Needs Analysis: Type of Need (2024)

The type of need identified in a needs analysis may be one of six types ofeducational needs (Burton & Merrill, 1991):

Normative need - A normative need exists when an individual or grouphas a deficiency, fall below the norm or expectation of some established group.For example, students in a schoolscore below national average

Felt need - This need is present when someone feels that it ought tobe done or an individual desire toimprove. Warning: ID should be aware of needs that are motivated by a desireother than performance improvement. For example, a supervisor feels asensitivity training program would be useful to encourage workers collaboratemore or a parents of elementary school children feel their children needcomputer literacy skills

Expressed need or demand - A felt need becomes an expressed need whenpeople put what they want into actions; there is more need than there is asupply. For example, 300 studentsshow up for Introduction to Biology at 8am and the room contains 100 chairs

Comparative need - A comparative need is present when two groups withsimilar characteristics do not receive a similar services or products. Adiscrepancy exists between two groups. For example, one high school has a stateof the arc computer laboratory andevery other high school in the district does not.

Anticipated or future needs - This need is concerned with "whatwill be" rather than "what is". A discrepancy between what iscurrently available and the what is projected as a future demand. Identifyingsuch needs should be part of any planned change so training can be designedprior to implementation of the change. For example, a school principal andsupervisors might decide to implement a new instructional technology next year.An anticipated need is the knowledge teachers require to use the technologyeffectively in a classroom.

Critical-incident need - Criticalincident needs are identified by analyzing potential problems and emerge whenfailures have significant consequences happen. For example, shootings inColumbine High and other schools prompted needs for security measures to betaken in public schools.