Return to the list of Needs Assessment IDAs | Return to the IDA Library Home Page

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:

Aimee, You have done an excellent job on this IDA. It is thorough and well worded. The suggestions that I make below are minor. 1a. You context tells me that there is a need for instruction in the media center, but it does not tell me which aspect of the media center needs that instruction. From your problem statement, I would suggest that the context be something like "Literacy Skills Education Program." Notice from Lloyd's example, the context is Instructional Design Course, which is more specific than the University of Georgia's College of Education, for example. 1b. You do a great job of explaining the school, system and the media center itself. However, you are missing the delivery platforms. Although you included lots of resources in the media center, some are not relevant because they do not deal with the teaching of literacy skills to 3-5th graders. List some of the resources that will be used in teaching literacy skills to these students. Again, Lloyd's example should help you as you do this. Consider deleting aspects of the media center that you included in your list that are not directly related to literacy skills. 2. Very thorough! 4b. You provided excellent examples of hypothetical data that would result from the reports and your surveys. Everything else looks great. You clearly understand the Needs Assessment process! Email me if you have any questions, Lindsay

 

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:

Norcross Elementary Media Center

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:

Norcross Elementary School is part of Gwinnett County Public Schools, which is the largest school system in Georgia, comprising of 99 schools (63 elementary, 20 middle, 16 high) and 24,000 employees. Student enrollment for 2005-06 was 144,599 students. Norcross Elementary School’s student enrollment for 2005-06 was 956 students. The school is designated as a Title I Distinguished School. Some key points on Norcross Elementary School’s Media Center: - Facilities - Staff & Volunteers - Materials/Resources - Technology & Equipment - Program Administration (Philosophy/Mission/Goals, Budgeting, Cataloging, Circulation, Ordering, Inventory, Weeding, Reconsideration, Fundraising, Handbook, Website, etc.) - Address administration and school goals - Services to students - Help finding materials/resources/information - Teach Information Literacy skills (access, evaluate, & use information) - Stimulate love of reading with reading promotion program - Extra-curricular (reading bowl, book club, etc.) - Services to teachers - Support teaching of the curriculum - Recommending materials and technology - Collaborative planning and teaching - Provide Staff Development classes - Address parent needs - Connect with other Gwinnett County School Media Centers and local public libraries

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:

*NOTE: Students described in this project are 3rd-5th grade students specifically, as that is when this knowledge is developmentally appropriate. The media specialist observes that students do not know how to access desired materials and information independently. More specifically, they continually require help on using the OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog) to select desired or appropriate materials and then understanding the Dewey classifciation and the media center layout to locate the material on the shelves. They also constantly need help finding reliable and appropriate information through electronic sources. In addition, teachers note that students have difficulty in selecting and locating appropriate materials and information from the media center and electronic sources for class research questions and 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:

The AASL (American Association of School Librarians) sets forth information literacy standards for student learning. They note that a student who is information literate can “access information efficiently and effectively, evaluate information critically and competently, and use information accurately and creatively.” They believe that creating a foundation for information literacy and lifelong learning is central to the school library media program. In addition, “the vision of Norcross Elementary School is for students to become successful lifelong learners and responsible productive citizens.” If students are continuously asking questions on how to find desired materials, they are not able to access information efficiently and effectively. Additionally, if students are unfamiliar with how to find reliable and appropriate information through electronic sources, they are not able to evaluate information critically and competently. In these ways, they are lacking essential skills to become successful lifelong learners as specified by the AASL and by Norcross Elementary School’s vision.

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:

The Norcross Elementary Media Program does not adequately prepare its 3rd-5th grade students on information literacy skills.

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:

a. Media or government reports b. Administer a test to see if students can successfully locate desired material independently through use of the OPAC and knowledge of Dewey classification in relation to the media center layout. c. Interview media center staff and teachers. d. Interview students.

Your final response:

a. Time Magazine reports the need for students to be information literate “in an age of overflowing information and proliferating media” as part of “21st century skills.” They report that American schools need to catch up with the times, and information literacy is one of the skills necessary to do so. They refer to studies done that compared school curriculum and students in America against those from Singapore, Belgium, and Sweden. These other countries teach breadth over depth on topics and take more time to teach “portable skills” like information literacy. Doing so benefits test scores in those countries as their students outperform American students on math and science tests. b. 4/5 students could not successfully locate desired material independently through use of the OPAC and knowledge of Dewey classification in relation to the media center layout. c. Media center staff and teachers feel that students do not know how to independently select and locate appropriate materials and information from the media center and electronic sources. d. Students indicate that it is easier to just ask for the materials because they are unfamiliar with using the computer to do so. Students also note that it is difficult to sift through all the information they find through electronic databases and the Internet.

Your final response:

a. American schools don’t teach enough “portable skills” like information literacy as compared to other countries (comparative need). b & c. Students could not successfully locate desired material independently through use of the OPAC and knowledge of Dewey classification in relation to the media center layout (expressed need). c & d. Students need more instruction on how to independently select and locate appropriate information from electronic sources (felt need). c & d. Students need to know how to evaluate sources for reliability and appropriateness (felt need).

*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. Students could not successfully locate desired material independently through use of the OPAC and knowledge of the Dewey classification in relation to the media center layout (expressed need). 2. Students need more instruction on how to independently select and locate appropriate information from electronic sources (felt need). 3. Students need to know how to evaluate sources for reliability and appropriateness (felt need). 4. American schools don’t teach enough “portable skills” like information literacy as compared to other countries (comparative need).

Your final response:

1. Teaching use of the OPAC and knowledge of the Dewey classification in relation to the media center layout will enable students to find desired materials in the media center. Materials in the media center will have already been evaluated for general reliability and appropriateness, so it is recommended to check those first. 2. Teaching students how to find information from electronic sources will allow them to find more information on their desired topic, perhaps information that is more recent or more in-depth. 3. Teaching students how to evaluate resources for reliability and appropriateness becomes increasingly important in an age where information is abundant and readily available. This is especially important in relation to Internet sources of information. 4. I listed the American schools and information literacy last as it is too broad for us to implement realistically. We cannot control the way the curriculum standards are set. However, the information literacy education they advocate does fall along the lines of what we would like to accomplish at Norcross Elementary. Lastly, I would like to mention that teaching these access and evaluation skills should not only help students know how to do so in this context, but will hopefully extend to other contexts (other libraries, future research endeavors, etc.) throughout the student’s lifetime.

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:

The Norcross Elementary Media Program does not adequately educate 3rd-5th grade students to access and evaluate materials and information independently.

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. Students will be able to locate desired material independently through use of the OPAC and knowledge of the Dewey classification in relation to the media center layout. 2. Students will be able to independently select and locate appropriate information from electronic sources. 3. Students will be able to evaluate sources for reliability and appropriateness.

 

Your final response:

1. Teaching use of the OPAC and knowledge of the Dewey classification in relation to the media center layout will enable students to find desired materials in the media center. Materials in the media center will have already been evaluated for general reliability and appropriateness, so it is recommended to check those first. 2. Teaching students how to find information from electronic sources will allow them to find more information on their desired topic, perhaps information that is more recent or more in-depth.

The instructor's feedback to step 7:

No specific feedback given on this step.