Personas
What is a Persona?
Before you begin to outline your textbook, you may want to start by developing one or more personas that detail who the intended audiences of your textbook are. For example, is your intended audience first-year undergraduate students or students working on their Ph.D.? These two audiences require a very different approach.
To develop a persona, start with your broadest audience (e.g., undergraduates) and then focus on the common characteristics of this audience. Information about a persona might include:
- A name.
- An age.
- Where is this person from? (e.g., an International student?)
- Major/minor of the person.
- Status (1st year, 2nd year, etc.)
- Is this person an online student or on-campus student?
- Is this person first-generation?
- What is this person’s first language?
- What is this person’s high school GPA?
- What is this person’s college GPA (if applicable)
- What is this person’s reading level?
- How many hours is this student working?
- How many credits has this student earned?
- Which class is this student taking?
- What has the student taken before (what is the student’s academic background. What prerequisites has the student fulfilled)?
- What should the student already know before reading this textbook?
- In regards to this course, what motivates this student?
- In regards to this course, what causes this student anxiety?
- What are this student’s immediate goals in this course?
- What are this student’s long-term goals?
You may have several personas for one textbook. For example, you may have one for a domestic undergraduate student, an International undergraduate, a student from an underrepresented group, and one for the intended instructor of the course.
Sample Persona 1 – Domestic undergraduate
Course: BIO 201
Name: Elise
Age: 20
Residency: USA
Major/minor: Life Sciences; Biology/Biochemistry major
Status: Sophmore
Online or on-campus? On-campus
1st generation? No
First language: English
High School GPA: 3.5
College GPA: 3.0
Reading level: Intermediate
Hours working: 10-20/week
Credits taking this term: 12
Prerequisites: BIO 101, BIO 102, high school biology
Background knowledge: Took biology 101 and 102 at a community college using the OpenStax biology textbook. Should be able to explain basic biological concepts such as ….
Motivators & Anxieties: Wants to pass the course with a good grade; was a good student in H.S. but university has been a bit of a shock; striving for a life sciences degree; very concerned about course performance, worried about an exam that is not multiple-choice; excited by course content; genuinely interested; first-time taking working and going to school, worried about having enough time to do the homework and study; has purchased the textbook but it was a big expense…
Immediate goals: Pass the class with a good grade; get a solid background in biology; easy access to the course materials
Long-term goals: Medical school
