This lesson plan is designed to help participants understand the importance of carrying out ‘gap analysis when designing a training of trainers (ToT) course.
It’s based on the article Gap analysis for media training, which we recommend trainers read before adapting this lesson plan for your own purposes.
Learning objective
Students will evaluate the importance of gap analysis in designing a training of trainers (ToT) course for journalism. They will identify specific gaps between current and desired competencies of potential trainers to enhance training effectiveness.
- Student-facing objective: By the end of this lesson participants will understand why gap analysis is crucial for creating effective journalism training courses and how to spot the skills trainers need to improve.
- Standards: A trainer will learn the importance of carrying out gap analysis when designing a training of trainers (ToT) course.
Morning session: introduction and direct instruction
9:00 – 9:15 (15 mins): Warm-up: identifying missing skills
- Activity: Display a simple scenario: “A media company wants to improve its training programme for new journalists. They currently focus on print media but want to expand to digital platforms.”
- Focus: Ask students: “What skills might be missing in their current training?” Ask participants to think about the issue and jot down ideas. Then, have them share with a partner. Finally, ask a few students to share their thoughts with the class. Record key skills mentioned, such as digital literacy or social media proficiency, to set the stage for discussing gap analysis.
9:15 – 10:00 (45 mins): Direct instruction: introducing and defining gap analysis
- Activity: Introduce gap analysis as a method to identify the difference between current and desired competencies.
- Focus: Use the media company scenario from the warm-up to illustrate how gap analysis can pinpoint missing skills, such as digital literacy.
10:00 – 10:30 (30 mins): Identifying competencies and analysing gaps
- Activity: Explain how to assess current skills using methods like surveys, interviews, and skills assessments. Discuss how to define desired competencies (industry best practices, audience needs).
- Focus: Use the media company example to show how to identify gaps, such as the need for social media verification skills. Explain how to prioritise these gaps and develop targeted training interventions.
10:30 – 10:45 (15 mins): Morning break
10:45 – 11:45 (60 mins): Guided practice: think, pair, share
- Activity: Guide students through a structured discussion to deepen understanding of gap analysis.
- Think: Ask students to individually consider a scenario where a journalism ToT course lacks proficiency in data journalism. Have them think about how gap analysis could identify this need and suggest potential training interventions.
- Pair: Instruct students to pair up and discuss their thoughts.
- Share: Facilitate a class discussion where pairs share their insights. Record key points on the board, focusing on how gap analysis can lead to targeted training improvements.
- Connect: Highlight connections between students’ ideas and the broader importance of gap analysis in journalism training. Emphasise how addressing specific gaps enhances training effectiveness.
11:45 – 12:00 (15 mins): Reflect and consolidate
- Activity: Conclude with a brief reflection. Ask students to write down one new understanding they gained about gap analysis and its application in media training.
- Focus: Collect these reflections to assess comprehension.
12:00 – 1:00 (60 mins): Lunch break
1:00 – 2:15 (75 mins): Independent practice: case study exercise
- Activity: Provide students with a case study of a journalism ToT course. Ask them to conduct a gap analysis by identifying current and desired competencies. Have them list the gaps and propose targeted training interventions.
- Observation: Circulate the room to observe students’ progress. Offer guidance and feedback as needed to ensure understanding and correct application of gap analysis principles.
2:15 – 2:30 (15 mins): Break
2:30 – 3:30 (60 mins): Review and assignment discussion
- Activity: Review the findings from the independent practice. Facilitate a class discussion on the proposed training interventions, highlighting the difference between effective and ineffective solutions.
- Assignment Questions: Ask students these questions:
- What is one key benefit of using gap analysis in journalism training?
- How can identifying gaps between current and desired competencies improve a ToT course?
- What’s one question you still have from today’s lesson?
- Focus: Have students share their written answers to the assignment questions and discuss the suggested answers:
- Question 1: Gap analysis ensures training is relevant and impactful by focusing on specific needs.
- Question 2: It allows for targeted training interventions that address specific skill deficiencies.
3:30 – 4:30 (60 mins): Detailed final discussion: application and differentiation
- Activity: Facilitate a structured discussion covering the real-world application of gap analysis and address learner needs.
- Advanced learners: Encourage them to explore additional case studies or real-world examples of gap analysis in media training. Challenge them to identify potential gaps and propose innovative solutions. Allow them to present their findings to the class for peer feedback.
- Striving learners: Provide additional scaffolding by breaking down the gap analysis process into smaller, manageable steps. Use visual aids, such as flowcharts to illustrate the process. Pair them with peers for collaborative exercises to build confidence and understanding.
- Resource recommendation: Remind trainers of the recommended reading: This lesson plan is based on the article Gap analysis for media training, which we recommend trainers read before adapting this lesson plan for your own purposes.
4:30 – 5:00 (30 mins): Key takeaways and Q&A
- Activity: Summarise the key learning points of the day, focusing on the link between gap analysis and training effectiveness. Address any remaining questions from the “What’s one question you still have” assignment prompt.
- Lesson summary review: Review the full lesson structure: Warm-up, Direct instruction, Guided practice, Independent practice, Assignment, and Conclusion.
5:00: Lesson close
Related article
