Hello!
As instructional designers it is our jobs to solve business issues with learning solutions.
Based upon the business issue, the audience profile, and the project’s logistics and needs we make recommendations to our clients and process partners as to the best solutions.
One of the first, most crucial tasks we perform is an audience analysis of our learners.
An audience analysis takes a look at the makeup of the learners that need to be trained. We look at key data points such as size, location, education, language, organizational environment they are in; physical attributes (age), skills and knowledge, attitude and culture and customer requirements. This helps ensure our designers design and developers develop (encode) training materials that will be appropriate (decoded) to our users.
This template is a guideline that is intended to help instructional designers capture all of the key nuances of their learners to ensure they build learning solutions that their learners can eagerly anticipate, consume, engage with, and learn from based upon who they are and what they want and need.
Customize this audience analysis template to your situation and adjust its wording based upon the learners you serve and the organization you work for.
Expand upon it.
Shrink it.
Share it.
As instructional designers it is our jobs to solve business issues with learning solutions. Share with me your success stories and flops.
I want to learn more about you.
Thank you,
Bill Corrigan
CLICK HERE FOR A PDF VERSION OF THE AUDIENCE ANALYSIS TEMPLATE
Learning Audience Analysis
[name of ] Business Line
Overview
| What is the estimated size of the learner segment (number of people, not firms)? | |
| Where is each learner segment geographically distributed? |
Organizational Environment
| What types of organizations (banks, hotels, airlines) make up this segment? | |
| What are the job functions or duties of typical learners in this segment? | |
| What is the range of skills of typical learners in this segment? | |
| Is this learner segment internal or external to [your firm] and its subsidiaries? |
Physical Attributes
| What is the age range of learners in this segment? | |
| What is the typical age of a learners in this segment? |
Skills and Knowledge
| How much job experience should learners have in order to use the product? Use the following values:
1: Little or no knowledge of subject 2: Understanding of basic concepts, processes, and operations associated with the product (business knowledge and [your firm] knowledge) 3: Ability to solve problems and apply knowledge to real-life situations |
|
| How frequently do or will learners use the product (for example, daily, weekly, monthly)? | |
| How proficient are learners in using computers in general?
1: Little or no proficiency 2: Some proficiency in using software, including use of
3: High level of proficiency in using software, including
|
|
| How proficient are learners in using Internet applications and the Web? Use the following values:
1: Little or no proficiency 2: Some proficiency in using the Internet, including
3: High level of proficiency in using the Internet, including
|
|
| How much industry knowledge do learners typically have? Use the following values:
1: Beginner (less than 2 years) 2: Intermediate (2-5 years) 3: Advanced (more than 5 years) |
|
| How much experience do learners typically have interacting with [your firm] and/or its subsidiaries? Use the following values:
1: Beginner (less than 2 years) 2: Intermediate (2-5 years) 3: Advanced (more than 5 years) |
|
| What is learners’ current level of knowledge of the product? Use the following values:
1: Little or no knowledge of subject 2: Understanding of basic concepts, processes, and operations of the product 3: Ability to solve problems and apply knowledge to real-life situations |
|
| What related products of [your firm’s] subsidiaries are target learners familiar with? | |
| Have learners been previously trained in the product? | |
| If the answer to the previous question is Yes, what training have target learners previously had that will prepare them for training in this product? | |
| What is learners’ desired level of knowledge of the product? | |
| What is the average educational level of learners?
1: High school level 2: Undergraduate level 3: Postgraduate level |
Attitudes and Culture
| What languages (including English) do learners speak and write? | |
| What cultural or internationalization factors may influence design (for instance, time differences; sight or mobility limitations; culturally unacceptable symbols, colors, or words)? | |
| What requirements (regulatory, legal, business, organizational, political) must be considered in the development of [your firm’s] products? | |
| What is learners’ motivation or attitude toward the product? |
Customer Requirements
| What do learners expect to see in training? | |
| What have learners expressed a desire to see in training? | |
| What have learners expressed a desire to not see in training? |