Target Selection and Task Analysis:

In what contexts does the student need to display this skill, now and in the future?

Identifying references is a skill necessary beyond job-acquisition and is a common requirement when applying for academic and volunteer opportunities, housing, or even pet adoption. Furthermore, when you consider that identifying a reference requires that the student accurately decipher how another person perceives him or her, this skill has far-reaching implications within the realm of social perception and social communication.

How can you break this skill down into segments (i.e. task analyze the skill)?

A student who has never used references may need to start with exploring previous work, volunteer, academic, or other experiences from which references may be identified.  She will then need to understand the characteristics of a “good reference” and consider individuals who match the criteria.  The steps for identifying references can involve:

1. Clearly define “reference,” and explain the rational of identifying them. 
   
   
2. List previous activities/experiences including classroom and academic experiences, school and community-based extracurricular activities, clubs/organizations, and volunteer and employed positions. Some students may not have any work-related experiences that would yield professional references.  For these individuals, it will be necessary to focus on their school-based experiences (coursework in core or elective classes, extracurricular involvement).
   
   
3. Define the characteristics of a “good reference” in terms that the student will understand. 
   
   
   • Is this person an adult?
   • Is this person a “supervisor” - a teacher, a school administrator, a boss, a coach, a club sponsor, a tutor, etc.)?
   • Has the adult supervised me in a work or volunteer situation?  Or,
   • Has the adult supervised me in a school situation (academics, electives, extracurricular)?
   • Has this person seen my work over a period of time (e.g. at least 3 months)?
   • Furthermore, has this person seen my work recently (e.g. within the last three years)? 
   • Can this person say positive things about the work I have done for them?  Did I do good work for them (i.e. make good grades, show my skills or talents, follow rules)?
   • Can this person say something positive about how I would do in the position to which I am applying?
     
     
   All of these questions (and perhaps additional concrete questions that you individually tailor) guide the student in making more accurate judgments about the “type” and “quality” of his relationship with the potential reference.  These questions are designed to promote attribution and perspective taking skills with which so many individuals struggle. 
   
   
4. Identify individuals from the previous experiences who match the criteria of a “good reference.”
   
   
5. Examine the actual position, or type of position (e.g. paid employment in a particular field, post-secondary admission) and then help the student to further narrow down his list to the people who are the “best reference(s)” to approach for that position. 
   
   Again, it will be important to use concrete questions to guide this decision (e.g. If I am applying to a college or university, is this person a teacher, tutor, or school administrator?).

What sub-skill should you target first for the student to initiate? Given what the student can do presently, how will you present the task so that the student can perform steps within his capacity while learning a new step?