Learner & Stakeholder Needs
The two most important groups of people with developing an Instructional Design project are the stakeholders and the learners. Who wants this learning experience created, and who is going to learn from it? This involves clear communication, challenging your own assumptions, welcoming diverse perspectives.
Here are some handy resources:
5 Ways to Put Equity at the Heart of Instructional Design Every Learner, Every Where, January 2021
Diversify Your Training: Why Inclusion Matters and How to Do It Right eLearning Industry, July 2020
5 Characteristics of an Online LearnerCollege Values Online, 2018
Stakeholder Management: Planning Stakeholder Communication MindTools, 2018
Stakeholder Analysis NCVO Knowhow Nonprofit, 2018
Here is an overview of my personal assessment of learner & stakeholder needs for an instructional design project:
I am currently creating an online course called Sex Ed Basics, which is intended to provide foundational knowledge to Middle and High School Health teachers who are conducting sexual health lessons in their classrooms. The current challenge has been that teachers are incredibly stretched for time, and that there is little room for professional development opportunities.
For myself, I have needed to train on Rise360, as well as learning more about Instructional Design in general and Learning Management Systems (LMS)
Identify your learners and stakeholders and assess their unique needs.
My learners are Middle and High School Health teachers who are conducting sexual health lessons in their classrooms. The stakeholders are School District Administration, upper management at the organization I work, and community partner leaders.
What are the 3 most important characteristics of your learners?
My learners are stretched thin, tired, and hoping to create better classrooms.
How will you meet these needs? What specifically will you do to help them?
I have designed the courses to be a low weekly time load (one hour of time or less needed per week, class is asynchronous and can be done whenever suits teacher best - can be done in bits and pieces).
Who are your most active supportive stakeholders? How do you know this?
My most active stakeholders are the upper management at the organization I work. I know this because they are who I have had to engage with to select an e-learning development platform and LMS, and they have provided the most feedback on the lessons.
Which stakeholder group will be the most challenging for you to work with? What will you do to help them see the benefits of the online course that you are a part?
The most difficult stakeholder group has been community partner leaders. My work is part of a collaborative of various community-serving organizations, and everyone likes to have involvement in all major projects. They are also incredibly busy, and other projects are their priority. It can be difficult to balance their desire to be involved and inability to respond to asks/provide feedback in a timely manner.
Who's On My Team Activity -Are there any changes or adjustments that you are considering after completing this activity?
My team group was quite diverse, but I could spend more time connecting with learners with learning disabilities and varying educational levels.
What additional questions that you need to ask in order to more fully assess learner and stakeholder needs?
I need to ask more questions about timeline, and staff capacity at outside organizations.
