Evaluation of Existing Instructional Design - Report Example

Running head: Evaluation using the ADDIE model Name: University/College: Course: Lecturer: Date: Executive summary Cranberry Senior School has in place a system of instructional management that helps them determine what to do when it comes to the educational context. This program, which focuses on equipping the students with proficiency and information that will be useful to them after secondary education, has produced exemplary results in the past. However, this is not what is happening presently. Parents, teachers and students are complaining about its ineffectiveness, providing a need for changes to be made in the system. The issue then is how to evaluate the current system. This will be done by the help of an Instructional System Design (ISD) model, specifically, the ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation) (Russell, 1981). The paper also looks at the rationale for implementing a new design model and the characteristics and strengths of learning management There is need for changes to be made as the current system no longer addresses the needs of the students when they are about to leave school. The parents complain that it does not adequately prepare the students for post-secondary education. Additionally, the school’s average grade was on a downhill trend as compared to other schools. On the other hand, the teachers were finding fault with the way its assessment system works. The paper recommends that the current system in use be evaluated, and a new system that will address the previous ones’ shortfalls be put in place. It also recommends that the new system should have mechanisms that will evaluate it periodically to ensure that changes are made where and when they are needed. I have learnt that while ADDIE is used for evaluating systems, it can equally be used for designing new ones (techrista.com, 2010). I have also learnt that we live in a changing society, and unless we and our institutions are willing to change with it, we may end up becoming useless to ourselves and to others. Introduction Cranberry Senior School has approximately 650 students. The teachers are all well qualified to do the job that is before them, and this is what they have been doing for many years. As a result of their hard work and concern for the students, they have adopted a system of teaching that focuses mainly on subjects that lead to post school programs in VET and Universities. This is a system that has been working well for years, producing graduates that work in professional and private sectors. Recently however, parents, students and some of the teachers have become discontented with the system, stating that it does not prepare the students well enough for them to go onto post school programs. This raises the need for the school program to be evaluated. Evaluation of existing instructional design The system adopted by Cranberry Senior School has been in place for several years and has addressed the needs of the school, which are those of all concerned stakeholders well. The parents and their children were well satisfied with the school results, as many of the graduates from the school were professionals or in private businesses. The teachers were hard working and put in long hours to ensure that they prepared the students for life beyond the school, and not just for passing exams. They are concerned about the students as a whole and realize that they are all unique individuals with different needs that need to be addressed as such. In addition, they allow the students to be explorative, giving them the space and time they need to seek and find answers on their own. This not only teaches them self reliance, but aptly prepares them for institutions of higher learning where student self-managed learning is a paramount practice (Ottewill, 2002:12-16). Time however is rendering the program obsolete. This is evidenced by the fact that both parents and students are concerned that the school no longer performs as well as it used to in the HSC, evidenced by the fact that more schools are garnering better results than Cranberry. In addition, the parents seem to think that some teachers do not teach what is required to prepare the students for post school programs. On the other hand, teachers have also raised a concern with the current assessment method in use in the school. All the above factors have raised a need to have the system evaluated and if found to not be relevant to the changing needs of the school, its teachers and students and the job market, it will have to undergo the necessary changes that will make Cranberry a high performing school once more with graduates who will not feel lost the moment they get into post-secondary education. Steps Before any steps are taken to evaluate the system, the question that should be answered is, is there a need for the system to be evaluated? The answer is yes, as the number of complaints that have been raised against it is a testimony to that fact. The second question then becomes, can the system be evaluated? Again, the answer is yes. Several schools have evaluated their systems, seeking to find shortfalls, and trying to discover ways that will improve the system. For example, the Pen y Dre School is South Wales was transformed from a back ward village school that barely survived to one that won several awards for exemplary performance (Thornett & Viggiani, 1996: 29-35). When the above two questions have been answered in the affirmative, the final question then becomes, what structure will be used to evaluate the school’s system? Though there are many methods that may be applicable for evaluating the system, the preferred one is borrowed from the Instructional System Design model (ISD). Such models have a wide span and usually divide the instruction design process into five distinct parts (Van Merrienboer, 1997: 2-3). Specifically, we will use the ADDIE model. That is Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation (Schutt, 2010). The reason why this method is preferred above the other numerous models is that it provides a way to make relevant and useful decisions that will help establish the who, what where, why and how of this learning program. It provides a systematic course of action for gathering and analysing individual performance requirements. This is identified by the students’ ability to respond to training needs that have been spotted. The ADDIE obtains a general scrutiny of how learning is carried out in the school. This helps us to determine the strengths and weaknesses of any program that has been or will be employed by the school (Malachowski, 2002). This means that when weaknesses are identified, they can be worked on to ensure that the school performs at its optimum level. Additionally, this method ensures that learning programs and all other facilities that assist in learning can be continually evaluated to make sure that any necessary changes are made to them. This is especially important as the changing needs of the society calls for everyone to be versatile in order to keep up with the times (Branson, 1975). Failure to do this means that the school will be left using draconian methods to teach and prepare their students for life after school. This will lead low performance and many parents will opt send their children to schools that address their educational needs. Continual evaluation of the learning program employed helps the concerned parties address new needs as they arise (Reshin, Pollock & Reigeluth, 1992: 30-33). For example, during the ongoing and continual evaluation of a specific program, the administration realises that a specific way of teaching a subject is not conducive for students who are below 15 years of age. When this fact is realised, they will be better placed to make any necessary changes to the system ensuring that they are addressing