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Instructional Systems Design (ISD)- Performing a Job, Task, Content or Goal Analysis

Worksheets

The following worksheets are available for analysis purposes. Before using the worksheets be sure to read this entire section.

These document require Adobe Acrobat.

Adobe Acrobat DocumentTask Analysis Worksheet - Use this worksheet to guide task analysis.

Adobe Acrobat DocumentContent Analysis Worksheet - Use this worksheet to guide content analysis.

Adobe Acrobat DocumentGoal Analysis Worksheet - Use this worksheet to guide goal analysis for instructional design.

Overview

The process of gathering detailed information about the work that people do is called work analysis and encompasses three different kinds of investigations: 

  • job analysis,
  • task analysis, and 
  • content analysis. 

A job analysis is a comprehensive examination of what people do how they do it and what results they achieve. It is performed to clarify work titles, activities, responsibilities, and entry qualifications. Rarely, if ever, is a job analysis justified in NRCS as part of instructional design.

A task analysis is an intensive examination of how people perform work activities. A task is a series of actions or behaviors that accomplishes a goal. Typically a task analysis deals with observable steps.

A content analysis investigates the information or knowledge requirements of work activities.

A particular project may require either a task or content analysis or both.

Job, task, and content analyses represent comprehensive activities that require considerable commitment of resources. At times these analyses are not possible because of time or other constraints imposed on the instructional design process. At this point a goal analysis is useful.

Task Analysis

Task analysis involves breaking a task down into functional behavioral units. Tasks are broken down into sub tasks. Subtasks are broken down into elements. Elements are broken down into steps.

The amount of detail that is necessary in breaking down a task is dependent mainly on the prerequisite skills of the targeted learners. The general recommendation is that learners with lesser prerequisite skills will require a more finely detailed analysis with more steps. The complexity of a task analysis can range from a simple listing of steps to a detailed study of a job. It all depends on the particular situation.

This analysis becomes the basis for writing performance objectives, performance measurements, sequencing instruction and other design decisions.

An example of when a task analysis might be needed to support instructional design is when training is needed to build a computer, design an engineering practice or conduct a position classification audit.

Content Analysis

Content analysis is the process of breaking down large bodies of subject matter or tasks into smaller and instructionally useful units. These "instructionally useful units" may include facts, concepts, processes, procedures, or principles. Content analysis is intended: · to identify and isolate single idea or skill units for instruction, · to act as an objective decision rule for including or excluding topics for instruction, and · to provide guidance to sequence topics in instruction. Content analysis need not follow task analysis. It may be performed by itself, or it may follow task analysis as a means of relating work activities and results to the knowledge necessary for individuals to perform. This analysis becomes the basis for writing performance objectives, performance measurements, sequencing instruction and other design decisions.

A content analysis may be sufficient to guide the design process without a task analysis.

Goal Analysis

When organizational or other constraints prohibit a task or content analysis, instructional designers need an objective means of transforming laudable but otherwise vague desires into specific targets for learner accomplishments. This is the function of goal analysis.

Sound performance objectives can be developed on the basis of a performance problem analysis in conjunction with a goal analysis. This is the lowest level of analysis that can support the development of valid performance objectives. Care should be taken to avoid this level of analysis becoming the norm in the instructional design process.

Goal Analysis Steps

To perform goal analysis, carry out the five steps listed below:

  • Identify and clarify the goal that instruction intends to achieve.
  • Identify and list behaviors associated with the goal.
  • Refine the list from step 2 by eliminating unrelated or duplicate behaviors.
  • Describe precisely what learners should be doing to demonstrate goal achievement. These statements become performance objectives. Refer to the chapter on writing performance objectives for guidance on how to actually write the objectives.
  • Test the performance objectives to ensure that they are linked to the goal and, when enacted, will lead to the desired instructional results.

Again, care should be taken to avoid this level of analysis becoming the norm in the instructional design process.

Next Step - Writing Statements of Performance Objectives

Previous Step - Analyzing the Characteristics of a Work Setting