Focusing on Learners

Instructional designers often rely on audience demographics and assessment questionnaires to assess the needs of an audience. Decisions about language complexity, media appropriateness, topic depth, and learner attitudes rely heavily on them. This quantitative information is often all that is available. Unfortunately, these depict only part of the picture. The information lacks the true depth of thought. A series of focus groups offer the qualitative information to drive a valuable instructional design, and test preconceived strategies.

The purpose of the focus group is to solicit ideas, beliefs, experiences, and attitudes. The interaction between participants promotes self-disclosure, which allows perceptions and attitudes to develop.

Focus groups provide information to:

• Assess and analyze learning needs
• Fine-tune learning objectives
• Identify negative attitudes that might inhibit training effectiveness
• Address logistical concerns

A well-facilitated focus group begins with a question designed to encourage further discussion. The questions put to the group should be worded to probe particular understandings. The solicited responses are less direct and more substantial than most responders would include on a questionnaire. The facilitator notes relevant comments to gain clarity and continued discussion. It is within these discussions that the learners’ true knowledge and attitude about a topic present themselves.

The focus group should not stop with the learners. Additional focus groups with the subject matter experts and the target learners’ management are just as important. Analysis of the three groups will show the differing views of each.

To get powerful information:

• Use open-ended questions
• Ask participants to remark more on earlier comments
• Summarize and ask participants if the summary is complete
• Ask participants their opinion on the value of the discussion