Task Analysis

Kenny Kitsingh
09/02/21
 Objectives
• At the end of this session students will be able
to :
• Describe the principles behind Procedural
Task Analysis (Understanding)
What is a task????
 Daily Paid Workers
I have a task to do and then I am finished (8.00 am)

• URP
• CEPEP
A task is an activity or piece of work which you
have to do, usually as part of a larger project
(Collins English Dictionary).

A task consists of a series of steps that leads to a

pre determined outcome. Tasks have a definitive
beginning and end.
What then is Task Analysis?
Task analysis (TA) is the term applied to any process
that identifies and examines tasks performed by
humans as they interact with systems (Kirwan &
Ainsworth, 1992)

In education, a task analysis is an evidence

based practice that helps us teach a skill or
method of doing something.
 Evidence-based practice
We need to ‘know’ – to have evidence about the
performance of our students in order
to support them to achieve high quality
educational outcomes. An evidence-based
approach to teaching and learning is crucial to
maximizing student outcomes. ( Bruniges, 2005)
 What’s the Purpose of Task Analysis?
• "Task analysis for instructional design is a
process of analyzing and articulating the kind
of learning that you expect the learners to
know how to perform" (Jonassen, Tessmer, &
Hannum, 1999, p.3).
A task analysis breaks a learning target /skill, down into
smaller, more manageable steps. It involves breaking
complex skills into smaller, teachable units, the
products of which is a series of sequentially ordered
steps or task. (Cooper, Heron & Heward, 2007)
Task analysis simply shows the student what
to do in a step-by-step manner and is used
for all types of students no matter their
abilities or their needs.
Procedural Task Analysis- procedures are
strictly defined so that each step is clear and
unambiguous to the learner. Procedures can
be simple, whereby the learner follows one
set of steps in a sequential fashion.
However, procedures can also be complex, with
many decision points that the learner must
make. Regardless of the complexity of the
procedure, a procedural analysis breaks down
the mental and/or physical steps that the
learner must go through so that the task can be
successfully achieved
The steps that make up a task are arranged
linearly and sequentially, illustrating where the
learner begins and ends. Oftentimes, the steps
throughout the task, from start to finish, as
well as any decisions that the learner must
make are arranged in a flowchart, but they can
also be done in an outline form.
 Common Procedural Tasks

-making a sandwich
-sending an email
-changing a flat tyre
- buying a soft drink from a vending
machine
 Biology
• Dissecting a frog
• applying appropriate first aid procedures for
temperature related injury
 Physical Education
• Performing a forward roll
• Performing a crouch start in Track and Field
 Chemistry
• Attending to chemical spill in the lab
• carry out solvent extraction on dried seaweed
 Physics
• Creating a circuit
 By using task analysis, you teach students that a
specific set of behaviors is done in a specific order
to complete a specific assignment, this is called a
behavior chain

START END
 Chaining

Chaining involves breaking a skill down into its

step by step components. Each step is taught
and mastered and then chained together into
a larger whole.

*Forward Chaining
*Backward Chaining
*Total Chaining
Developing a task analysis requires a knowledge of the
students skills and abilities (previous knowledge) and
resources to be used. The number of steps in a task
analysis will depend on how complicated the skill is the
student is learning.
According to Jonassen, the task analysis process
consists of five distinct functions:

• Classifying the task according to learning

outcomes
• Inventorying tasks solutions
• Selecting most appropriate tasks method from
the inventory
• Decomposing the selected task from the
inventory
• Sequencing tasks and sub-tasks
 Classifying tasks according to learning
outcomes
• Classify tasks according to expected learning
outcomes (LO) – LO are the knowledge,
attitudes, skills, etc. that you would expect
students to demonstrate once learning has
taken place
• Know what you want to achieve
 Classifying tasks according to learning
outcomes
Use an efficient motor skill to get the ball into
a basket standing 8 feet away
 Inventorying tasks
• Identify the task or list of tasks that can be
used to get the job done. There may be many
ways to complete a task
• example in cooking curry chicken -some
people use oil and burn the curry in the hot
oil, some people season the meat with curry
and cook it in hot oil, some people make a
curry paste and fry it in oil and then add the
chicken.
• Standing eight feet away from the basket, list
the different ways that we can employ to get
the ball into the basket.
• Place your answers on the whiteboards or
chat.
 Selecting the tasks
Prioritizing the tasks from the inventory list
and select the one that is most feasible to
achieve the desired learning outcomes, taking
into account:

-Knowledge of your students abilities

-Resources available
- time
Selecting most appropriate tasks method
from the inventory

Using the Underarm throw

 Decompose the task
• The most appropriate inventory task has been
identified
• describing the major components of the tasks
• goals of each component
• Objectives you aim to achieve after
completion of each component
• Take 5 minutes and simulate throwing the ball
into the basket (8 feet away) using the
underarm throw.

• List the steps involved (Decompose the task)

Decomposing the selected task from the inventory (underarm throw)

• Begin by facing your target while holding the ball in your dominant
hand.
• Shift your body weight to center over that same-side leg. Meaning if
you’re throwing right-handed, you’ll put your weight on your right toot.
• Swing the arm holding the ball back behind you
• stride 12 inches forward with the other foot so that you’re in a
staggered stance.
• Keep your shoulders (non throwing arm) facing your target
• Swing your arm forward, simultaneously transferring your weight onto
your lead foot and moving your free arm back slightly to help you
maintain balance.
• Release the ball once your hand is positioned between your waist and
shoulder providing enough force for the ball to fall into the basket
• Step forward with your rear leg in follow-through
 Sequencing tasks and sub-tasks
• defining the sequence in which instruction
should occur that will best facilitate learning.
• Steps that will facilitate learning
• Some steps may include sub tasks
• Scaffolding of learning
Main task

Sub task
 Prompts
• Prompting is a method or tool used to get the
learner from incorrect responding to correct
responding. When done correctly, prompting
increases the rate of responding, lowers
frustration, and helps the individual learn
more efficiently
 Forms of prompting

Physical - Hand over Hand (HOH), leading a child by

the hand, or physically moving a child
Verbal - Can be partial verbal or full verbal
Model - Demonstrating for the child what you want
them to do
Gestural - Gesturing, pointing, making a non verbal
motion to show the child what to do
Visual - Larger stimuli, brightly colored stimuli
Spatial (proximity) - Putting the correct choice
nearer to the child than the incorrect choice
Sequential (order in which things are
presented) - Working on easy tasks first and
building up to difficult tasks
Textual (written) - Writing out the steps of the
task
Tactile - Using the actual stimuli as a
prompt/reminder
 Developing a Task Analysis :

• Complete the task yourself or watch someone

else and record the steps completing the task to
gain an understanding of what is required
• Hold focus groups with a selection of staff who
complete the task to assist you with mapping
the process
• Develop a checklist and have the staff who
complete the task verify that the checklist
corresponds with the steps they actually carry
out
• Determine the starting point based on your
child’s ability
• Identify small steps so that your student can
succeed
• When teaching a new task, smaller steps can
be overlooked. Listing the steps and having it
reviewed prior to teaching can be helpful in
correct sequencing of the task activities and
ensuring successful progress towards the goal.
• Monitor your students’ performance
Thank You
References