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Instructional Design Activity: Needs Analysis

 

Overall Instructor Rating: Satisfactory

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:

You did a good job here. You seem to understand the process well. Take a look at my feedback below.

 

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:

South Gwinnett High 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:

  • Colleges and Universities
  • U.S. Department of Education
  • Gwinnett County Board of Education
  • South Gwinnett High School
  • Gwinnett County Middle School
  • School Support Staff
  • Parents/Guardians
  • Teachers/Administrators
  • Business/Industry
  • Community

The instructor's feedback to step 1:

Good

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:

  1. Students taking Gifted/Honors Algebra II are lacking prerequisite Algebra I material neccesary to be successful in the course.
  2. Increasing number of students unnecessarily dropping out of the Gifted Math program into College Prep level courses because they are struggling for the first time.
  3. Increasing number of disgruntled parents.
  4. Decreasing number of students in 11th and 12th grade honors math courses.

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:

  1. If students aren't given the foundation material to be successful in Gifted/Honors Algebra II, they may drop down to College Prep level courses and not fully utilize their giftedness.
  2. If students aren't sufficiently challenged in their coursework, they may become discipline problems or develop self-esteem issues.
  3. Students not taking the upper level mathematics courses may be limiting their choices in terms of colleges/universities.

The instructor's feedback to step 2:

Good

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:

The 8th grade Algebra I curriculum does not adequately prepare its students for gifted/honors mathematics coursework in South Gwinnett High School.

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:

a) Survey of parental concern.

b) High school Algebra I final exam given to incoming 8th grade honor students.

c) Copies of the 8th grade and 9th grade Algebra I AKS (Academic Knowledge and Skills)

d)Survey of high school mathematics teachers.

Your final response:

a) Parents are very concerned that their children are no longer receiving 'A's in math. They want to know what happened from 8th grade to the 9th grade.

b) In the past two years, only 53% of the entering 9th graders who have taken (and passed) Algebra I in the 8th grade got a passing grade (>70%) on the high school Algebra I final exam.

c) The AKS for 8th grade Honors Algebra I has 8 fewer learning objectives than does the 9th grade College Prep Algebra I AKS.

d) 92% of the mathematics teachers at South Gwinnett High School felt that their students were coming into high school ill-prepared for the courses at the gifted/honors level math courses.

Your final response:

a, b, c, d: Although the incoming 9th grade students are required to know the same material as the high school students, they're not taught the same material. (normative)

a, d: Parents and teachers felt that the curriculum for the 8th grade Honors Algebra I students should be the same as the 9th grade Algebra I curriculum. (felt/comparative)

c: There is a need that the two curricula for Honors Algebra I (8th grade) and College Prep Algebra I (9th grade) should be aligned. (expressed)

*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. The 8th grade Honors Algebra I curriculum should have the same learning objectives as the 9th grade College Prep Algebra I curriculum. (normative)
  2. The 8th grade Algebra I teachers should attend workshops/conferences to adequately prepare them to teach high school level coursework.
  3. If neither of the prior two steps are taken, the high school should offer a free summer Algebra I "boot-camp" to all incoming honors/gifted math students. (future/felt)
  4. If too many students drop out of the gifted program when they get into high school, the gifted program will lose funding and eventually disappear.
  5. If the students drop out of the gifted program, they might lower their Freshman Index, used to rate students applying for college.

Your final response:

Ultimately, our goal is to help the students be successful in their academic pursuits. Consequently, if the students are held responsible for the 9th grade College Prep Algebra I curriculum; then that should be the curriculum they are taught. As educators and members of the community, we should encourage our children to always strive to be life-long learners and always to challege themselves.

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 8th grade Honors Algebra I curriculum does not adequately prepare the students for high school math courses.

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. Hold a summer Staff Development for middle and high school mathematics teachers to help rewrite the curriculum for 8th grade Honors Algebra I.
  2. Offer a summer school course entitled "Algebra I Gone Wild!" designed to give incoming 9th graders an intensive review of the algebra skills necessary for the gifted/honors math courses at the high school level.
  3. Add a page to the high school website in the math department section that is a Powerpoint presentation or a Flash movie that reviews key algebra concepts.

 

Your final response:

The middle school and feeder high school have not been working as a team with the students' best interests in mind.

It makes sense that the high school would offer an intensive Algebra course geared toward filling the gap between the two curricula. In the long run, the high school mathematics teachers would benefit by having well-prepared students.

Many middle school parents peruse the high school website for upcoming functions and activities in the community.

The instructor's feedback to step 7:

Good though these are three possible solutions all which can be implemented though some will not . However, they ought to be goals like Gagne's type of knowledge and use verbs like generate and demonstrate.