Exercise Overview
As noted, there are a variety of gaps that may affect our learners, including those depicted in the figure below. Let’s spend a few moments contemplating the types of gaps our learners may face within two practice exercises.
Exercise 1: What type of gap is being described?
For each scenario described below, think about the type of gap (i.e. knowledge, skills, motivation, environmental, or communication) that could apply. Suggested answers are listed on the bottom of this page.
- A student does not understand the directions for completing an assignment.
- A student does not have internet access where they are studying.
- A student does not complete an assignment because they believe they are not good at math.
- A student struggles working through the order of operations while working on an algebra problem.
- A student cannot recall the date of the beginning of World War I.
Exercise 2: What type of gaps exist for your learners?
As considered previously, we have offered a set of six learner personas. These personas suggest a range of gaps. Please take a moment to retrieve one of the learner personas, and consider the learner’s desired state versus current state and the resulting gaps. Write down a list of possible gaps faced by this learner. What does your learner want or not want? What is his or her current skill level? What do these gaps, wants, and motivations tell us about the goals and needs for instruction?
Exercise 1 Answers: 1. Communication Gap, 2. Environmental Gap, 3. Motivation Gap, 4. Skills Gap, 5. Knowledge Gap