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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:

A great Needs Assessment IDA! You seem to understand this process very well. I have only a few notes for you: 1. Excellent. 2. There is no indication that the lack of technology integration with the poetry unit has affected students' achievement in learning this unit except that they seemed less motivated than when they learn about other units. The explanation about why the symptom indicates a problem here makes me think that the need for technology integration in teaching of poetry seems more of a comparative or felt need than of a normative need. Your mentioning of technology standards in 5 surely justified the need for technology integration with poetry unit as a normative one. I'm just wondering if inclusion of students' performance data on this unit will add another level of analysis to this issue. 5. My thought on the ordering of need 2, 3 & 4 is a little different. Although the anticipated need for computer/technology literacy is critical for K-12 schools nowadays, the students' opportunities to develop such a skill should not be limited to the poetry class. According to the description of the bigger environment in which the poetry class is situated, students should have many chances to work on this area while they learn about other units. So my thinking is that the need to motivate students for learning poetry and the teachers' felt need for technology integration outweigh the anticipated need for develop technology competency in this situation. I don't think, however, this is an issue that has either a right or a wrong answer. People think about importance and priorities of things differently. Just my two cents. 6. Well-stated! The problem statement is truly improved on the basis of step 3 as it conveys information more clearly and concisely. 7. Good job. The statements (the second sentence) provide more than necessary information though. In essence, there is only one goal because the second sentence is about details of instructional strategy rather than students' expected ability or skill as an outcome of implementing the instructional solution. Ying [Note from Greg: I approve of Ying's feedback.]

 

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:

9th grade English classes at White County Ninth Grade Academy

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:

9th grade English is a required course for all 9th grade students in the state of Georgia. There are also specific poetry standards (GPS) that must be met in this course. The White County Ninth Grade Academy is the only 9th grade academy in the county, and it feeds into the only high school in the county. It consists of approximately 300 students and is located in rural north Georgia. The English classes are divided between 3 teachers and have between 21 to 30 students per each 45-minute class. Each class has access to computer labs, the media center, and an LCD projector for presentation purposes.

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:

Most of the 9th grade curriculum has been heavily integrated with technology. However, the poetry unit sadly lacks any technology integration. This has caused a lack of student motivation during the poetry unit. Students feel bored with the use of handouts, overhead transparencies, and their literature book. The use of technology (specifically computers) could motivate students and also help them to demonstrate their understanding of the unit.

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 poetry unit in the 9th grade English classes show an alarming lack of technology integration, while almost all other units in the class (including traditional novel studies) include the use of technology. The teachers and other curriculum related individuals need to improve upon or replace the current poetry unit with curriculum that includes ways to build student computer/technology literacy.

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 current 9th grade curriculum does not adequately integrate technology with the poetry unit currently used.

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:

Observation (of students) Group Discussion (among English department teachers) Student Opinion Surveys (Could include questions like: What motivates you? What would make learning about poetry more interesting to you? etc.)

Your final response:

Teachers' opinions and observations on the current poetry unit Student opinions about what could make the poetry unit more engaging

Your final response:

The current poetry unit lacks any use of technology standards (normative need). Students need to be computer/technology literate to be successful in today's world (anticipated need). Students are more motivated to complete assignments with technology (expressed need). Teachers believe the current poetry unit needs to be integrated with technology (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. The current poetry unit lacks any use of technology standards (normative need). 2. Students need to be computer/technology literate to be successful in today's world (anticipated need). 3. Students are more motivated to complete assignments with technology (expressed need). 4. Teachers believe the current poetry unit needs to be integrated with technology (felt need).

Your final response:

1. Teachers must adhere to local/state standards. 2. Teachers need to prepare students for the real world which includes teaching computer/technology literacy. 3. Student motivation and engagement is key to the success of any assignment(s). 4. Teachers are usually very aware of their classroom culture (including needs and wants) and of which specific areas need improvement.

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 current 9th grade curriculum does not adequately integrate technology with the poetry unit.

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:

Students will be able to create a Google web page to display their original work from the 9th grade poetry unit. Their web page may include original poetry as well as critiques and analyzations of classic and contemporary poems.

 

Your final response:

My two goals are for students to create a web page and to demonstrate their ability to write, critique, and analyze poetry. I believe these two components are equally important so I put them together into one goal statement.

The instructor's feedback to step 7:

No specific feedback given on this step.