Page 270 - Nutrition Counseling and Education Skills: A Guide for Professionals

may begin with a demonstration, but then the learner needs to practice the skill under supervision. “Coaching”
is a term that describes the assistance given to someone learning a new skill; it can apply to an educational
experience as well as a sport. Coaching suggests a one-on-one, continuous, supportive relationship from which
a person learns over time. It is perhaps the best method for on-the-job training of employees. After the
demonstration, the trainer can give encouragement, promote confidence, and offer guidance as the trainee
performs the task. Coaching takes into consideration different learning abilities and needs, allows actual
practice, and provides people with immediate feedback regarding their performance.13,16,17

Task Analysis

A task analysis is a written sequential list of the steps involved in performing any task from beginning to end
and includes the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed as well as the conditions under which it is performed
and the proper method of performance. Usually, the major steps are numbered, and each step describes what
to do. Many job-related tasks involve the psychomotor domain; thus, actions are listed in the analysis. It is
often necessary, however, to have some background knowledge from the cognitive domain in performing the
task. Balancing a checkbook, for example, is both a manual and an intellectual skill, as is operating a
computer.

After the sequential steps are listed, each one should be examined to see whether any explanations from the
cognitive domain need to be added. If step one, for example, is to plug in the meat slicer, a key point is to
have dry hands to avoid the danger of electrical shock. If a final step in the wait staff’s task analysis for bussing
dirty dishes includes washing hands, an explanation may be added regarding the transfer of microorganisms to
clean food and utensils. In food service, sanitation and safety statements are frequently needed. Other
explanations of reasons why a step is necessary or notes on materials or equipment may be important to add.
There are many ways to complete a task analysis.

Employees need to learn the skills related to their jobs, and clients may need to develop skills in menu
planning and food preparation using a new dietary regimen, such as sodium restriction. Regardless of the kind
of skill involved, the learner needs to be able to perform the skill initially and then to improve the skill
through continued practice. After grasping the basics of playing tennis, driving a car, or baking a cake, for
example, a person requires repeated experience to develop these skills.

If available, a job description may be used as a starting point in determining job content, but job
descriptions do not give information that is specific enough for determining the content of training. All the
tasks included in a job should be listed individually. If the job description is unavailable, it may be necessary to
interview employees or observe their work to determine the job content. Wait staff, for example, complete a
number of tasks during the day, such as greeting customers, taking their orders, placing orders in the kitchen,
serving the courses of the meal, bussing dishes, setting tables, receiving payment for services, and maintaining
good public relations. Each is a separate task making up the total job, and each task or set of actions can be
defined in task analyses.

Once it is written, the task analysis should be used by both the trainer and the trainee. The trainer may
examine the task analysis to construct learning objectives that describe the behavior expected at the end of
training. In assessing the person’s need for instruction, the gap representing the difference between the skill

270