Summary
There are two possible overarching referents for needs assessment: one which looks at needs from the point of view outside of the organization doing the study, and one which looks at needs from within that organization. The external view is here called, unsurprisingly, “external needs assessment” and the other is termed “internal needs assessment”. Most current activities in needs assessment are of the internal variety.
The external needs assessment is suggested as a rational and logical starting place for organizational effort (including learning design) in that it studies and identifies the skills, knowledges and attitudes which are important outside of the school (or organization) and uses that information as the basis for educational design and effort. The internal needs assessment goes from that point forward to identify internally useful and worthy goals, objectives, methods and means to meet those required and desired outcomes. Most current effort in needs assessment is of the internal variety, and it is strongly urged that this referent be augmented with the external needs assessment data and information.
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References
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Kaufman, R. Needs assessments: Internal and external. Journal of Instructional Development 1, 5–8 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02904307
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02904307