Interview Learners


You will be interviewing learners to glean information about their skill level, attitude, motivation, etc. to compile a learner profile for instructional design. Use the following guidelines to develop your own questions. Next, interview your learners and organize the results using defined categories. 


  1. Guidelines for developing interview questions:  

  1. Identify the learner entry skills, prior knowledge of the topic area

  2. Find learner’s attitude toward content

  3. Determine learner’s motivation in learning the content

  4. Find learner’s general learning preference (visual, auditory, collaborative, independent, etc.)


  1. Based on the above guidelines,  list your questions in the following:

I will be observing students to be able to make connections about their skill level, attitude, motivation, etc… The questions I’ll be observing to get answers are below:

  • I will observe reactions to new assignments, and due dates for current assignments. 

  • I will observe time on how quickly or slowly students turn in assignments.

  • A survey was performed at the beginning of the class to learn students motivations and prior knowledge for learning the subject. The answers to that survey will be reviewed.

  • I will observe students in a group setting to see how students are contributing to the group and who is passively watching.

  1. Summarize your interview results here:

    1. Learners’ entry skills: 

  • The students vary in their expertise on the subject matter. Some students are moving at a quick pace, other students are struggling to stay up to date.

  • Students that are ahead are content to keep working to go deeper into certain subjects instead of the base level.

    1. Learners’ prior knowledge in the topic area: 

  • All students came into the field with little to no prior knowledge



    1. Learners’ attitude toward content: 

  • Students come into the class excited to learn. 

  • The early morning nature of the class is harder for some students. From observing it is clear that some students struggle to be fully aware at seven in the morning. However after 20-30 minutes they are alert.

  • Students' attitudes severely falter when they are unable to see how the content relates to the overall picture.

    1. Learners’ motivation in learning the content:

  • There are two types of students in the class when it comes to motivation

    • Student A is there to get a job. They want to learn a new skill and able to find a job using the skill

    • Student B is there because they want to be. They have motivations such as learning a new skill, getting credits for college, avoiding high school.

  • Both types of students are motivated to finish the assignments and projects.

    1. Learners’ general learning preference: 

  • The majority of students are field independent learners. They work best on their own while working through problems. 

  • The students learn best while being given a task then setting out and finding their own way to accomplish it

    • The best students go above and beyond the task given to them

  • If the need arises to work in a group they are willing, but not excited.