Part 1: Needs Assessment
L earning needs are gaps that exist between the current knowledge and skills and those that are required for practice ( Roughton & Crutchfield, 2016 ). The needs assessment was conducted on palliative care nurses with the aim of identifying existing gaps in their knowledge of palliative care practice. All 20 palliative care nurses scored well in most areas except on anticipatory care planning, which was the lowest. Twelve nurses were not confident with their anticipatory planning care knowledge. Although there were other needs identified, prioritization of learning needs was conducted. In learning needs assessment, the identified needs can be many and impossible to achieve ( Wang & Hurley, 2012 ). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs can help prioritize needs (Lester, 2017). The desirable needs were leadership while possible need was nurse scheduling. The identified need for training on anticipatory care planning was found to be mandatory and therefore given priority.
The identified learners were found to be ready to learn after assessment was conducted using the PEEK Model. Readiness to learn involves, among other factors, emotional and physical readiness ( Roughton & Crutchfield, 2016 ). Other factors, such as support, motivation, and frame of an individual's mind, also determine readiness to learn ( Roughton & Crutchfield, 2016 ). Learning styles for the identified learners were also assessed. Identifying learning styles comprise evaluating how an individual can learn best and ways through which they can learn what they are required to know (Honey & Mumford, 2006). Establishing whether a person learns best by reading, listening, or hands-on activities is essential (Palomba & Banta, 1999). The identified learners portrayed a mix of learning styles amongst themselves when assessed using the VARK questionnaire. Some were more inclined towards visual learning and others towards verbal learning.
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Visual learners retain and understand the information in an effective way when it is presented using visual aids (Honey & Mumford, 2006). The aids include images, photos, colors, and films. Also, visual learners are good at retaining visual data presented in maps or graphs (Honey & Mumford, 2006). Verbal learners, on the other hand, prefer words and linguistic methods. Verbal learners understand better when speech and writing methods such as reading and listening are used (Honey & Mumford, 2006). The learners are, in most cases, active in public speaking and rhymes. According to Bloom’s taxonomy of learning, the three domains of learning are cognitive, affective, and psychomotor. To address the lack of knowledge in anticipatory planning, learners will require activities and questions that will make them think at the various learning levels of the taxonomy during the learning process.
References
Honey, P., & Mumford, A. (2006). The learning styles . Maidenhead: Peter Honey Publications Ltd.
Lester, D. (2017). Hierarch of Needs (Maslow). Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences , 1–6. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_1483-1
Palomba, C. A., & Banta, T. W. (1999). Assessment essentials: planning, implementing, and improving assessment in higher education . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Roughton, J., & Crutchfield, N. (2016). Assessing Training Needs. Job Hazard Analysis , 299–334. doi: 10.1016/b978-0-12-803441-5.00012-x
Wang, X., & Hurley, S. (2012). Assessment as a Scholarly Activity?: Faculty Perceptions of and Willingness to Engage in Student Learning Assessment. The Journal of General Education , 61 (1), 1–15. doi: 10.1353/jge.2012.0005
Part Two: Assessment Tool
| Learning Domain | Cognitive |
| Purpose | To assess remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating among learners using Bloom’s taxanomy |
| Application | Surveys and interviews administered towards the middle and end of the training, standard exams developed by the training instructor, presentations, and reports administered throughout the training period and a summative exam at the end of the training. |
| Advantages and Disadvantages |
The advantage of indirect assessment methods is that they assist in the interpretation of results from direct methods. Indirect assessments can also evaluate some implicit learning qualities, such as attitudes and learner's perceptions (Palomba & Banta, 1999). The disadvantage of indirect assessments is that they are not helpful in the identification of specific knowledge and skills deficiencies instructors make assumptions, and it is difficult to establish if a learner has attained a certain learning goal from a self-report ( Wang & Hurley, 2012 ). The advantage of direct assessments is that the instructor will be able to identify what learners can do, which is adequate proof of learning ( Wang & Hurley, 2012 ). The disadvantage of direct methods is that they cannot measure aspects such as perceptions and attitudes, which are also essential in assessing learning. Therefore, both direct and indirect learning assessment methods will be applied. |
References
Palomba, C. A., & Banta, T. W. (1999). Assessment essentials: planning, implementing, and improving assessment in higher education . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Wang, X., & Hurley, S. (2012). Assessment as a Scholarly Activity?: Faculty Perceptions of and Willingness to Engage in Student Learning Assessment. The Journal of General Education , 61 (1), 1–15. doi: 10.1353/jge.2012.0005
