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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:

You did an outstanding job on this IDA! You really seem to "get it". Your buddy's feedback was likewise very good and I'm glad you were able to incorporate some of her suggestions. (I'd like permission to share your IDA with the entire group. Please consider it and let me know via email.)

 

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:

East Newton Elementary School's PRIDE Volunteer Program

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 PRIDE Volunteer program is a group of twenty volunteers that come from the surrounding community to help at-risk readers at East Newton Elementary School. The program works with approximately forty students at East Newton, in addition to the instruction given by teachers. This program has also been implemented at the other ten elementary schools in Newton County. Newton County is a rural community east of Atlanta that is growing rapidly as the metropolitan area expands. The Newton County School System is one of the many school systems regulated by the Georgia Department of Education.

The instructor's feedback to step 1:

Very well done.

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 number of at-risk readers at East Newton Elementary remains relatively the same after these same students receive extra tutoring in reading with the help of the PRIDE program volunteers.

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:

Student participants in the PRIDE program are receiving more reading instruction time daily and individual reading time with a volunteer once or twice a week. Reading levels and standardized test scores are not improving in comparison to the amount of additional reading time they receive at East Newton Elementary School. Once a student has been identified for the PRIDE program, the student remains in the program the rest of the school year. Participation in the program is evaluated annually.

The instructor's feedback to step 2:

Very good. Your buddy had good insights about why the numbers remain about the same, that is, there is the possibility that some students may be exiting the program while others entering.

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 PRIDE Volunteer Reading Program does not help to improve at-risk students' reading levels.

The instructor's feedback to step 3:

Very well written -- clear and succinct. You properly put the context as the subject of this problem 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:

1. Administer the Basic Literacy Test (BLT) test-a test used throughout Newton County to test a student's sight word, decoding, and comprehension skills. 2. Analyze GRCRT scores for reading comprehension. 3. Conduct interview with classroom teachers.

Your final response:

1. PRIDE Program participants test scores. 2. Test scores in reading comprehension are below the 35th percentile. 3. Teachers opinions on the effectiveness of the PRIDE program.

Your final response:

1. After examining the BLT comprehesion scores of the sixty participating students, 90% of students read at least one or two grade levels below where they should be this school year. 2. Students that are in testing grades for the GRCRT that are involved in the program continued to score below the state average. Compared to other students in the same grade, their total reading scores show little to no improvement. 3. Teachers question the amount of time these at-risk students miss of classroom instruction if BLT and standardized test scores are showing little improvement. Teachers feel the one-on-one time these students get with a caring adult is beneficial to their self-esteem, but wonder about the actual benefits to their reading comprehension 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:

These were all very appropriate. I noticed your buddy's caution about the wording, but I think your description is fine. (By the way, I always recommend labeling the needs according to the needs type that we discussed in class: normative, comparative, etc.)

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. Improve reading comprehension skills of students that are reading one to two grade levels below their grade level peers. 2. Improve students attitude towards reading.

Your final response:

1. Students who struggle daily with reading comprehension struggle in most academic areas. Even with the help of PRIDE volunteers and additional reading instruction during the day, these students continue to score below grade level. 2. Many of the students that are in this category have a poor attitude towards reading. Many times this attitude extends into school in general. Unfortunately, these students will be the ones at-risk for dropping out of high school

The instructor's feedback to step 5:

Excellent! I like the way you skillfully write so succinctly and with such clarity.

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 PRIDE Volunteer Reading Program at East Newton Elementary School does not help to improve reading comprehension of at-risk readers.

The instructor's feedback to step 6:

Excellent. Nice modification to add some precision.

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. PRIDE Volunteers will be trained by a literacy specialist in order to help reinforce good comprehension skills. 2. A resource room for volunteers will be made available with leveled reading stories and controlled vocabulary. This room will also house a variety of learning games and software to practice comprehension skills. 3. Schedule a monthly planning time with classroom teachers.

 

Your final response:

1. In order to effectively work with studentsonce or twice a week, volunteers will need the necessary training to help meet the needs of the student. 2. PRIDE volunteer time is also meant to build self-confidence in these at-risk students. Volunteers will have available a wide variety of appropriate books for these students, as well as games that would help to engage these reluctant readers. 3. Volunteers, classroom teachers, and literacy specialist will meet monthly to review and revise goals for individual students.

The instructor's feedback to step 7:

Very good goals! I recommend you also write a goal that states the intended outcome of the training, such as "the number of students who read below grade level will be reduced by 50% in two years".