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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 Roxy: Nice work on this assignment. I think you presented an interesting problem and good support for addressing it with instruction. Your instructional goals were well formulated. My only comment: do you think the students could be helped by learning better search methods using the suggested search engines? In other words, the quality of what you get back from a search is so dependent on the keywords and methods you use in the query. Just a thought. Dr. Law

 

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:

4th and 5th grade classes using the computer lab at Auburn Elementary School to access web-based information

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:

No final draft

The computer lab is used by higher grade levels (especially 4th and 5th grades) at this Barrow County, GA, public K-5 school to find web-based information for assignments (worksheets and projects) in content areas (reading and language arts, science, and social studies).

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:

No final draft

While searching for information in the computer lab, numerous students are observed 1 - jumping rapidly from website to website, without observing content 2 - rapidly clicking on googled links without reading descriptions of sites 3 - lingering on sites that are not credible 4 - missing or ignoring important information on credible sites 5 - spending entire 45-minute class periods online without finding adequate useable information for simple worksheets or finding useable information for projects.

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:

No final draft

Students don’t seem to be working in a purposeful way. They don’t seem to understand what information is junk and what is worthwhile. They don’t check out good sites well enough and wind up spending too much time searching. They don’t have strategies; their work is random. They leave without learning much about their topics. Finding reliable, relevant information more quickly would help students complete class work and allow them to proceed with other studies or endeavors.

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:

No final draft

A majority of 4th and 5th grade students using the computer lab at Auburn Elementary have not been taught the prerequisite skills to use the internet efficiently when locating information for classroom assignments. A parallel problem might be that teachers don’t have strategies for systematically searching and evaluating information online, either.

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:

No final draft

1. Interview 4th and 5th grade teachers at Auburn Elementary. What kinds of assignments do 4th and 5th graders work on during computer lab? What kinds of assignments could students utilize the lab for? 2. Check ISTE standards and GPS. What kinds of computer skills are expected and normal for 4th and 5th graders? 3. Review the curriculum at Auburn Elementary and consult the school vice-principal. Are the skills implicit in teachers' assignments and explicit in standards taught at Auburn Elementary?

Your final response:

No final draft

Teachers require students to be able to read websites for information and distinguish credible information. The skills needed to perform computer research required of 4th and 5th graders at Auburn Elementary are not explicitly taught. Students are expected to "pick up" these skills through trial and error, without guided instruction.

Your final response:

No final draft

Skills students need 1 – How to scan websites for relevant content (scroll down to view whole pages; read headings, highlighted words and the like for clues about content; scan for keywords; use left or top tabs on pages to locate relevant content on sites) 2 – How to evaluate the credibility and relevance of sites (read descriptions of sites before clicking on googled links; consider the source or author and the nature of the information) 3 – How to think about whether there may be one best source to answer the information need, or what search engine might be most helpful, or if going to the virtual library (GALILEO) would be a better than using Google.

*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:

No final draft

1 – How to scan websites for relevant content (scroll down to view whole pages; read headings, highlighted words and the like for clues about content; scan for keywords; use left or top tabs on pages to locate relevant content on sites) 2 – How to evaluate the credibility and relevance of sites (read descriptions of sites before clicking on googled links; consider the source or author and the nature of the information) 3 – How to think about whether there may be one best source to answer the information need, or what search engine might be most helpful, or if going to the virtual library (GALILEO) would be a better than using Google.

Your final response:

No final draft

Even when students are directed to an authoritative and comprehensive site, they don’t make use of it. They need first to have strategies for reading webpages. Students at these grade levels are generally given instructions or help as to the search mechanism to use, so this is less concerning than the ability to differentiate between reliable, relevant sites and less credible or pertinent sites.

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:

No final draft

Students at Auburn Elementary are not shown how to read webpages; they are not shown how to think critically about the value or relevance of sites; they are not taught to think about the nature of the information they need before they start searching online. A parallel problem may be that teachers don’t have adequate strategies for systematically searching and evaluating information online or are not aware of how much time is wasted by students in the computer lab.

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:

No final draft

Students in grades 4 and 5 will learn strategies for gathering information online: - how to scan websites and webpages for relevant content (scroll down to view whole pages; read headings, highlighted words and the like for clues about content; scan for keywords; use left or top tabs on pages to locate relevant content on sites; knowing typical parts of websites) and - how to evaluate the credibility and relevance of sites (read descriptions of sites before clicking on googled links; consider the source or author and the nature of the information). Teachers will be briefed as to these goals at a faculty meeting. A webpage will be added to the school website with these tactics. In this way, the strategies will also be made available to teachers and parents.

 

Your final response:

No final draft

The ability to read website content (being able to learn online) is as important as being able to use a textbook (being able to learn from books).

The instructor's feedback to step 7:

No specific feedback given on this step.