Instructional Design Outline - Literature review Example

INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN OUTLINE INTRODUCTION Today, the world is rapidly changing as a result of globalization. Presence of a globalized economy has brought about opportunities, challenges as well as unpredictability (Brown & Green 2011). But as people increase their understanding of human intelligence as well as behavior, they are in a better position of knowing how they can learn more effectively. The last decade has witnessed a tremendous improvement in educational standard where the quality of teachers at all level gets better (Brighouse & Woods 1999). The main purpose of education is to nurture critical thought, capacity for independence and creativity in general. Educational institutions need to ensure that young individuals leave formal education armed with the skills, aptitude, and confidence needed to face life outside school (Brown & Green 2011). It has in the past been believed that educational success of a child is dependent upon their background. This is however not the case. Educational success is determined by the willingness of the student to learn, their hard work as well as the effectiveness of the educator in teaching. Educators in the 21st Century have come to understand the importance individual education since the young generation of today is the future of tomorrow (Brighouse & Woods 1999). Just as it is in the business world and other industries, the educational sector has become a diverse and cultural center where students from different backgrounds come together to learn. Due to this fact alone, the educators or teachers need to consider the fact that each individual student has their own special needs in as far as learning is concerned (Brown & Green 2011). For this, a planning process is required. ESSAY A Needs Assessment Plan A Needs Assessment Plan can be referred to as a systematic process used to determine, as well as address gaps existing between current learning conditions and those desired by both educators and students (Brighouse & Woods 1999). This particular plan is considered a vital planning process in learning as it is often utilized in the improvement of individuals and education as a whole. It is also considered an effective instrument with regards to clarification of problems and identification of appropriate solutions (Brown & Green 2011). According to majority of literature focusing on education, learning is more likely to result to change in practice once a needs assessment has been carried out as personal incentive tends to drive educational effort. Creation of a Needs Assessment Plan can be made for a number of reasons and therefore it is important that its objective or goal be defined, and determine the method of delivery (Brighouse & Woods 1999). It is believed that needs assessment in itself enhances educational effectiveness as well as the outcome but it is crucial that it be placed within the wider process of planned learning (Brown & Green 2011). Educators need to be aware of the fact that individual and group learning needs differ where one may fail to address important needs and interests of individual students. It is thus important to develop a balance when establishing a needs assessment. As aforementioned, the world is rapidly changing and this creates pressure on educational institutions to ensure accessibility and equity where resources are lacking or are less. There is also an increased demand in the need for institutional autonomy in addition to tremendous and heightened transformations taking place in a turbulent external environment (Brighouse & Woods 1999). One importance of a Needs Assessment Plan in learning is to examine as well as evaluate discrepancies while facilitating the creation of priorities of responses to the needs (Brown & Green 2011). A needs assessment is an important instrument of educational planning, evaluation and implementation where decisions about priorities are made. It also reduces uncertainty with regards to the planning process. Irrespective of their differences, students are expected to learn similar concepts, skills and principles (Brighouse & Woods 1999). Through the implementation of an Instructional Plan, teachers can be able to learning environments capable of addressing different learning styles, abilities as well as interests present in a given classroom. The planning of an Instructional Plan is considered a vital part of the general instruction design process as it is a guide on how to instruct students (Brown & Green 2011). The planning also involves combining all the information gathered and generating an effective plan for presenting the instructions to students (Brighouse & Woods 1999). The main purpose of developing an Instructional Plan is to give an outline of how the instructional activities will relate to accomplishing educational goals and objectives. Schoolhouses have become a necessary component in American education and are different from the traditional European model of learning (Brown & Green 2011). A schoolhouse is a simple, sparsely furnished one room building whose main purpose is to provide shelter. However, it has recently been adopted towards the provision of a sheltered, safe environment where students or any person willing can learn. Schoolhouses do not possess modern amenities and it is currently a challenge