Instructors must have great insight into psychological and emotional makeup of learners. They must look beyond the surfaces of issues.

You might want to consider the ethics of what you are trying to do. It sounds to me that you want to know too much about students 'psychological and emotional makeup' for no really good reason, or at least the reasons are not stated. For example, are you trying to connect with students' 'learning styles' following the ideas of Howard Gardner? I always have confidence in students: if the teacher is prepared to 'look beyond the surface of issues' then that opens the door for students regarding educational content. Of course, the student might not wish to go through the door.

Yes. The educator can observe students informally in different situations and settings or create the space for students to be creative thru innovative projects outside of the classroom. Most times the latter reveals hidden talents and awareness of students. One such discovery for me was in a Occupational Analysis course in which I had students engage in team debate on a course related topic. I was amazed of the passion with which the students engaged their opponents and the extent to which they researched to rebut their arguments. Here's an example of what students in another online course did with much success:

Conference Paper Debating: A Dynamic Teaching Strategy for Motivating Student...

Best regards,

Debra

Master, thank you.

You must do a thorough analysis of your learners background

Agree with Dr Glenn and Dickson