Hrobjartur Arnason's List: Needs Assessment

.Someone claimed that the idea of "Educational Needs" stems from John Dewey: Here is at least where he wrote about them.

Einhver hélt því fram að hugmyndin um námsþarfir væri frá Dewey komin..

Listi yfir nokkrar gagnlegar bækur um þarfagreiningu
A list of a few useful books on needs assessment

stutt yfirlitsgrein fyrir byrjendur
A short introductory article

by: By Janice A. Miller, SPHR and Diana M. Osinski, SPHR

The training needs assessment is a critical activity for the training and development function. Whether you are a human resource generalist or a specialist, you should be adept at performing a training needs assessment. This paper will begin with an overview of the training and development function and how the needs assessment fits into this process, followed by an in-depth look at the core concepts and steps involved in conducting a training needs assessment.

Overview Article from About.com

Hefti um færni sem hópur norrænna sérfræðinga komst að samkomulagi að skiptu miklu máli fyrir samkeppnishæfni fullorðinna í nútíma samfélagi

In this article we present a methodology for developing competence models that help organizations tie individual performance to the bottom line through specific individual and group accomplishments; we also provide a foundation for building, supporting, and maintaining desired competence levels.

Richard S. Mansfield
A description of competency models, and competency dictionaries.

A competency-dictionaries for an unnamed company. A useful example which can give ideas.

with Definitions and observable Behaviors that may indicate
the existence of a competency

Yfirlit yfir gerð þarfagreiningar fyrir fjarnám:
The purpose of this paper is to promote and improve needs assessment in distance education through the exploration of seven questions: (a) What is a needs assessment? (b) How are needs assessments related to successful distance education? (c) Where have needs assessments been used in distance education? (d) Which approach to needs assessment should one choose? (e) What sources and methods might one use for collecting data? (e) What should one consider when conducting a curriculum development needs assessment? (f) What factors influence (i.e., inhibit, facilitate) the use of needs assessment results? and (g) What criteria can be used to evaluate a needs assessment? To aid further study, example distance education needs assessments have been cited. 

Using participatory research methods, the state of Kansas was able to achieve a high response rate from LHD workers. This process can serve as a model for other rural communities and organizations with limited resources. In addition, the survey results provide information about competency-oriented knowledge and training gaps of sectors of the local public health workforce, which can be used to develop training in a targeted fashion.

Needs assessment and ROI in the business context of developing web based learning

Allison Rossett:
Despite good intentions on the part of management, needs assessment remains more a goal than a reality. Three root causes make needs assessment frustrating: flawed needs assessments, no organizational support, and inadequate expertise assigned to the effort. Flawed needs assessments can be improved by using all possible information from varied sources as an opportunity to reach into the organization and inform, impress, and sell. Rather than relying upon one means of gathering information and garnering support, it is best to use several successive techniques and contacts with key sources. Three strategies that can assist in establishing support for needs assessment are: 1. Document how actions contribute to the end result. 2. Make a case through analogies to other professions. 3. Refer to needs assessment by another phrase. Trainers charged with preparing employees for a new situation also must have a clear picture of the optimal skills and knowledge associated with the change.

Allison Rossett:
This paper is an attempt to add meat to the effort to bring knowledge management and needs analysis together. In a nutshell, analysis is the planning people do in order to figure out what to do. Knowledge management involves recognizing, documenting and distributing explicit and tacit knowledge in order to improve organizational performance. A situation is presented in which an able, traditional training and development professional carries out analysis. Then it is shown how knowledge management could add to that analysis.

Allison Rossett kynnir hér til sögunnar hugtakið Performance Technology og ber saman við Instructional Technology / Design. Niðurstaða hennar er að með sjónarorni frammistöðu "tækni" horfi maður freka til árangurs skipulagseiningarinnar en til þekkingar einstaklinga og nálgist hugmyndina um að með kennslu meigi allt bæta með heilbrigðum "skepsís".

Yfirlit yfir bók eftir Allison Rossett um Performance Analysis.
Listi yfir meira efni og hægt að lesa þrjá kafla
Overview over the book by Allison Rossett
You can read two chapters

A companion website to Allison Rossett´s book: First Things Fast

Objectives statements should be worded in the format, 'By the end of the workshop participants will be able to...'. The statement must not use verbs such as 'learn' and 'understand' because there is no way to measure or observe them. Behaviour needs to be observable and measurable.

In order to undertake an effective strategic learning and development analysis, HR professionals need to hone their commercial awareness skills. Before you read any further complete the simple self-assessment tool below to assess your own general level of business awareness. Once you have done that, count the number of 'Yes' and 'No' ticks. If you ticked 'No' eight or more times, then your business intelligence may need to be improved.