did not expect was existing and was utterly different from my initial assumptions.
One of the major problems I faced during the analysis phase was devising an interview guide I could use for data gathering. I worried that I might forget to ask a specific question and miss out on important details that would have been crucial in the needs analysis. The solution I made was adapting a standardized instrument developed by Instructional Design LLC and adjusting it to my use-case as needed. This way, I didn’t have to reinvent the wheel, and I felt more confident conducting the interview knowing that I had a structured guide to follow.
Another problem I ran into was the logistics of conducting a learner analysis survey among patrons of the Hamden Public Library, which is a large, diverse, and ever-changing group. Given these challenges, I determined that a survey might not be the best technique for gathering data in this scenario. Instead, I conducted an interview with the library director and supplemented it with a review of census data for Hamden residents, since most of the library’s patrons are local residents.
One of the main strengths of the analysis phase is that it was guided by a standardized interview guide. This ensured that all critical aspects of the needs, learner, and context analysis were covered. Another strength is the use of multiple data gathering techniques; in addition to the interview, document review and a site visit were conducted. These methods provided a more comprehensive understanding of the library's challenges and context.
As for the weaknesses, a key weakness lies in the learner analysis. Since patrons of the Hamden Public Library form a large, diverse, and ever-changing group, conducting a survey to accurately capture their characteristics is difficult. Instead, an interview was conducted with the library director, who has extensive knowledge of the patron base. While this provided valuable insights, it relied on secondhand information rather than direct input from the patrons themselves.
For future action, particularly in the subsequent phase which is the design phase, it is strongly recommended that all decisions be made based on the data gathered during the analysis phase. The analysis phase is not conducted merely to check a box and then be forgotten in the design and development phases. Instead, it must serve as the foundation to ensure that the resulting instructional design product is aligned with the needs of the organization and learners, appropriate to the characteristics of the learners, and responsive to the context in which they operate.