Learning needs

Definition

Learning needs assessment has a fundamental role in education and training.It is evident that the need to learn should underpin any educational system. Indeed, the literature suggests that, at least in relation to continuing professional development, learning is more likely to lead to change in practice when needs assessment has been conducted, the education is linked to practice, personal incentive drives the educational effort, and there is some reinforcement of the learning. Learning needs assessment is thus crucial in the educational process

Related concepts

• Learning needs assessment is a crucial stage in the educational process that leads to changes in practice, and has become part of government policy for continuing professional development
• Learning needs assessment can be undertaken for many reasons, so its purpose should be defined and should determine the method used and the use made of findings
• Exclusive reliance on formal needs assessment could render education an instrumental and narrow process rather than a creative, professional one
• Different learning methods tend to suit different learners and different identified learning needs
• A wide range of formal and informal ways of identifying learning needs should be adopted as part of an ordinary practice, which should be the starting point in designing formalised educational systems for professional improvement