preoccupying majority of educators in the 21st Century (Brighouse & Woods 1999). A schoolhouse welcomes students into a personal, intimate and warm learning environment. I happen to work in a formal training schoolhouse where we have recently stood up a new course. The curriculum is quite new whereby the course is developed to educate on a set of skills relatively new to the intended audience. I, however, have seen a need to formulate an Instructional plan complete with specific objectives, an identified organizational structure, design of the learning environment as well as instructional activities. PART ONE: INSTRUCTIONAL PLAN Needs Assessment In the course of my career I have come to observe that the throughput of successful graduates has been a roller coaster ride of exceeded expectations and disappointing failures. That is why I chose to carry out a needs assessment in order to better formulate my instructional plan for the schoolhouse. I also wanted to assess whether or not Mager’s Performance Analysis Process would be helpful in our current situation. The target audiences were students from my classroom where the sampling procedure included a small group chosen using judgment sampling (Brown & Green 2011). This form of sampling was specifically chosen as smaller groups were easier to test as compared to larger ones. Once the data was collected and assessed, the students’ needs were realized. Mager’s Performance Analysis Process did prove helpful especially with the use of the flowchart format. This particular format was observed not to be too technical, thus enabling the students to understand by the layman. The Performance Analysis Process also proved relatively quick. Learning Goals and Objectives In as far as learning goals and objectives is concerned, there are a number of things that need to be put under consideration. Students in the Schoolhouse exhibited certain needs and desires in the course of their learning experience. One of the objectives is to prepare the students for the new course for instance through prerequisite training as a way of ensuring more students graduate on a more consistent basis. I have discovered that it is important to develop some activities meant to assist students learn to be creative by utilizing images. In the course of my needs assessment, I utilized the Performance Analysis Flowchart designed by Robert Mager and Peter Pipe (Brighouse & Woods 1999). The flowchart format proved easy to use as the worksheet incorporated in the format took me through the performance analysis process step by step. According to Mager, once a teacher is aware of the performances that collectively define the objectives, they will be in a better position of deciding which of the performances need to be taught and which need to be managed (Brown & Green 2011). The needs assessment also helped me realize that the students preferred student centered lessons as compared to others. Therefore, having this in mind, another objective is to develop practical lessons that are fun and have less focus on the teacher. Description of the Organizational Structure of the Schoolhouse As earlier mentioned, I work in a formal training schoolhouse where we have recently stood up a new course. A schoolhouse is a simple, sparsely furnished one room building whose main purpose is to provide shelter as well as a safe learning environment. The one I am currently working in is no different. The schoolhouse is designed for 21st Century learning where it evolved around a central building and a place where students can achieve world class academic standards (Brighouse & Woods 1999). While I consider the schoolhouse simple in concept, it constitutes a stark contrast to the manner in which public schooling evolved in the course of the 20th Century, where there existed varied expectations for learning. The organizational structure of the schoolhouse is aimed at structuring a school environment that is capable of allowing students to vary their level of effort to not only meet academic standards, but also enable educators to utilize a wide range of pedagogies (Brown & Green 2011). In this way, we as educators in the schoolhouse will be in a position of adapting instructional plans to meet the needs of our students. Like most of the schoolhouses in the early 19th Century, the schoolhouse that I work in has only two rooms where every grade level is taught in those rooms at the same time. The schoolhouse offers additional schooling that can be found at higher learning institutions (Brighouse & Woods 1999). Method of Delivery The main method of delivery when formulating my needs assessment and instructional plan is through Mager’s Performance Analysis Process. I will also consider various issues for instance whether or not the task in hand can be simplified to the point where my students could do it. I will also question whether or not my students know how to perform the task. If not, then I will consider prerequisite training as a way of preparing them and ensuring that they get to graduate on a more consistent basis. When considering my method of delivery I will look at whether or not the skill to be implemented is used often by the students, where I will also utilize a checklist. A checklist will enable me to ensure that all elements required are present. I will be required to know if my students possess the potential to learn to perform the task