#taskanalysis

Triveni Goswami Vernal Registered Special Educator (CRR: A64010) In the previous blogs, I touched upon the importance of an IEP and the identification of the Goals required to teach a concept or a skill, to an individual with additional needs. Today’s blog will look at Task Analysis, a strategy that is often used to teach a skill, by breaking it down to bite sized pieces. Task Analysis is a…

Task of the week: To create our product requirements document which also includes stakeholder personas, user narratives and task analysis.

We began with brainstorming requirements as a group. We considered the numerous functionalities our product should be required to have in order to obtain a minimum viable product.

We also thought about the personas of our users and how they may interact with our product through narratives. 

The general term Task Analysis can be applied to a variety of techniques for identifying and understanding the structure, the flow, and the attributes of tasks. Task analysis identifies the actions and cognitive processes required for a user to complete a task or achieve a particular goal.

Some of the outputs of a task analysis include:

A detailed description of physical, perceptual, and cognitive activities involved with each task

Task duration and variability

Task frequency

Task sequence

Task allocation

Task complexity

Environmental conditions

Data and information dependencies

Tools required for the task

User skills, education, and training

Quite a useful site, a little out of date, but valid

The Task

Your mum has requested that you help to prepare a simple nutritious dish (main course, accompaniment, dessert, snack etc.) for both your younger sister and you. She has given you $10 to purchase the ingredients at the neighbourhood supermarket. Plan you lunch menu, taking into account the given budget. Explain you choice of ingredients used and the dish you have decided to cook.

The task states that I will have to prepare a dish for two. It should be simple & easy to prepare and should be nutritious and healthy. I can do so by modifying a recipe. The dish should have less fat, sugar and salt. While doing so, I have to keep in mind the budget of $10. The ingredients needed should be easily available and purchasable at the local supermarket.

Key phrases:

A simple nutritious dish

→ One dish only and should be completed within one hour, including the cleaning up. It should be healthy.

A nutritious dish is a dish that contains all the vitamins and nutrients you need. Carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals. 

There are many ways to make a dish nutritious. The ideal thing is to include fresh ingredients, for example fresh vegetables, chicken or fruits. Compared to processed food which are high in saturated fat and in sodium/ sugar. I can also choose to use healthier forms of oil such as olive oil. This plant oil is one of the few widely used culinary oils that contains about 75% of its fat in the form of oleic acid (a monounsaturated, omega-9 fatty acid). Intake of olive oil's monounsaturated fat content has been linked to decreased blood pressure. I also have to keep in mind the Healthier Methods of Cooking. For example, boiling, baking, grilling as compared to deep-frying. 

Younger sister

→ Have to consider the profile of sister. 

Allergies, likes & dislikes, BMI and I will have to find a suitable recipe to fit her RDA. I also have to consider her appetite. If my sister is a picky eater, I will then have to find ways to make the dish more appealing and appetising. 

$10 budget

→ The amount spent should not exceed $10, which should be manageable as most ingredients are cheap and easily available. 

When purchasing ingredients, I will have to keep in mind the budget and not buy ingredients in bulk. The ingredients should also be easily found at any local supermarket, not expensive and hard to find in Singapore. The aim of this task is to learn how to prepare a simple one dish meal and a nutritious meal does not have to be elaborate. It is important to check the expiry date of the ingredients too. I can also use cheaper alternatives. For example, if a recipe calls for Greek yoghurt which I know is much more expensive, I can choose to use regular low-fat yoghurt instead to cut down on the cost. 

Choice of ingredients

→ Such as opting for butter instead of oil, replacing/ reducing sugar or any other ingredient and WHY.

I will have to take each ingredient into consideration and find out if there is any way to substitute or reduce the less healthy ingredients. For example, I can reduce the butter by half and substitute with half yoghurt. If I am using fruits, I can reduce the sugar as fruits are natural sweeteners. Before modifying the recipe, I will have to evaluate carefully and look for healthier options. 

The dish you have decided to cook

→ Will it be a main course, accompaniment, dessert, snack etc.

I have to see which dish is suitable for my sister’s palate. If she has a small appetite, a main dish would probably be too much for her. If she likes sweet things, a dessert would probably be more suitable. To make dishes more appetising, I can make use of fruits or vegetables to add colour. The presentation is also very important as the look will give a first impression of the meal. If suitable, I can also serve it with a sauce to enhance the taste and overall appearance. 

Sister’s Profile

My sister is 11 and has no allergy. She has a sweet tooth and enjoys eating food such as cookies and cakes for dessert and snack, but also keeps in mind to have a balanced meal by having 50% fibre, 25% carbohydrate and 25% fat in her plate. However, she exercises regularly by swimming 3 times a week. Hence, she is able to maintain a healthy body.

Her height is 145cm and her weight is 36kg. Her BMI is 17.1, which is underweight. Thus, it is important that she have a balanced diet to maintain a healthy body.

Her RDA (recommended daily allowance) is as follows:

Protein: 51g

Iron: 7mg

Vitamin A: 575mcg

Vitamin D: 2.5mcg

Thiamine: 0.78mg

Riboflavin: 1.17mg

Niacin: 12.9mg

Vitamin B12: 1.8mcg

Vitamin B6: 1.0mcg

Ascorbic Acid: 65mcg