CASE STUDY
Knowing When Training Isn't the Answer
Using needs analysis to move from performance problem
to the right solution.
Performance Analysis • Scenario-Based Learning • Performance Support
ROLE
Instructional Designer &
eLearning Developer
AUDIENCE
Instructional designers
PROJECT TYPE
Self-Directed Concept Project
TOOLS
Articulate Storyline
DELIVERABLES
Microlearning Course • Job Aid
COLLABORATORS
Peer Reviewer
Project Snapshot
The Challenge
Instructional designers are often asked to create training before the underlying performance problem has been fully analyzed. Even when given the opportunity to conduct a needs assessment, early-career designers may know the steps of gathering information but be less confident using the findings to determine, and communicate, the most appropriate solution.
The request may be for training. The performance problem may point somewhere else.
Analysis & Insights
In my own instructional design work, I often received projects after the initial analysis had already been completed. At times, my colleagues and I felt that important information about the performance problem was missing—information that could have influenced the solution we were developing.
Conversations with other instructional designers and professional reading reinforced that this was a broader challenge. Designers may be asked to develop training without a complete understanding of the performance gap, and even when they conduct a needs assessment, they may need practice using what they learn to determine the most appropriate intervention.
KEY INSIGHTS
Don't Assume
A request for training doesn’t mean training is the right solution.
Find the Performance Gap
Define the difference between expected and actual performance.
Follow the Evidence
Let the analysis, not the original request, drive the recommendation.
The Solution
Reusable performance support helped learners apply the needs-analysis process during the scenarios and beyond the course.
I designed a micro-learning course that placed learners in realistic business scenarios and included How to Conduct a Needs Assessment job aid to guide their decision-making. Learners gathered and evaluated information, determined the appropriate next step, and received feedback that allowed them to reconsider incorrect choices.
The combination of scenario-based practice and a reusable job aid allowed designers to practice making recommendations in a safe environment while providing performance support they could apply to future projects.
HOW THE ANALYSIS WORKED
Gather Information
Understand the performance problem
Analyze the Evidence
Identify the Cause
Look for patterns and gaps
Determine what is affecting performance
Choose the intervention that fits the cause
Recommend a Solution
Application & Practice
Learners applied the needs-analysis process to realistic business problems, using the evidence they gathered to determine whether training was actually the appropriate solution.
Scenario 1
Is Communication Training the Answer?
Initial Problem
Employees appear to have communication issues.
Analysis Reveals
The problem is concentrated in only two departments.
Training?
No.
Recommended Intervention
Bring managers and employees from those departments together to identify and address the specific communication issues.
In both scenarios, effective analysis prevented training from becoming the default solution.
Scenario 2
Is Management Training the Answer?
Initial Problem
Employees report that management isn't responding to their concerns and suggestions.
Analysis Reveals
Employees are submitting concerns through the employee portal, but management isn't receiving them.
Training?
No.
Recommended Intervention
Involve IT to determine why portal submissions aren't reaching management.
Core Capabilities Demonstrated
Performance Analysis & Learning Strategy | Learning Experience & Curriculum Design | Applied Learning & Practice
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