Analysis
Your planning decisions in this stage are most important and have a great influence on the final product! This initial stage takes place only once at the beginning of the design process. Therefore, it is recommended that you devote a significant time and thought to this stage.

The analysis document for your learning environment includes two main parts: needs analysis and content analysis. Don't forget to save from time to time!  When you are ready to share this documents with others please mark the "Share Project" checkbox and save again.

Project name
The name of your project should be short and clear. Choose a name which reflects the content and goals of the learning environment you plan to design.

Target audience and context
it is essential to define your target audience in order to understand their needs. Think about the following: age, background, previous experience, and the context of use of your learning environment. Ask yourself: Which part of learning will take place in class? At home? Will students work individually? In pairs? in groups?)

Challenge
Try to think of a learning situation that you experienced as a student / teacher / researcher, some experience that you identified as a challenge that could be better solved with educational technologies. The challenge could involve instruction or learning of complex contents or developing skills that students tend to find difficult. (At this stage, we will focus on the problem/challenge and not on the solution. However, it is a good idea to begin to think about ways in which technology can help to overcome challenges.)

Goals
After defining the challenge, try to briefly describe your learning environment. Think about the learning goals. How could your learning environment be integrated in an existing curriculum? What do you expect your students to know at the end of their learning process?

Content Analysis
It is essential that you begin with a deep understanding of the content subject matter. You must focus on content analysis. Identify relevant information resources that will assist you in understanding your subject matter. Be sure to know the connections between the different issues, the hierarchy and the way the contents are linked. At this stage, we recommend that you create a content map or a rough outline of the content and learning sequence you envision. You can draw this map in a different software and add the file as an attachment this document to this field (Alternatively, you can create an organized list of contents).

What already exists
Before starting the design process it is important to learn from other designers. It is recommended to become acquainted with existing learning environments and features for the same subject matter.  You can learn a lot from experiences of other designers. 

Two suggestions for review:

1. Search the internet for learning environments related to the same content. Focus on the uniqueness of your environment (Please conduct a short, but focused, browsing session!).

2. Look for ideas captured in the design principles database. In order to find features related to your subject (i.e. same contents, learning methods, same challenge.), click on Relate features to project. You will get a list of all the features that exist in the database and will be able to browse for the desirable features in the following ways:

Using search: The search function enables you to locate features by conducting keyword or key phrase searches.

Using filters:  Filters enable you to refine your search by category, subject, or grade level.

Mark the features which appear to be useful for your project and click Add to import them to your e-notebook.

Use the text field next to each feature to write your ideas about the feature's connection to your project.

Peer feedback
Give feedback to and receive feedback from other peer groups (according to course instructor's directives). The intent here is to allow people outside a design team to examine products, ask questions, and help to understand points which might not be noticed by an insider. You will review your peers' products and provide feedback. You will also be expected to present your design team's products to be reviewed at various points in the process. This review occurs midway in the development process, therefore it is not necessary to present finished products for review.  However, it is important to present your ideas and materials as clearly as possible in order to enable others to give meaningful feedback.

The time planned for group feedback is 30 minutes.  During the first 10 minutes, each group will examine a second group' s artifacts and give feedback using the "Add Notes" tool.  Dialog between two groups will be held, based on the feedback received (10 minutes for each group).  Additional notes may be added at this time to document point which we were raised in the discussion.  The notes can be used later for editing and improving your project.