A free-standing module from Lancaster University's Advanced Learning Technology (ALT) Programme requiring 60 hours of study time. Some of this time will be spent on-line communicating with other course participants and tutors. Most of the time will be spent reading and preparing a course assignment off-line.
The course will run from 1 February to 30 June 1997 for the MECPOL user trials. The last date for starting study on this course is 30 April 1997.
We will need two weeks notice in order to dispatch course material to you.
A good command of English is required. Much of the work on the module requires on-line discussion and the writing of an assignment. The on-line discussion is NOT real-time, and therefore you will have the chance to prepare your contributions before going on-line.
Centre for Studies in Advanced Learning Technology (C SALT), Department of Educational Research, Lancaster University, UK.
INSTITUTION COURSE CODE: ITL05
Learning Needs Analysis (LNA) is the starting point in the courseware development lifecycle. Learning Needs Analysis looks at how the job is actually performed, and may identify a performance gap - a significant difference between the desired and actual performance.
LNA (in our model) concludes where it meets Instructional Design. That is, it needs to output a structured description of learning objectives and a structured description of key characteristics of the target learner population.
This module is intended to support you in thinking through a number of issues in the planning and conduct of a LNA. If you are unfamiliar with the established methods of LNA, it will help you develop your own set of working procedures. If you have some experience of LNA, it is designed to stimulate you into re-examining some of what you know and reflecting on what you do.
The Lancaster University Advanced Learning Technology (ALT) Programme has been designed to support the continuing professional development of people working with computer-based learning technologies.
This module is open to people who are currently involved in the design, development, use or evaluation of ALT systems. It is open to those involved in training and to staff working in higher, further or adult education who want to learn more about ALT. It is not oriented towards the needs of those who are primarily concerned with the use of computers in schools.
ALT is broadly defined, to include such things as the use of electronic communications and groupware, multimedia systems, electronic books, on-line help and performance support systems, simulations and exploratory learning tools, as well as more mainstream elements of technology-based training.
You will need access to a computer and the Internet using a World-Wide Web browser such as Netscape (version 2.x or above) or MS Internet Explorer (version 2.x or above). You will be accessing Lotus Notes discussion databases (conferences) via your Web browser.
A participant pack will be provided on request. This pack includes readings for this module. Alternatively, you may choose to find the readings yourself from a reading list which we will supply.
Other learning resources are provided on the module's Web pages, ALTLinks V1 and ALT Links V2.
The assessment task is meant to act as the motor for your learning on the module. It provides a focus for your studying and reflecting on the readings. It is the vehicle through which you can
The exact nature of the assessment task can be negotiated with the tutors. The assignment task can be specified to suit your own needs and interests and/or the needs of your employing organisation.
We suggest you start though, by spending half an hour or so thinking about why you wanted to come on this course. What was it you hoped to learn about Learning Needs Analysis (LNA)? That should make a good starting point for thinking about an appropriate assignment, which is, after all, meant to be the "motor" for your learning on the module. It may be that the way we've tackled LNA (in our opening residential and through our selection of readings) doesn't map easily onto what you anticipated doing. If so, let us know. We can discuss your needs and begin to identify an appropriate assignment task and (perhaps) some more appropriate readings.
Remember that the assignment has to be kept within sensible limits. We reckon that you shouldn't have to spend more than 60 hours on this module (that includes doing the assignment, making sense of an appropriate selection from the readings; taking part in on-line discussions). The assignment is deemed to be the equivalent of a 3000 word essay – not a major piece of research or scholarship.
The form in which you submit your assignment is quite open. It may be an essay on some aspect of LNA, though we think it's more likely you'll opt for something less "scholarly". It could be a DIY manual for yourself as Learning Needs Analyst. It could be a fuller working out of a knowledge acquisition/representation problem (very large sheets of paper covered with semantic nets are acceptable, though some commentary would be needed). It could be an LNA report or a part of an LNA report.
The main things to bear in mind, in shaping up an assignment task, are:
Consult the tutors electronically to discuss ideas that you could explore for your own assessment task.
In assessing your work we will be expecting you:
Assignments should be 2500 -3000 words, or an equivalent.
This module has a 6 CATS points credit
rating in the UK.
(A full masters course = 120 CATS points)
You will be assigned to one tutor who will discuss an appropriate assessment task with you and will provide tutorial support for an agreed period. The normal means of communication will be computer-based conferencing, email or fax, with telephone by arrangement. You will be expected to communicate regularly with the tutor.
The period between your official start date on the module and the submission date for your assignment will not normally be less than four weeks or more than twenty weeks.
Tutors are:
Prof. Peter Goodyear and Dr Julie-Ann Sime from Lancaster University, UK.
£100 for the participant pack for MECPOL partner students, otherwise £450.00 (pounds sterling). Please allow up to two weeks to receive your pack from the time of ordering. Packs will be dispatched by surface mail within one week. If you wish to receive your pack by courier there would be an additional charge.
MECPOL partner students may wish to acquire the readings for themselves, in which case no fees will be payable.
If you already have access to the Internet via a Web browser there is no additional cost. If you pay telephone charges related to your use of the Internet, then you will have additional call charges.
If you would like to register for this module, or you have any other queries, please contact:
ALT Programme Organiser- Alice Jesmont
C SALT (Centre for Studies in Advanced Learning Technology)Further details regarding the ALT programme may be found on:
http://www.lancs.ac.uk/users/edres/research/altprog.html