Cluster Analysis Applied to the Validation of Course Objectives

This paper describes the use of cluster analysis to aid in empirically validating the course objectives of an industrial training curriculum. For instance, clusters of basic training needs were found and compared against existing course contents. Two major findings emerged from the data analysis: the discovery of an important job activity missing from the curriculum and the identification of sizeable groups of workers with distinctly different training needs. Considerable attention is also devoted to the statistical aspects of clustering which were important in obtaining these results.