NEEDS ASSESSMENT MATRIX

Click here to download a ClarisWorks 3.0 version of the Needs Assessment Matrix.
Click here to download a Microsoft Word 6.0 version of the Needs Assessment Matrix.

Instructions For Use

  1. When you are collecting needs assessment information for an interactive multimedia project, you may require information about the people who will use the program (called the audience), the work they do or will perform (called their tasks), and/or the information or products they deal with or produce (called the content). There are three primary ways of finding out more about the audience, tasks, and content involved in a project:

    1. Observations are sometimes considered the most direct method of collecting needs assessment data, although in many cases, a great deal of inference is involved in interpreting observations.

    2. Interviews are considered the easiest way of collecting needs assessment data. Questionnaires and focus groups may also be relatively effective and efficient methods. However, what people tell you and what they really do may differ. It is sometimes important to verify the results of interviews with observations and document analysis.

    3. Documentation review, e.g., looking at employee personnel records, can provide useful needs assessment data. Of course, in some situations, it may be difficult or impossible to obtain desired documents.

  2. The matrix below should be reviewed when deciding upon the strategy or mix of strategies you will employ to collect needs assessment data for your project.

Needs Assessment Matrix

TYPE OF INFORMATION SOURCES OF
INFORMATION
OBSERVATIONS INTERVIEW DOCUMENTATION
AUDIENCE Observe in work environment. Interview audience or supervisors. Review employee files or personnel records.
TASKS Observe audience or expert performing. Interview expert or other performers. Review job descriptions, policy statements, and trouble reports.
CONTENT Observe expert or creators of product/process. Interview SMEs, policymakers, marketers, or managers. Review product plans, specifications, and marketing guidelines.

This page is presented by the
Center for Education Integrating Science, Mathematics and Computing (CEISMC)
at Georgia Tech's College of Sciences.