The Analysis Hierarchy window is where you will build and maintain your job and task analysis. To get help on performing job and task related activities, select from one of the following "how to" topics. A "how to" topic contains step-by-step instructions on how to perform an activity in addition to tips and links to the "VISION Instructional Advisor" topics. For information on performing basic hierarchy operations, see Hierarchy Operations.
How to Create Objectives from Analysis Nodes
How to Consolidate Analysis Nodes into Objectives
Associated Links between Analysis and Objective Nodes
How to find Objective Linked to Analysis Nodes
How to Break Analysis-Objective Links
How to Create Objectives from Analysis Nodes
To create or edit an Objective Hierarchy from a Task Analysis:
1.On the Main Menu select Workbench, then Design Activities and choose the Objective Design activity.
1.If a window displaying Project Work Areas appears, select the work area that contains the task analysis data from which you want to make objectives. Then click the OK button.
a.You can also change projects from this display. This will be handy in the event that you logged into the wrong project and do not want to log out of it.
2.Expand the Analysis hierarchy (left window) and the Objective hierarchy (right window) in the areas in which you want to work.
3.Decide which node in the Objective hierarchy will be the target node, or the node under which you would like to create terminal or enabling objectives. You may want to create an organizational level or levels first to organize your terminal objectives.
4.Create terminal objectives first. Start by deciding which task analysis component(s) you will use as the basis for the terminal objective(s).
5. To create a terminal objective, drag the task analysis component (usually a task) and drop it on the target in the Objective Hierarchy. Make the appropriate choices in the Confirm Drop dialog for making a terminal objective.
6.Repeat the process until you have created all of the terminal objectives you want to work with at this time.
7.To create Enabling Objectives for the terminal objectives, start by selecting which terminal objectives for which you would first like to create an enabling objectives.
8.In the task analysis window, select one or more task analysis components that you wish to use as the basis for the direct enabling objectives under the terminal objectives you have in mind.
9. Drag the highlighted task analysis component(s) and drop them on the target terminal objective. Make the appropriate choices in the Confirm Drop dialog.
10.Repeat the process until every task analysis component that you wish to use as the basis of a direct enabling objectives has been converted to an enabling objectives.
11.Consolidate the remaining task analysis components into objectives, as appropriate. Drag the task analysis components to be consolidated and drop them on the objective that will contain the consolidated components. Make the appropriate choices in the Confirm Drop dialog.
12.Arrange the enabling objectives within the Objective hierarchy, if desired.
13. Add any new objectives to the Objective hierarchy, as required.
Terminal Objective
To make a Terminal Objective, these are appropriate selections in the Confirm Drop dialog:
•What would you like to do? Create objective(s)
•Create as? Last child
•What would you like to create? Terminal Objective (choose Performance or Cognitive)
Enabling Objective
To make an Enabling Objective, these are appropriate selections in the Confirm Drop dialog:
•What would you like to do? Create objective(s)
•Create as? Last child
•What would you like to create? Enabling Objective (choose Performance or Cognitive)
Add an Objective
Steps for Adding a New Objective Without Using Task Analysis:
1.Highlight the “target” objective. This is just the reference point for the next step.
2.Click the right mouse button to bring up the pop-up menu; then choose Insert, and select As Child, As Sibling Above, or As Sibling Below, as appropriate.
How to Consolidate Analysis Nodes into Objectives
To consolidate analysis items into an objective, follow these steps:
1.In the Analysis Hierarchy window, highlight the nodes that you want to consolidate.
2.Drag and drop the analysis nodes onto an objective in the Objective Hierarchy window.
3.In the Drop Confirm window, select the "Consolidate into objective" option and click the OK button.
Note: VISION will not allow an analysis item to be consolidated more than once, nor will it allow you to consolidate an analysis item that has already been made into an objective.
Tip: Use color attributes to identify those analysis items that have been made into objectives and those that have been consolidated.
Associated Links between Analysis and Objective Nodes
“Associated” links are indirect links that connect terminal objectives to tasks. When a task is linked to a terminal objective, VISION makes an associated link with all the objective’s children. When an objective is linked to an analysis item such as an Element or Skill/Knowledge, the objective will also be associated with the analysis node’s parent task.
How indirect links between Tasks and Objectives are made
For the most part, VISION will create these links automatically when you create objectives. VISION does not differentiate between any "strong" link between an analysis and an objective. Analysis items that are consolidated into or made directly into objectives are both strong links. Associated links are not as strong, but can still be inferred by the relationship between linked analysis and objective nodes.
You can also manually create an associated link between a task and objective in the analysis hierarchy by dragging the objective onto the analysis item. We recommend against doing this, but it is an option if you need to associate tasks to objectives that are otherwise unassociated.
Grades of Associated Links
Not all Associated Links are equal in strength. These links will be graded by the following metric:
•Grade 1 associated links occur when both the analysis and objective hierarchies support the indirect link.
•Grade 2 associated links occur between either one of the analysis or objective hierarchies supports the indirect link.
•Grade 3 associated links are those created manually, and would otherwise not occur between either the analysis or objective hierarchies because neither support the indirect link. These are the only associated links that can only be unlinked (deleted).
How to find Objective Linked to Analysis Nodes
Analysis items (usually tasks, elements and skills/knowledge) can either be made into or consolidated into an objective. To find the objective item that an analysis item is associated with, follow these steps:
1.In the Analysis Hierarchy window, select the item of interest.
2.Look in the objective links window, normally located below the hierarchy. The window title bar reads "Objectives Linked to Analysis".
a.If you don't see that window, then right-click on the analysis item, move the mouse to the sub-menu "View Links Windows", and check "Objective". (The same sub-menu also appears on the "View" menu on the main menu bar.)
3.If any objective is linked to the analysis item, it will be listed in the links window.
4.If you want to see where a linked objective resides in the Objective Hierarchy, then right-click on the objective and select "Go To Objective Hierarchy".
Tip: Use color attributes to identify those analysis items that have been made into objectives and those that have been consolidated.
How to Break Analysis-Objective Links
1.In a hierarchy window, select either of the linked items: analysis or objective.
2.In the appropriate links window (either objective or analysis), see the other item—the item it is linked to.
a.(The links windows are normally located below the hierarchy windows. If you don't see them, then click the View menu on VISION's main menu bar; go to the sub-menu "Links Windows"; and then check "Analysis" or "Objective".)
3.In the objective or analysis links window, right-click on the linked objective or analysis item, and from the popup menu choose "Unlink" or "Unlink and Move to Holding Bin."
See Also
