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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:

Hi Lisa: You did a great job addressing the issues I noted in your previous submission. Your instructional goals are specific and measureable. I think you have demonstrated how to write instructional goals that address instructional problems. Dr. Law. Hi Lisa: Overall, I think you did a very good job on this activity. There are a few things that I think need to be addressed. Please resubmit this and I will provide feedback again. 1. Put more specific emphasis on the lack of skills in performing online searches (use of key words, boolean operators, types of publications selected, etc.). 2. Instructional Goal Media specialists and classroom teachers will have the tools to effectively teach students with varying ability levels and motivation how to locate, evaluate, and use online research resources. This statement does not really specify the instruction that will be implemented to improve the problem. Are you going to implement a student course and a teacher companion guide to improve the students knowledge about finding effective sites and how to use the search engines? Will the teachers receive training on how to provide effective coaching to students while they are conducting search queries online? 3. Typos - I noticed 2-3 typos in the text.

 

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:

Public high school media centers and computer labs.

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:

Public high school media centers and computer labs are found in high schools maintained by county or city schools systems. These systems are also under the governance of the Georgia Department of Education and the State of Georgia. Within each public high school media center there are audio-visual hardware, computers and computer-related resources (word processing programs, online resources, educational games), print media, audio/video media, media specialists, and faculty and students with research goals.

The instructor's feedback to step 1:

No specific feedback given on this step.

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:

Research strategies used by high school students are usually haphazard and lack organization. The credibility of sources used by students is sometimes questionable. Students are often in a hurry to complete the assignments. Grades on research projects tend to be low. Computer access by some students is limited.

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:

The quality of research projects is affected by the quality of the research done by students. If high school students are unable to locate, evaluate, and utilize online resources, then the quality of their research projects will be minimal.

The instructor's feedback to step 2:

No specific feedback given on this step.

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:

High school media specialists and classroom teachers do not adequately instruct high school students on how to effectively locate, evaluate, and use online resources for research purposes.

The instructor's feedback to step 3:

No specific feedback given on this step.

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. Conduct a pretest and a post-test of understanding of students regarding online resources 2. Gather a random sample of student research projects (all grade levels, all subjects) 3. Observe and conduct a written survey of students involved in research in media enters and computer labs 4. Conduct a written survey of teachers

Your final response:

1 & 3. Student knowledge of online resources 2 & 4. The reasons for and the average amount of point deductions on research projects 3 & 4. The nature of questions/problems students have while in the process of online research

Your final response:

1. Not all students have access to computers outside of school (expressed) 2. Students do not function at the same ability level (normative) 3. Students have varying degrees of motivation to do the work (comparative) 4. Students give inaccurate information in research projects (normative)

*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:

No specific feedback given on this step.

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. (4) Students give inaccurate information in research projects (normative) 2. (3) Students have varying degrees of motivation to do the work (comparative) 3. (2) Students do not function at the same ability level (normative) 4. (1) Not all students have access to computers outside of school (expressed)

Your final response:

A student's first attempt at research is to often enter a broad topic in an online search engine and only use the first 5-10 "hits" returned. This haphazard attempt at research is not only attributable to lack of research skills, but also the result of poor motivation or a "just-get-it-done" attitude. Students also have difficulty discerning legitimate websites versus those whose sole purpose is to advertise or offer a strong bias. Every student has his cognitive limitations, some more profound than others. These limitations can often affect a student's ability to creatively think about and expand the research. Although the public school system cannot assure that every student has access to a computer at home, it can extend media center and computer lab hours to include time before and after school to allow students the opportunity to use computers for research purposes.

The instructor's feedback to step 5:

No specific feedback given on this step.

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:

High school media specialists and classroom teachers do not adequately instruct high school students with varying ability levels and motivation to effectively locate, evaluate, and use online resources for research purposes.

The instructor's feedback to step 6:

No specific feedback given on this step.

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. Media specialists and classroom teachers will have the tools to effectively teach students with varying ability levels and motivation how to locate, evaluate, and use online research resources.

 

Your final response:

The instructional goal directly addresses the problem statement.

The instructor's feedback to step 7:

No specific feedback given on this step.