KASA (knowledge, attitude, skill & aspiration)
|
| Knowledge: | The increase in awareness, understanding, and problem solving capacity needed to effect the practices or behaviors targeted previously. The hierarchy assumes that knowledge increases before changes in practices or behaviors. |
| Attitudes: | The outlooks, perspectives, viewpoints, or opinions needed to effect the practices or behaviors targeted previously. The hierarchy assumes that attitudes influence better practices or behaviors. While attitudes tend to change slowly, opinions or viewpoints may shift prior to practice or behavior change. |
| Skills: | The verbal or physical abilities that need to develop or improve relative to the practices or behaviors targeted previously. The hierarchy assumes that skill development may be necessary to fully implement certain practices or behaviors. While it is possible to identify some skill development during an educational process, skills will generally develop and improve following the educational process. |
| Aspirations: | The ambitions, hopes or desires that are needed to effect the targeted practices. The hierarchy assumes that people must desire to change before there will be any meaningful practice or behavior change. |
On the program development side, KASAs are needed to effect behavior or practice changes that are identified. Needs can be assessed to identify baseline KASAs and the type and extent of programming needed to produce changes. Once these targets are established, agencies and organizations can establish appropriate programs.
KASA targets are measurable learning intended to be reached in a defined period of time. They are identified by comparing desired KASA outcomes with the current ( baseline) KASAs. This comparison identifies gaps between "what is" and "what should be." These gaps help define KASA targets for the cooperating agencies and organizations.
Program outcomes can then be assessed by determining how well the KASA targets are reached. Often knowledge gain can be assessed as part of an educational activity. Attitudes generally change slowly and require lengthy time-frames to assess changes; however, opinions contribute to attitude change and tend to shift prior to attitude change. While skills can be practiced during an educational program for some immediate observations, the evaluation of skills is more meaningful after they have been applied in real life situations. Assessing aspirations immediately after program implementation helps anticipate possible outcomes at the practice level.
Program development questions at the KASA level:
1. KASA(s) of:
| individuals? | |
| families? | |
| communities? | |
| agencies or organizations? |
2. In order for individuals, families, communities, broader groups, and/or
organizations to adopt targeted practices or behaviors, what KASAs are needed,
and by when should they be achieved? What
| new knowledge is needed? | |
| attitudes need to be altered? | |
| skills need to be developed or improved? | |
| aspirations need to be developed? |
3. Do you need to assess further current KASA to identify gaps between "what is" and "what should be"?
| If no, | go to #4 | ||||||||
| If yes, | answer the following questions on the worksheet below.
|
Worksheet for needs assessment at the KASA level
| Specific information needed | Data collection method(s) | Date(s) for data collection | Data source(s) |
|
|
Outcome evaluation questions at the KASA level:
| If no, | go to the "Reactions" level | ||||||||||
| If yes, |
answer the following questions on the worksheet below.
|
Worksheet for identifying outcomes at the KASA level
|
Outcomes | Indicators | Data collection method(s) | Date(s) for data collection | Data source(s) |
|
|
| Return to Introduction to Application Section | |
| Return to Questions for Level 2 |
