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:

I thought this was a very good example of relating needs assessment to a real classroom situation. I think the example you chose was probably a little too narrow for the assignment, however. This assignment really looks for "big" problems that speak to creating new courses, or significantly alterint existing courses. This problem is more localized. Hence, I think many of the steps below were 'overkill' for the problem. I got the feeling you were straining to make this example fit. But again, I thought you did it fine. In terms of the process of needs assessment, I think you 'get it'.

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:

Collins Hill High School Business Concepts Course

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 Business Concepts course is offered in the Department of Business Education in the Technical Education program at Collins Hill High School, which is part of the Gwinnett County School System, one of the 159 school systems in Georgia.

The instructor's feedback to step 1:

Very good. You understand the idea. Of course, you could elaborate further about how the high school "fits" into the community, etc.

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:

Students in the Business Concepts class do not complete their stock market projects on time. They turn the projects in late. They don't manage their time wisely.

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:

Business Concepts students are only a fraction of the student population. If students do not complete the project, they will not learn how the stock market operates. They may not be aware of investment opportunities during their adult life.

The instructor's feedback to step 2:

This seems OK.

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 Business Concepts class is not turning in the project on time.

The instructor's feedback to step 3:

This does not sound like an instructional problem, but one of motivation. And, that may be precisly what is happening. However, let's consider a few alternative hypotheses: 1) "The Collins Hill High School Business Concepts Course does not adequately show students how the stock market affects them and their lives"; and 2) "The Collins Hill High School Business Concepts Course is not taught in a way that connects course content to examples students find relevant". Again, these are just some alternatives. Notice that I put wrote the context as the subject of the problem statement. That makes it clear where action must take place should the problem turn out to be instructional.

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.

*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:

I don't think your needs match up to the data you are gathering. One need is that they lack sufficient time to do the assignment (not instructional, by the way). Another need is that they lack proper organizational skills as compared to other students. This latter one points to the fact that they may need instruction in the area of study and organization skills. But the fact that they lost 20 points does not strike me as a need stemming from your data gathering.

5. Prioritize your list of needs.Which are most important? Why are they most important?

The instructor's feedback to step 5:

Yes, I think these needs capture the needs very well. Actually, you should have listed these back at step 4 -- these step was just to sort the needs in order of priority.

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 Business Concepts students are not successfully completing the stock market project and are losing out on learning valuable financial information.

The instructor's feedback to step 6:

My recommended problem statement from step 3 still holds.

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.

The instructor's feedback to step 7:

I suggest the following: "The Collins Hill High School Business Concepts Course does not adequately prepare students to manage their time or organize their work well in order to complete assignments appropriately and on time." (Again, notice how I wrote the context as the subject of the statement.) Of course, one might argue that this is a skill that they should have prior to coming to this course, which would indicate that the problem resides in a different context. That outcome is frequently the result of a needs assessment.