Discussion Board - Assignment Example

DISCUSSION BOARD Essentially, task analysis is a careful study of the sequencing of intermediate and terminal objectives (Orlich et al.,143). Thisis crucial because tasks are composed of numerous and interrelated dimensions. And such dimensions are further complicated by the fact that they revolve around people-hardware systems or people-knowledge systems (Swanson, 234). To demonstrate this, consider a job. It will rarely be consisted of similar tasks. The job can require a combination of procedural, systems and knowledge related tasks.

This aspect highlights the importance of specifying the appropriate kind of task analysis tool to be used as part of the task inventory. This highlights the importance of several types of task analysis such as procedural analysis and concept analysis. Procedural analysis, as the name connotes, is a type of task analysis that focuses on procedures. It is "used to identify the sequential steps for completing a psychomotor or cognitive task (Luppicini, 78)." The nature of this method makes it appropriate in identifying the contents that causes problems, hence, the information necessary in solving them as well.

For example, an analysis is broken down into several steps, the first being deconstructing a task being examined into several units. Structures are then determined using tools such as those performance-related matrices. Based on these structures, an evaluation can finally be performed. This demonstrates that, as with the traditional task analysis, procedural analysis is focused on the sequential approach in completing its analytical objectives.On the other hand, concept analysis is a type of cognitive task analysis that is used to represent the structure of an experts thinking (Jonassen, Tessmer and Hannum, 201).

It sequences concept characteristics that relate to the concept or concept hierarchy (Olrich et al., p.143). These mean that this particular tool is particularly appropriate in analyzing tasks that are knowledge-based. This characteristic should differentiate it from the manner by which procedural analysis works. It operates through several approaches such as conceptual graphs or concept maps. By articulating knowledge through a systematic visual structure, relationships, issues, questions, problems, and new information, among others are revealed.

For instance, a conceptual graph depicts these through nodes that include actions, events, and goals, wherein a specific set of relations exists for a specific type of node (Jonassen, Tessmer and Hannum, 201). Concept analysis can also reveal and explain how a particular task is not only sequential but rather they can be cross-functional.All in all, task analysis, procedural analysis and concept analysis are sets of analytical model that designed to serve as guides or roadmaps in identifying the hierarchies and patterns of relationships of actions, events and objectives that are either psychomotor or conceptual.

Each of these models offers different characteristics, hence, strengths and weaknesses. That is why a model is considered appropriate in a specific condition and inappropriate or ineffectual in another. As previously mentioned, tasks are numerous and diverse and having the same type within a particular job is extremely rare. That is why the differences between task analysis, procedural analysis and concept analysis is a boon because it means they can work together as part of the general task inventory to analyze tasks and identify problems, solutions and content.

Works CitedJonassen, David, Tessmer, Martin and Hannum, Wallace. Task Analysis Methods for Instructional Design. London: Routledge, 1998.Luppicini, Rocci, Online Learning Communities. IAP, 2007.Orlich, Donald, Harder, Robert, Callahan, Richard, Trevisan, Michael, and Brown, Abbie, Teaching Strategies. New York: Cengage Learning, 2009.Swanson, Richard, Analysis for Improving performance: Tools for Diagnosing Organizations and documenting Workplace Expertise. RHYW, 2009.