Task Analysis EDU 553 – Principles of Instructional Design Dr. Steve Broskoske

Outline Task Analysis –What is it? –How do you perform it? –Examples to try.

Task Analysis

What Is Task Analysis? Task analysis: Process of understanding the instructional problem and defining lesson content. Involves analyzing the instructional problem to determine: –Precisely what the learner needs to know before approaching a lesson. –Precisely what the lesson must cover. –What parts of a lesson may be optional.

What Is Task Analysis? Once the task is fully understood, performance objectives will be developed for the instructional unit. details

General Steps 1.Establish the instructional goal. 2.Determine the major tasks and subtasks or components of the subject matter content. 3.Organize the components and represent their relationships in some way.

Purpose You basically want to answer three questions in conducting task analysis: 1.What must the learner know in order to accomplish the goal? 2.What must the learner do in order to accomplish the goal? 3.What does the learner need to know before approaching this instructional unit?

What Kind of Analysis Is Needed? Determine what type of analysis is appropriate based on the nature of the subject matter: –hierarchical analysis: Sequence the skills, subskills, rules, concepts, and discriminations of a learning activity. –procedural analysis: List the procedural steps in an activity. –cluster analysis: List the categories of information implied by the goal. –simulation analysis: List the events from easy to more difficult.

How to Perform 1.List the facts (e.g., names, symbols, definitions), concepts, principles, or steps that should receive attention. –Sources for determining tasks include task observation, task descriptions, other instruction, documentation, or information from subject matter experts (SME’s). 2.Arrange these components in some logical order. –Chronologically, numerically, or in some other logical order. –From simple to complex, from concrete to abstract. –From overview to detail, from detail to overview. –From familiar to unfamiliar.

How to Perform 3.Connect the components graphically, and Illustrate relationships between components. 4.Examine your graphical representation for gaps. Add missing components. 5.Use marginal notes (or other notations) to suggest techniques, identify possible problems, or pinpoint necessary prerequisite knowledge, concepts, or skills. 6.Revise your graphic layout to incorporate your margin notations and produce a final version.

When Performing Task Analysis What does the learner do very specifically? –Analyze carefully and identify each step. What knowledge is needed for this step? –Does a step require certain prerequisite knowledge? –Does the learner know this info., or should this be taught? How can you effectively teach this step? –Cues, mnemonics, analogies, techniques?

Analyzing the Task Analysis After developing TA, determine which tasks can be assumed and which need to be taught. –Cross out tasks all learners already know. –Circle optional tasks (some learners may already know some of these). –What’s left: Leave all tasks that few if any of the learners know. This is what will be taught.

Gathering Info. for Task Analysis Techniques for gathering data: –Literature search. –Interview SME (subject matter expert). –Developer modeling: Walk through the steps with SME present. –Be your own SME. Most teachers!

How to Be Your Own SME Analyze very carefully! Try to write directions from a novice’s point of view. Go over the task analysis many times, ensuring you have caught every step! Involve others: –Have someone else test the steps in your task. –Have another SME review your work.

Learning Hierarchy When a task analysis is carried out on successively simpler components of a target skill, the result is a learning hierarchy (Gagne, 1985). This shows progressively simpler skills, each of which is an enabling objective for a target objective. Example: –Subtraction.

Subtract whole numbers of any size. Subtract when “double borrowing” is required (across 0). Subtract when successive borrowing is required, in adjacent columns. Subtract when several borrowings are required in non- adjacent columns. Subtract when single borrowing is required, in any column. Subtract successive columns, without borrowing. Subtract a one-digit number, with borrowing. Identify where borrowing is to be done. Subtract when a 0 is understood (“bringing down”). Subtract in successive columns, where each requires a simple subtraction. Simple subtraction.

Types of Analysis Procedural: Steps that make up a task are arranged linearly and sequentially, illustrating where the learner begins and ends. Cluster: Used to analyze verbal information skills where no logical order is required to meet the stated goal(s) (Muffoletto, 2000).

Types of Analysis Hierarchical: Tasks are arranged from top to bottom, thereby showing a hierarchical relationship amongst the tasks. The learner cannot perform the third task until he/she has performed the first and second tasks respectively. Hierarchical Example Compared to procedural analysis, hierarchical answers: What must the learner know or be able to do to achieve this task?

Try It Perform a task analysis to fix a flat tire on a car.

Main Steps 1.Secure car. 2.Get tools and spare tire. 3.Jack up car. 4.Replace tire. 5.Jack down car. 6.Put away tires and flat tire. Now determine sub-steps. Then determine entry behaviors.

Try It Perform a task analysis: –Wash your clothes. –Bathe a dog. –Balance a checkbook. Tasks we perform regularly are more complex than we realize!

Your Project Examine: –What task do you propose to teach? –How involved will your task analysis be? Do you need to refocus narrower? After performing TA: –What tasks do (should) students already know? –What tasks are optional? –Think: what is the best way to teach each step of task? Discussion