The+Learner

**||~ The Learner ||~ Assessment Tools ||~ Outcomes ||~ Resources ||**
=The Learner= The Learner is arguably the most important component to consider when designing any assessments our outcome products. When creating the assessment, the instructional designer need to consider the learner's abilities, their needs, and the individual differences between each learner. The following sections describe how to accurately meet the needs of the individual learner.

//Cognitive Strategy Instruction//
" Cognitive Strategy Instruction (CSI) is an instructional approach which emphasizes the development of thinking skills and processes as a means to enhance learning" (Livingston, 1997). CSI is intended to be used as a means of helping the learner to be more self-sufficient in their own learning. As Livingston (1997) elaborates, it is important for learners to become "more strategic, self-reliant, flexible, and productive" when taking part in learning experiences. Using this type of instructional strategy when designing instruction encourages learners to think for and learn for themselves (Livingston, 1997).

CSI is designed around the idea that all students can learn, if taught the appropriate way to think about their learning and understanding. As Livingston (1997) discusses, it was "previously believed [that] only the best and brightest students" had the types of cognitive strategies that allowed success. However, when taught with CSI, "many learners from various abilities have found success" (Livingston, 1997).

//Learner Characteristics//
When designing effective instruction, there are several learning characteristics that need to be considered. These should guide the instructor in their planning, implementing and assessment of the lesson preparation. They also need to be considered when assessing the final outcomes of the learners. The following list, compiled by www.about-elearning.com (2007), gives a good description of the characteristics to be considered when designing effective instruction.
 * What types of academic experiences has the learner been exposed to? What skills does the learner possess? What schools has the learner attended? What grades has the learner completed?
 * What are the demographics of the learner? How old is he/she, what life experiences does he/she have? How does the material relate to the life of the learner? What is the attitude of the learner?
 * What specific characteristics does the learner possess? Is his/her primary or home language one other than English? Does the learner have any specific disabilities that might affect the learning?
 * What are the learning styles of the individual learner?
 * What is the motivational level of the learner? Why does he/she strive for improvement and learn new skills? "Motivation is one of the most important factors to success" (Instructional Design Principles, 2010).

//**Prerequisite Skills**:// These are skills that need to be identified before writing or implementing the instructional design process. It isn’t very helpful to write objectives for someone if they won’t be able to follow the learning objectives. For instance, if you are writing the learning objectives for a course in data processing, it is helpful if your constituent audience has some background from which to reference your instructions.