Page 46 - Making Instruction Work

chap 4 3/4/97 4:56 PM Page 34

34 making instruction work

7. Has the problem been sufficiently solved as a result of the
previous step? If so, stop. If not, find out what happens to
the performers when they do it right and when they do it
wrong. Explore the consequences to the performers for
desired and undesired performance. Answer these ques-
tions:

a. What happens to them when they do it right?

b. What happens to them when they do it wrong?

c. Are there any consequences at all for performing
in the expected way?

NOTE: These questions precede the next step
because consequences are almost always in need of
adjustment and therefore almost always suggest
actions that will solve the problem without the
need for more analysis.

8. If the problem is sufficiently solved as a result of adjusting
consequences, test your solution(s) and devise an action
plan. If not, determine whether the performance discrep-
ancy is a genuine skill deficiency. Answer the question,
“Could they do it if their very lives depended on it?” In
other words, could they do it if they really had to?

9. If they could, it’s not a skill deficiency, so you know that
instruction will not solve the problem. You’ve already
eliminated the high-probability causes of the problem;
now you need to sort among the remaining causes.

10. Answer the question,“Did they ever know how to perform
as expected?”