A+=+Analysis

A = Analysis
Analysis of learning needs is widely identified in the literature as central to effective elearning design. (Clark, 2002, Nichani, 2002, Pena, 2010) __Who are the learners?__ At this stage, the primary learning group are new members of the teaching staff. Ultimately, it is envisaged that modules will be developed for support and administration staff as well. __What kind of learners are they?__ They are a diverse group of learners. For this reason, some learning materials will be mandatory, others will be optional. As adult learners, a s Saunders (2008) comments, “adults make decisions for learning based on their own perceptions of the relevance and likely application of what they have learnt”. Carroll (2000) & Cooper (1999) in Koch & Fusco (2008) recommend that ‘focusing first on users’ needs, practices and social dynamics is key to developing an online community environment’. The primary purposes of this community are to share resources, reflect on our practices and to support each others learning and teaching. New staff will be aware of their own learning needs and will be able to exercise choice in terms of when, where and why they access the materials. This group is diverse in many ways: gender, curriculum area and expertise, experience, role, and so on. __What are their needs?__ The needs of a first year out teacher are vastly different to the needs of a teacher who has taught in five different schools and has 25 years teaching experience. Furthermore, their needs will be on a wide continuum in terms of their ICT skills and preparedness for elearning. Consequently, they will be able to choose the modules they explore. __Who are the stakeholders?__ The College and new staff are the initial stakeholders. Ultimately, middle managers will be able to develop e-resources using this model to help orientate new staff and that will serve as a reference point. For example, the Studies Coordinator of CAPA might produce some resources that will help a new music teacher recognise and anticipate the extra-curricular elements of the role. __What do they need?__ New staff need to be equipped with the knowledge and understanding to make their start at the College as seamless as possible. It is desirable for this induction process to model what we believe about good pedagogy and thus align with our learning framework.

How was this stage of the process implemented?
All new staff (defined by having joined the staff in the last twelve months) were contacted. An email was sent to a random sample group of these identified staff. As can be seen, they were asked to consider the induction process they went through, what worked, what didn't and what they would like to see changed to make the process more effective.(Please see Discussion on this page.) Following this, I interviewed the staff members who were not emailed to discuss the process, the timing, efficacy and whether they thought a blended elearning model would be more successful. Universally, they were in support of the idea as new members of staff, regardless of their experience, need 'just in time' learning. The reason for using two methods to gather information was simply out of curiosity. Generally, the response rate to group emails runs at about 70% and I wanted to gather as much information as possible. Interestingly, all members of staff who were emailed did respond. Several of these also sought out a face to face meeting to further the conversation and to clarify their thoughts. It is possible that some felt more comfortable expressing criticism verbally, rather than digitally. The Deputy Principal, Mission Coordinator and other stakeholders were also interviewed. They were asked to evaluate current practice and to advise which elements of the induction process they considered would be most suitable for elearning.

How successful was this stage of the process?
This stage of the process was very successful. New staff were happy to be consulted about the efficacy (or otherwise) of their induction experiences. Support for the project is strong as it is widely recognised that there are problems with the current induction process, particularly for those members of staff who begin a the College at various times throughout the year. One of the benefits of the project identified through the analysis stage was the fact that new modules can be added over time, modules can be updated readily without having to reprint huge documents, and the self-reflexive nature of the process was seen to be highly beneficial.