Needs Analysis using Personas and Empathy Maps

Content

Working from the earliest Stages of the Design Thinking process (Emphatise / Define / Ideate / Prototype & Test Phases) you can explore the needs of a learner through the lens of a (Developing) Trainer.
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The Emphatise phase allows educators/developers of the curricula to think about the lives of their students, to try to understand them and to think about what their everyday life looks like. With the gained insights and knowledge, more appropriate and tailored training can be defined in the next phase.
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The Define phase enables a more detailed definition of the needs and problems of the learner, which are based on the considerations and insights from the first phase. This in turn allows for responding adequately to learners’ needs in the phase to follow.
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Step 1In the interest of making sure we know who we are planning training for you are invited to consider - the rapidly evolving landscape of technology and societal change,  and the need to enhance skills such as digital literacy, critical thinking, and adaptive learning to empower individuals all the while being mindful of inclusion, wellbeing and ongoing development.
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Think through your persona and consider their needs if you are offering your tools
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The Persona - Who are we designing for? 
Draft a sample persona of a person who will / could attend your training with the following profile considerations:
age 
gender 
education
other relevant info such as socio/economic status/inclusion challenges or barriers
digital literacy 
learning style 
possibly hobbies/interests 
NAME
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Use the online persona builder on Hubspot or Venngage 
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Badge task: Upload a created persona for the badge evidence below.
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Step 2Understand the Persona better with an Empathy Map
An Empathy Map serves as a visual representation, enabling us to step into the shoes of our target audience. It facilitates understanding what they say, think, feel, and do in response to various questions or situations. Essentially, it's a tool guiding us to comprehend the human side of the learning experience
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In essence, it is a way of visualising what we know about a persona in an organised way.
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Use a variation of the Empathy Map Canvas (simplify if needed, or hand draw and use your own).
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﻿Empathy Map Canvas (This canvas is © 2017 Dave Gray, xplane.com)
You can also consider other online boards to develop your Empathy Map - Have a look here at Innovationtraining.org who have an Empathy Map Training online article
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Badge task: Upload an empathy map for the badge evidence below.
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Reflect on your experience as a trainer in addressing the needs observed in the empathy map and how you would use digital skills to support the learning experience.
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Step 3Based on the previous steps and your reflection on addressing the needs, formulate a Purpose statement following the structure below:
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[NAME of Persona] _________ is a [summary of persona] who needs _________________[based on needs identified in Empathy Map] because ____________________________ [baesd on insights from Empathy Map]
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Badge task: post the Purpose statement for the badge evidence below.
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Inspiring resources:
﻿Trainercentral.com on creating personas 
﻿Innovationtraining.org On Empathy Maps
Understand more about Design Thinking and the Empathy Phase in its principles from IDEO 
﻿Article from IDEO on How Design Thinking can be used for the greater good.
﻿Methodological Manual for Introducing Design Thinking in Youth Work
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Awero organisation in collaboration with the Youth Work Ireland Midlands created this educational resource and activity to support trainers' digital competence development.
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Activity content and badge issuing criteria aligned with the European Training Strategy (ETS) competence model for trainers to work internationally. In particular:
Recognises learners’ needs and limitations including different skills and literacies as well as any changes in the situation;
Demonstrates an understanding of different educational methods and concepts for needs assessment;
Assesses learners’ needs before or at the very beginning of the training activity;
Addresses learners’ needs through an adequate and tailored educational approach;
Demonstrates a genuine interest in learners’ needs;
Identifies and recommends digital learning tools and resources to fulfil learners' needs.
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Want to endorse (?) our organisation, this activity and/or badge - send us an email! Contact us at info@awero.org for further questions.
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Get activity badge

Needs Analysis through Empathy Mapping Get this badge

Badge earner has become familiar with the early principles of the Design Thinking - Empathy Stage and how to use the learned insights to prepare to design appropriate training to meet a learners' needs.
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To get this badge, trainer:
Completed a Learner (User) Persona
Completed corresponding Empathy Map
Formed a problem/purpose statement
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Activity content and badge issuing criteria aligned with the European Training Strategy (ETS) competence model for trainers to work internationally.
Learning duration: 1,5 hours.

Tasks

Task no.1

Evidence verified by: one activity organiser

To get this badge, complete and upload the following:
Completed Persona.
Completed Empathy Map.
Problem/Purpose Statement.
Reflection on how as a trainer you will design suitable training for learners.

Skills

ETS-TR

#Demonstrates an understanding of different educational methods and concepts for needs assessment

ETS-TR

#Assesses learners’ needs before or at the very beginning of the training activity

ETS-TR

#Addresses learners’ needs through an adequate and tailored educational approach

ETS-TR

#Demonstrates a genuine interest in learners’ needs

ETS-TR

#Identifies and recommends digital learning tools and resources to fulfil learners needs

ETS-TR

#Recognises learners’ needs and limitations including different skills and literacies as well as any changes in the situation

Designing educational programmes

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Time to complete: 1 hour 30 minutes

Organisers

Nectarus

Badgecraft hosts this platform and develops it together with leading educational organisations. The European Union's programme Erasmus+ granted co-funding for building the first version of this platform. Contact support@badgecraft.eu.