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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:

Very good! You've demonstrated a firm grasp of needs assessment procedures! I hope my feedback below is helpful.

 

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:

First grade classroom at Harmony Elementary School in Gwinnett County, Georgia

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 first grade Heath money unit is used in classrooms throughout Gwinnett County as a basis for introducing basic mathematical concepts. Most first grade classrooms have approximately 20 students and one teacher. The chapter on money is the first formal encounter students have to the concept of money and the various denominations available. The coin and bill names as well as their worth is an essential skill in functioning in the society in general.

The instructor's feedback to step 1:

Good, though remember that the purpose of this initial step was just to identify the principal context and its relationship to other parts of the school system. Your comments about how essential money skills are really belong in later sections referring to the need.

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:

The first grade students are unable to correctly identify United States coins and unable to correctly count out coins in various quantities under $1.00.

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 students inability to correctly name the coins and count out quantities of money less than $1.00 indicates a problem that will hinder them in commercial trade in life.

The instructor's feedback to step 2:

Good example of a symptom! Are there others (hypothetical, of course) one might notice? (Example: when getting change at lunchtime, students seem confused or don't care.)

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 first grade Heath money unit does not adequatly prepare its students to identify coins by their names and denominations, nor does it improve their skills at counting out various amounts of money under $1.00.

The instructor's feedback to step 3:

Very good goal statement. Very succinct. You appropriately put the system of interest as the subject of the statement.

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:

Administer test of understanding.

Your final response:

When presented with the task of identifying the monetary amount of a given number of coins, 75% were unable to do it correctly in 3 out of 5 trials. When presented with the task of counting out a stated amount of money under $1.00, 75% were unable to do it correctly in 3 out of 5 trials. 25% were able to perform these tasks at a success rate of 80% or better.

Your final response:

Lack of exposure to situations involving money, inability to count by 1s,5s, 10s, 25s, and slower intellectual development may be factors affecting the mastery of these skills.

*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:

Yes, performing a pretest is a solid way to gain systematic data. You should also gather data on where first graders ought to be in their understanding of this content according to state/national standards. Your needs statement needs some adjusting. My sense is that you would find that students score significantly below other students around the state (hence a normative need). Of course, you could also survey parents, businesses, etc. for their opinions of the importance of money skills, but since you are dealing with a first grade audience, that might be overkill.

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 need to be able to count by 1s, 5s, 10s, 25s. 2. Students need to be able to identify coins. 3. Students need to be able to identify coins' denominations. 4. Students need to apply this skills together in order to count out monetary amounts.

Your final response:

If the students do not know how to count by 1s, 5s, 10s, and 25s, they will be unable to apply the concept of placing those values on the coins once they've identified them.

The instructor's feedback to step 5:

These looks very good -- very specific needs statements. (Actually, you should have written these into the third column of #4; this item just asks you to prioritize the needs).

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 first grade students are unable to correctly identify United States coins and unable to correctly count out coins in various quantities under $1.00 at a mastery level of 85% accuracy or higher.

The instructor's feedback to step 6:

Excellent, except that you should rewrite this to again put the system of interest as the subject of this statement: "The first grade Addison Wesley money unit...."

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. The students will count by 1s. 2. The students will identify pennies and count out varying amounts of money consisting of pennies only. 3. The students will count by 5s. 4. The students will identify nickels and count out varying amounts of money consisting of nickels only. 5. The students will count out varying amounts of money consisting of nickels and pennies. 6. The students will count by 10s. 7. The students will identify dimes and count out varying amounts of money consisting of dimes only. 8. The students will count out varying amounts of money consisting of dimes, nickels, and pennies. 9. The students will count by 25s as they identify quarters and count out varying amounts of money consisting of quarters only. 10. The students will count out varying amounts of money consisting of quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies. 11. The students will use the JumpStart First Grade program in the computer lab to apply the money skills they've acquired. 12. Throughout the unit, the students will be given opportunities to count out various groups of coins in small groups.

 

Your final response:

1. Counting by 1s is the most basic of all the skills needed to count out money. 2. Applying the concept of counting by 1s to pennies connects the skill with the goal and the life experience. 3. Although counting by 5s is not as easy as counting by 10s it is logically the next skill to master because of the sequential denomination of coins. 4. Practice with nickels alone helps ensure mastery of counting by 5s and applies it to the real life concept of money. 5. Combining nickels and pennies helps aid transfer of the skills. 6. Counting by 10s is the skill needed before the next denomination can be introduced. 7. Counting by 10s with dimes alone helps ensure mastery of county by 5s and applies it ot the real life concept of money. 8. Combining dimes, nickels, and pennies helps aid transfer of the skills. 9. At this point the students will be more confident in their money counting skills and counting groups of 25 can be introduced. This concept will make more sense if quarters are used from the beginning because most will have experience with vending machines and various purchases in 25cent increments. 10. The students will need to practice the skills they've learned by counting out varying amounts of change. 11. Using an enjoyable computer program that approximates reality to apply the skills they've learned will help transfer the skills. 12. Using real coins and small groups will enable the kids to work with actual coins. Working in a small group setting will allow for cooperation, support and teamwork.

The instructor's feedback to step 7:

Excellent! These goals are very precise and are worded well to be assessed as specific learning outcomes.