You may have heard that when it comes to instructional design, one of the most important parts of planning is the analysis. It doesn’t matter what type of methodology you’re using. The analysis is crucial to the development and design of your content.
Before starting any project, the instructional designer is tasked with conducting an FEA, or otherwise known as a Front End Analysis. Part of an FEA is closely examining your target audience.
In a lot of cases, the target audience gets passed over. But if you’re designing a course for them, then it should be custom made to fit their needs and desires. Examine your target audience as if under a microscope.
Below are some of the characteristics you must consider when conducting your target audience analysis.
1. Cognitive Characteristics
First and foremost, take a look at your target audience’s cognitive abilities. This includes aptitude, reading level, visual literacy, learning disabilities, and specific prior knowledge. In other words, what do they already know and what are they capable of learning?
For example, let’s say you are creating a training course on safety around various heavy-duty machinery. Most of your target audience is familiar with many of the older machines, but not the new ones. Then your course should spend more time focusing on the safety of the newer machines.
Or, if you are creating a course for learners whose second language is English, then most likely want to consider having your text available in multiple languages.
2. Physiological Characteristics
This includes things such as health, age, and gender. You’ll want to know the health and age of your audience so your course doesn’t put them at a disadvantage. For example, if the majority of trainees in a course are 65 years and older, then you may want to have an option to enlarge the text. And you wouldn’t want them to do any exercises that are too physical.
Gender matters, as well. If you’re creating a course on new parenting, then you’ll want to make sure your content clearly defines the roles for both mothers and fathers.
3. Affective Characteristics
These characteristics are a bit different; they include interests, motivation, anxiety, and attitude towards learning. They focus on how your target audience feels on an emotional and personal level.
Let’s say you’re creating a science course for low-performing high school students. Most likely and at no fault of their own, they’ve had a tough time learning in the past and struggle to be motivated in terms of school. So, you’ll want to design your course in a way that gets them excited to learn. Think of learning strategies that may help those struggling students understand the content better. Or maybe find ways to connect science to interests they have. All of these factors must be taken into consideration.
4. Social and Economic Characteristics
This is the last group of characteristics to consider. Social characteristics include racial/ethnic background, income, relations to peers, and feelings towards authority. Unfortunately, there is inequality and inequity among social groups. Keep this in mind to make the most out of their learning experience.
Minorities of low-income families do not have the same access to technology as the rest of us. So, if you’re creating a course that requires technical computer skills, you may want to include a tutorial to help walk the learners through the program.
No matter what characteristics you are examining, your target audience must be analyzed at the highest level. Send surveys out. Conduct focus groups. Gather data. The more you know, the better you’ll be prepared.
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