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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:

Excellent job on this IDA! You seem to understand this process very well. Just a few points for you to look at: For the context (1a, 3 & 6), I would simply say "the professional development program at Dalton Middle School" or "the professional development curriculum at Dalton Middle School" rather than only "professional development." But you have written your problem statement with the correct form - great! You did a nice job in 1b with describing the context, but as the reader I didn't know what DMS was until later when you spelled it out. As you know, normally you should spell out an acronym the first time around, and then you can abbreviate it afterward. :) In your list of needs, the first two items you give as expressed needs, but you don't identify who is doing the expressing. This is just a little re-wording: teachers and staff saying they aren't aware, etc. (as you explained in step 2). 7a. You should probably take out "through professional development activities" in these instructional goals, though I won't quibble on this. What you are really doing is either referring to the context again, which has already been identified; or you are referring to instructional activities, which are not considered yet in the Needs Assessment step - that comes later. Keep the above points in mind, but your work is still excellent! Greg

 

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:

The Professional development for United Streaming

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:

The Professional Development at DMS offers learning and enhancement opportunities for 85 teachers and staff to utilize technology and other resources to enhance instruction and to increase learning for teachers and students. Professional Development is often led by administrators, technology specialists, media specialists and/or teachers from within the school or system.

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:

Teachers at DMS are not utilizing United Streaming and what it has to offer them in the planning and delivery of their lessons. When asked questions about it, they are unaware of what it offers and are not comfortable with accessing it.

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:

United Streaming offers lesson planning ideas and opportunities, short videos that are pertinent to lessons, and many other positive additions to planning and instruction. This is a service that is available to all teachers through Georgia Public Broadcasting and not using it may result in losing access to it.

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 Professional development of Dalton Middle School does not adequately prepare the teachers and staff to access and utilize United Streaming.

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:

Interview teachers and staff; interview media specialists and technology specialists at the school; Survey for teachers and staff

Your final response:

What teachers and staff know about United Streaming; if and how often media specialists and technology specialists are asked for help with United Streaming by teachers; teacher and staff opinion toward using United Streaming including how and how often they use it.

Your final response:

Teachers and staff aren't aware of what United Streaming has to offer them or their students. (expressed need) Teachers and staff don't know how to use United Streaming effectively and efficiently in planning for instruction. (expressed need) Teachers and staff are not utilizing United Streaming as other schools' teachers are. (comparative need) Teachers and staff aren't comfortable accessing and navigating United Streaming. (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:

Teachers and staff don't know how to use United Streaming effectively and efficiently in planning for instruction. (expressed need) Teachers and staff aren't comfortable accessing and navigating United Streaming. (felt need) Teachers and staff aren't aware of what United Streaming has to offer them or their students. (expressed need) Teachers and staff are not utilizing United Streaming as other schools' teachers are. (comparative need)

Your final response:

If teachers and staff know how to use United Streaming, then they will feel more comfortable with it, will know what it has to offer, and their use will increase.

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 Professional development of Dalton Middle School does not adequately prepare the teachers and staff to access and utilize United Streaming.

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:

Through Professional development activities, teachers and staff will be able to access United Streaming. Through Professional development activities, teachers and staff will be able to navigate United Streaming. Through Professional development activities, teachers and staff will be able to find and use relevant resources through United Streaming to aide in planning and classroom instruction.

 

Your final response:

If you know how to access and navigate a site, then you are on your way to feeling more comfortable with using the site and learning more about what it has to offer both in planning and for instruction.

The instructor's feedback to step 7:

No specific feedback given on this step.