• Explain backward design and the interrelationships between goals, assessment, and instruction
  • Exemplify using LOGO Debugging by Klahr & Carver
• Explain why knowledge goals must be inferred from models of data
  • Recall examples of data leading to new goals
• Recall the goals of Cognitive Task Analysis
  • Explain why “if-then” production rules are a good way to express the output (model & insights) of a Cognitive Task Analysis
• Explain and exemplify how Cognitive Task Analysis can be used to identify learning goals
  • Explain how Feldon’s goals (for research questions) derive from structured interview CTA guidelines
  • Explain how Klahr & Carver’s goals (for debugging) derive from structured interview CTA guidelines
• Recall the four Contextual Inquiry Principles principles and their definitions
  • Explain why these principles aid goal specification

• Compare and contrast Clark’s 5 steps of CTA via structured interviews with the principles of Contextual Inquiry
• Explain the importance of focus setting in Contextual Inquiry and preparation in Clark’s structured interview approach to CTA
• Compare and contrast the interview process of CTA via structured interviews with Contextual Inquiry
• Use structured interviews (Cognitive Task Analysis) and contextual inquiry to identify course goals

• Distinguish between four kinds of CTA (theoretical vs. empirical, descriptive vs. prescriptive)
• Use think aloud as a CTA technique
  • Perform the steps of doing a think aloud study
  • Model think aloud results using subgoals and if-then production rules
  • Use model to design and improve instruction
• Apply theoretical CTA to a task domain
• Compare and contrast think aloud and theoretical CTA with other CTA methods
  • Describe similarities & differences in effort and cost
  • Distinguish the conditions for when to apply each

• Perform & explain the steps in a Difficulty Factors Assessment (DFA)
  • Given a task, identify a difficulty factor in it and design a matched task without that difficulty
  • Create assessment forms; analyze errors
  • Model results and use to design instruction
  • Explain how the DFA steps implement the E-learning Big Picture
• Compare and contrast Difficulty Factors with prior CTA techniques
  • Distinguish between two kinds of empirical CTA

At the end of the course, you’ll have an opportunity to do a little project where you will conduct a Cognitive Task Analysis to improve elementary math learning.  You will also get a chance to analyze and update two existing CTA models related to personal finance. Finally, you will redesign existing instruction and assessment based on CTA implications given to you. That will provide you with a nice experience to apply the fundamentals you will learn in the modules to a larger, more authentic, context. It will be graded by the instructor and you will receive personalized feedback along with a sample solution.