Today, Connecting the Dots introduces a series written by Andrea Lythgoe, LCCE.  Andrea has been a frequent contributor to Connecting the Dots over the years with some very popular and informative posts, and I am delighted that blog readers can once again benefit from her knowledge and perspective.  Instruction design is a field that applies systematic approaches to planning education. Lots has been written about its use in a wide variety of fields, from K-12 education to higher education, corporate training and even the US military. In this new series - Better Childbirth Education by Design, Andrea will introduce readers to a very common model of instructional design, called ADDIE, and demonstrate how you can use this process to create and refine your childbirth classes. Today Andrea discusses how to do a 360 analysis of your childbirth education program.  Follow along on the entire series here. - Sharon Muza, Connecting the Dots Community Manager

The first thing you should do when you start planning a new class offering or updating a previous one is to take some time and think about what you have to work with, so that any plans you make will work well. 

First and foremost, think about the people you will serve, and do some analysis about them: 

Learner Analysis – Think about the people who will be coming. What is their average age, what characteristics do they share? What is the average literacy level? 

Over time, this changes, so you will need to do this analysis periodically. The learners I taught when I first started out in 1997 do not have the same characteristics of the learners of 2020! Learners today come with a lot more knowledge from online learning and engagement – and not all of it is correct!  If I were still teaching for the students of 1997, I would not be effectively reaching the students of today.

Needs Assessment – What do the students want to learn when they come to your classes? Look at what the families you serve want to know from classes, look at what their current knowledge is and identify gaps. If your class will be tailored to the needs of a particular group (single parents, parents expecting multiples, etc.) make sure you clearly spell out why that group needs or would benefit from a class tailored to them.

Then take the time to analyze the situation you will be teaching in: 

Context Analysis – If you are teaching in person, consider the room size, the furniture available, storage space for teaching materials, and audio/visual equipment available. For online classes, consider the equipment you have available as well as what your students might have. While you may have a full computer and nice webcam/microphone, some of your students might only have their phones to use to attend your classes. Make sure you are familiar with the features and difference between the desktop and app versions of your online teaching platform. Some cannot do video well. Some allow you to use a virtual background, some do not. 

Budget – If you are teaching for a hospital or other organization, you may not have any control over this. If you are your own business, you can consider and set a budget. Make sure you include in your budget any annual expenses and updating as well as expenses for each class. Look at the market in your area for childbirth classes and decide what you will charge. 

Taking the time to do a thorough analysis so that you can thoroughly understand your audience and the situation you are teaching in can go a long way towards laying a foundation for success.

About Andrea Lythgoe

Andrea Lythgoe, LCCE is a childbirth educator and doula with over 20 years of experience helping families as they move through pregnancy and birth. She is also the author of UnderstandingResearch.com, the place for birth professionals to learn how to find and read research. Recently, she has gone back to school to study instructional design and strengthen her skills. You can find Andrea at andrealythgoe.com

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