at hand. Such questions will enable me to define my method of delivery as an instructional designer in an effort of refining our new course’s curriculum. I intend to incorporate other teachers or educators who are capable of deciding what outcomes are really required as they will also help to determine learning opportunities that are most suitable for the new course at hand. Some of the ways in which I as an educator can do to prepare my students for this particular course includes precondition training. In order for training needs to be effective, I will need to have the necessary knowledge as well as skills to work with the students in order for me to help them identify their needs as well as how to meet them. Instructional Activities Considering the fact that the curriculum set out for the new course in the schoolhouse is relatively new, learners will be taught on how to approach the course and understand it. I will utilize Pucel’s key instructional elements that help educators in making decisions as to how to teach their classes, since this particular course is also new to me. These instructional elements include providing background information that the students might need, explaining the goals and what students will be required to do, explaining why these goals are important for the students and demonstrating what they are required to do (Brown & Green 2011). Other instructional elements that I will take into consideration as part of the instructional activities will be allowing my students to practice while I monitor their progress, allowing them to work without my supervision, assessing their progress and providing feedback on their performance (Brighouse & Woods 1999). In the end of it all, I will explain the major skills that they will gain from the class where clear instructions for each task will be provided. Learning Environment I believe that teaching is an art of transferring information from an educator to the learner where the latter, in this case being a learner, is inspired to seek more on the subject matter. It is therefore important for teachers to create a safe, conducive learning environment for their students. It is also important for the educator to be closer to the largest number of learners for the greatest amount of time (Brown & Green 2011). Since the schoolhouse is only a 2-roomed building catering for the needs and interests of its students, this particular requirement is necessary in ensuring that each student is given as much attention as required. The schoolhouse aims at not only establishing but also maintaining a positive atmosphere where learning is considered fun for and by the students (Brighouse & Woods 1999). The learning environment tends to have a major influence on what happens to learners as compared to what is taught in the learning institution itself. I have made an effort of creating and maintaining a most suitable learning environment through effective classroom interaction, organization as well as creation of an innovative atmosphere. For an effective learning environment I also utilize directed learning environment where each student’s needs are catered to individually. PART TWO: EVALUATION PLAN An Evaluation Plan is important in any given needs assessment as it tends to recapture information and highlight the lesson accomplishments. Keeping in mind that I carried out a needs assessment on the students with regards to the newly introduced course in the schoolhouse, I found it necessary to determine when the learners have been successful in meeting the lesson goals or objectives. I therefore carried out a Project Evaluation where I collected information regarding how successful the course was implemented as planned, in addition to assessing its impact on our learners. The Evaluation plan determined success in meeting objectives in as far as improvement of teaching and learning is concerned. I made an effort of determining the effectiveness of the newly introduced course for learners and documented that learning objectives were achieved in the evaluation design. I also implemented Process Evaluation as a way of determining how successful the strategies of the course were implemented as well as the impact they had on learners. This particular evaluation mainly focused on improvement in teacher instruction and in student educational performance (Brown & Green 2011). CONCLUSION As it has been observed, educational institutions need to ensure that young individuals leave formal education armed with the skills, aptitude, and confidence needed to face life outside school. Educators should know that individual and group learning needs differ where one may fail to address important needs and interests of individual students. In a world that is rapidly changing and consisting of a diverse population, it is important that educators take into consideration a Needs Assessment Plan as a way of ensuring that each individual need of the learners is catered for. Conducive and safe learning environments need also be established for the students to focus more on achieving their objectives with regards to learning. REFERENCES Bridghouse, T., & Woods, D. (1999). How To Improve Your School. London: Routledge & Farmer. Brown, A., & Green, T. (2011). The Essentials of Instructional Design: Connecting Fundamental Principles with Process and Practice. 2nd Edition. Upper Saddle River: Pearson. Read More