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Instructional Design Activity: Needs Analysis

 

Overall Instructor Rating: Exemplary

Ratings explanation:

  • Exemplary - A model answer in almost every way (this is given out very rarely).
  • Satisfactory - Very well done; you've met the expectations of the assignment. There are some minor problems, so read my feedback well.
  • Marginal Pass - You pass, but there are lots of issues to consider. Read my feedback very carefully and be sure you understand the points/issues I raise.
  • Not satisfactory, redo and resubmit - The assignment was not completed appropriately. I am concerned that you do not understand the process well enough yet. To get credit for the assignment, you need to redo it, most probably on another topic. Read and consider my feedback very carefully before redoing.

Instructor's Overall Feedback:

Excellent job. It is clear this is an issue that you are very concerned about and interested in at this moment (good choice for an IDA!). I'm quite impressed with how thoroughly you've thought through many of the issues.

 

1. Preliminary: Describe the context within which this potential instructional problem takes place. This will pinpoint where the problem is located. If instruction is deemed necessary, this will be the place where it will be designed and implemented.

a. List the context, also known as the "system of interest".

Your final response:

Integration of Technology at Wesleyan School

b. Describe or show how the context relates to the bigger environment. Show how this context relates to other levels of the system within which it works.

Your final response:

To facilitate the integration of technology at Wesleyan School, The Georgia Technology Certification Course will be offered to all certified teachers at Wesleyan School, which is a private K-12 college-prep school. Within the course there are a variety of presentation and participation modules, electronic communication (email), resources (computers, projectors in every classroom, scanners, digital cameras, Internet, Georgia Professional Standards list of technology standards), class materials and handouts, one instructor, and participants with low level technology skills who are motivated by the state mandate.

The instructor's feedback to step 1:

Excellent

2. Symptoms of a problem. Write a brief description of some symptoms that make you stop and wonder if something is wrong.

Your final response:

Teachers know they must have technology certification by 2006 but are reluctant to go outside our system for training. Teachers are unable to easily integrate technology in classroom and use technology in their classrooms most often for administrative purposes. They don't have the skills and don't use their imagination to create ways to integrate. The teachers complain of not having the time to learn technology.

Using the evidence cited above, describe why you believe that these symptoms signal a problem. Keeping these questions in mind, describe the reasons for identifying these symptoms as problematic.

Your final response:

If teachers are unable to integrate technology, it is likely they are missing opportunities to fully engage their students and keep up with the times. If teachers don't understand the potential of technology tools it is likely they will not use the tools appropriately. The students are not being fully prepared for their higher education when the use of technology is not part of their everyday education experience.

The instructor's feedback to step 2:

Excellent

3. Preliminary Problem Statement. Based on 1 and 2, write a preliminary draft problem statement. Your context should be the subject of the statement. This is just the initial pass -- the statement will be revised in subsequent steps.

Your final response:

Wesleyan School does not adequately model technology integration for our teachers and therefore impedes the likelihood of success in this area. Teachers would benefit from technology integration staff development classes and presentations showcasing successful integration by peers.

The instructor's feedback to step 3:

Good

4. Verify the problem and determine specific needs. Two things will now happen concurrently. First, you need a systematic procedure to identify and collect data in order to verify that a problem exists. Second, you must identify information that the data sources may help uncover.

 

Data sources (who, what)

Information gathered

What did you find? (Needs)*

Example: Interview participants in course; administer class survey; administer test of understanding.

Example: Participant opinions on IDAs and course; Participant score on test.

Example: Participants believe there is too much jargon (felt need); Participants don't understand ID vocabulary as compared to other classes (comparative need); Participants don't score above national average (comparative need); Participants don't/couldn't see the relation between their work and the ID process)

Your final response:

1. Interview teachers on use of technology in classroom. 2. Survey teachers and students 3. Administer minimum standards test to all teachers. 4. Teachers submit examples of how they use technology in the classroom.

Your final response:

1. Teacher statements 2. Survey results 3. Test results 4. Teacher examples

Your final response:

1. Teachers believe they don't need to use technology (felt need); Teachers don't understand the benefit of using technology for the writing process versus doing it the way they have always taught the writing process (comparative need); Most teachers prefer to use technology for presentations and not as a tool for the students. (Normative need?) 2. Students (95%) want teachers to use technology 3-4 times a week in their classes. Eighty five percent of students say they prefer project based learning vs. twenty five percent of teachers. Teachers say using technology takes too much time. Only 10% use electronic interactive tools sporadically. None of our teachers have a webpage. 3. Seventy five percent of teachers have basic computer skills (can use WP, PPT, Excel, Outlook for administrative purposes). 4. Out of 35 certified teachers only 2 people submitted examples of integration.

*Note: You are not required to gather data; you can draw on your experience or imagination to list the data you might gather.

The instructor's feedback to step 4:

Good

5. Prioritize your list of needs.Which are most important? Why are they most important?

Prioritized needs

Reasons/evidence for priority

Your final response:

1. Theory behind integration - why necessary 2. 100% of teachers have mid-level technology skills 3. Provide good/bad examples of integration 4. Provide time for practice

Your final response:

1. Teachers need to believe that technology can enhance student learning. 2. Help teachers build confidence in using various mediums. 3. Make it clear what constitutes a good versus bad use of technology in the classroom. 4. Give them plenty of time to experiment with technology individually as well as with a buddy or in a small group. Let them practice troubleshooting etc.

The instructor's feedback to step 5:

Good

6. Rewrite your problem statement. Take a moment to look carefully at the initial problem statement that you wrote. Revisit your prioritized needs and check if your problem statement is still accurate and appropriate.

Rewrite the problem statement here:

Your final response:

The integration of technology at Wesleyan School is not widespread because the teachers lack knowledge of how to integrate technology into the classroom.

The instructor's feedback to step 6:

Good

7. Identify the instructional goals. The last step in Needs Assessment is to list a few goals of instruction. Remember, not all goals can be solved through instruction. The instructional goals you identify will be the starting information for the next steps in the instructional design process. List the instructional goals in order of priority.

 

Instructional goals by priority

Reasons for importance

Your final response:

1. Vocabulary and troubleshooting skills 2. Research skills 3. Use technology to teach the writing process

 

Your final response:

1. Teachers are intimidated by the hardware and use of unfamiliar terms. 2. Teachers must be able to locate and evaluate materials on a daily basis. 3. Improving student writing abilities is our top SACS schoolwide goal. By beginning with basic terminology and troubleshooting the base can be established to work from. From there I would move onto researching because that is something every teacher does routinely, but probably are not exploiting the use of technology. This will give them incentive to use. Lastly, we will apply the newly learned skills and provide much practice time with collaboration built in. This way, they will see they are not alone in the world of technology!

The instructor's feedback to step 7:

Hmm, this is a kind of a disconnect. They do not have knowledge of models so the goal is to get them smart on software skills?