Deep audience analysis should be the first step of the eLearning design process. Here’s what you should know about your audience.
Understanding the target audience is one of the cardinal rules of effective communication. Knowing your learners helps you to shape your message in a way that’s most likely to resonate with them. Also, having a thorough knowledge of your audience before you prepare your course, will help you to choose the appropriate informational material, figure out the most effective instructional strategy, design an audience-sensitive message, select the right media to transmit the message, and create a learning environment where learners feel supported.
You have to focus on many factors when you analyze your audience: demographics, psychology (mental makeup, likes and dislikes, and belief systems), previous knowledge of the topic you are about to teach, technical skills, among many others. For each of these factors, there are some questions to answer, which will help you, think about your audience. The questions will help you get into the thinking groove and guide you through the process, so you can arrive at the answers that reflect your audience’s mindset and behavior.
Origen: A Template to Carry Out an eLearning Audience Analysis
