Childhood Obesity Program
southerngyrl13
EDUC5480AssignmentGuidelinesWorksheet1PerformanceGapAssessment3.docxEDCU 5480 Design and Measurement of Adult Learning Activities
Background and problem selection: Before completing this worksheet, please read the sections on Performance and Performance Gap Assessment in Chapter 2 of the text (Piskurich, 2015) and the Module 1 Overview. A performance gap assessment helps distinguish the difference between what the performance should be and what it is now. This “performance gap” will help you determine what training needs (if any) there are. Piskurich contends, “There are three basic performance areas that need to be considered in any performance assessment” (Piskurich, 2015, p. 24). He includes individuals, business processes, and organizational areas. Performance in the wider community may also be relevant. As the purpose of the course is to help you to develop competencies to design learning activities, the primary focus of this assessment is to assess gaps in people’s performance, even though some of the questions deal with processes or organizational issues.
The first question calls for you to identify a problem. Given the course’s purpose, select a problem that you know or suspect may be improved by providing a learning activity. Also, be aware that the culminating assignment in the course is to submit a facilitator guide/ instructional manual for a learning activity you design. You may begin that effort with this worksheet if you already have in mind a learning activity to develop, and/or you may clarify whether the situation you may wish to address is a situation where a learning/ training program might produce positive outcomes.
Directions: Please answer each of the following questions in the reply boxes provided (they expand):
|
What’s the problem? |
What are the job’s tasks or conditions? |
What is the current level of performance? |
|
What’s causing the problem? |
What is the desired level of performance? |
|
|
How might a learning activity affect outcomes for individuals, processes, an organization/institution or the wider community? |
Please note that the questions inside the boxes are included to provide context and stimulate your thinking; you do not need to answer each one. Please focus on a few key points.
What’s the problem?
|
Why do you think there is a problem? What data or evidence supports your perception? Is productivity, sales or morale low? Have you observed or learned of inefficiencies or ineffectiveness in individuals’, teams’ or the whole organization’s performance? Is the performance of specific individuals or organizational units bothering you?
|
What are the job’s tasks or conditions?
|
What tasks are involved in carrying out the job? Are there published or easily accessible job requirements or standards? Do people have appropriate resources and training? Is the work environment pleasant? Hostile? Is there a learning climate? Is productivity, sales or morale low?
|
What is the current level of performance?
|
Is the performance quality visible? Have you observed or learned of inefficiencies or ineffectiveness in individuals’, teams’ or the whole organization’s performance? Is the performance of specific individuals or organizational units bothering you? What should employees be doing that they are not now doing? What are employees doing now that they should not be doing? What specific behaviors or practices need to be changed?
|
What’s causing the problem?
|
Is the problem’s cause immediately clear? Are you able to identify one or more root causes? Is there an easily recognizable solution or an easy fix? Is the problem part of a larger issue or system? How complicated or complex is the problem? Is a training or learning program the solution or part of one? What else might be done?
|
What is the desired level of performance?
|
When the employees are working most effectively, what does it look like? What specific knowledge skills or attitudes are most important for organizational members to exhibit? What behaviors or practices are central to organizational effectiveness and efficiency? What are the highest priorities for change?
|
How might a learning activity affect outcomes for individuals, processes, an organization/institution, or the wider community?
|
What outcomes would you expect from the successful implementation of a learning activity for individuals, processes, the organization as a whole and/or for the wider community? Do you expect errors or costs to decrease? Quality, productivity, sales or revenue to increase? Improved employee or client satisfaction? What shifts in individual, team or organizational capability do you see? How might the larger community be positively influenced? (Please provide a rationale or evidence for any of these outcomes you expect?
|