the specific needs of the students under their care. In order to evaluate the existing instructional design, the first step as stated above, is to analyze it. Analysis entails looking at the system in a new and thorough way to determine how it operates, and to understand the reasoning behind the implementation of the system. For example, what exactly do the different departments and teachers do? What exactly is the students’ role in this equation? What about the parents? How do they help to improve their children’s performance? When analysis has been done, it is now important to compile all that had been gathered from it. This helps us to understand exactly where the weak link is coming from by comparing the duties assigned to each one, and finding out whether they accomplished them as they needed to do. We then need to set goals that will help us determine where the school wants to go (Dick & Carey, 1996: 1-20). These goals will be based on the needs of the school that will help transform it. It will be wise to determine exactly which party will be doing what. For example, we may feel like advancing the overall school performance as compared to others of the same calibre. Or we might want to introduce extra curricular activities that will help take care of the students’ emotional, physical and spiritual welfare. Alternatively, perhaps it will be wiser to begin learning programs that help the students to interact more and exchange ideas. However, we might also need to introduce new courses that are relevant in today’s world. The next step is to determine at precisely what level we can say that the above set goals have been accomplished. Is it just by introducing homework clubs? To what level will the students be required to participate in these clubs? The setting for these tasks should be decided on. For example, where will the homework clubs be taking place, at home or at school? Finally, the cost of the new design should be determined, and compared to the benefits that will be accrued. From analysis, we should then design a process that will enable the administration to achieve the goals that it has set in place (Molenda, 2003: 34). This will help us to correct all the performance insufficiencies that had been realized by the previous instructional design model. During the design phase, learning objectives should be decided on (Liu, 2008: 738-747). For example, what is the essence of introducing a new subject? What do we want to accomplish from its inception? What do the students require to do for them to be accepted into this class? What mode will be used to settle on those that are eligible? How will it be determined that the students have indeed excelled in the classes? The next step is to develop the activities that will help the students acquire knowledge from the new subject. During this phase, it is wise to decide on how the classes will be delivered to the students. Will they be in class, or outdoors? Will they be taught by a teacher, or will they instruct themselves? Regardless of the preferred instructional method, a sort of syllabus or course ware should be developed for that subject. After development, comes implementation (www.intulogy.com, 2010). This is whereby the courseware is conveyed to the students. That is, they will be given the said classes in the way that has been identified above. Finally, it is vitally important to evaluate each stage to make sure that it is doing the job that has been set out for it to do (Clark, 2010). In the case of the introduction of the new subject, evaluation will be determined by whether or not the students have actually acquired the skills they were supposed to acquire. It the new subject was computer classes, the question then becomes if the students have acquired the necessary skills that will enable them to operate and use the computers in their day to day lives. T he instructional model should thereafter be revised to address the changing needs of the society. While it may seem that the evaluation method used is peculiar to the development of a new instructional system, it is relevant to evaluating the one in use in that it helps us to determine exactly what it is that happened at each phase during the implementation of the old model. This is to say that we should ask ourselves questions such as how the model was designed. Did it suit the needs of the school then? We should also look at its development, trying to figure out whether there was a mistake in the process, and whether the school chose the best mode of implementing the program. If the answer is no, then it will have to find a way of implementing say, a new subject that will be useful to the students. It should then be evaluated to determine if after all these years, it is still meeting its objectives. If no, then, it is time to implement a new instructional model. Rationale It is important for a new instructional design program to be implemented in the school. The reason for this is that while the current program has been in use for several years and has in fact given excellent results, it is no longer achieving the goals it set out to do in the first place. Moreover, changing societal needs have made the program outdated. This means that every year, the school continues to perform a little worse than its counterparts. Unless reviewed and a new design set in place, parents will begin to shun the school, preferring those that are changing with the times, and helping to get their children prepared for the future in the best way possible. Learning management is versatile. Due to the changing times, there is need to be flexible enough to change with the times. This is important as it helps schools stay abreast of the current happenings. The reason for this is that they equip the students with the necessary skills and knowledge that will help them in the work place. It helps educational institutions evaluate their performance, seeking to find whether they are achieving the objectives they set out to accomplish in the first place (Strikland, 2006). They can then correct the areas they feel they are failing in. Learning management encompasses all stakeholders in the school, and not just the students who need to improve on their performance. It involves the parents and teachers who may need to make necessary changes to ensure that they have the students’ best interests at heart, and working to help them improve their performance. Conclusion Learning management is necessary and important. It is form this that we are able to deduce that the instructional design system needs to make changes to address the present needs. Consequently, principals of schools and other administrators of other institutions should pay close attention to what their subordinates and other stakeholders are saying. This may be the difference between developing institutions that knows what the stakeholders need, therefore working to fulfil their needs, and one that is immersed in its own ideals. Such an institution may end up losing everyone that makes it great. This not a price that should be paid, and as such, attention should be paid, and the necessary changes adopted. This is what will make an ordinary institution an exemplary one that will be recognized throughout for its revolutionary changes. References ADDIE model (2010). Retrieved from http://www.techrista.com/category/instructional-design/. Branson, R. K. (1975). Interservice procedures for instructional systems development: Executive summary and model. Florida: Centre for Educational Technology, Florida State University. Clark, Don (2010). Why Instructional System Design or ADDIE. Retrieved from http://www.nwlink.com/donclark/hrd/sat 1.html Dick, W. & Carey, L. (1996). The systematic design of instruction (4th ed.). New York: Harper Collins College Publishers. Pp 1-20 Leshin, C. B., Pollock, J., & Reigeluth, C. M (1992). Instructional Design strategies and tactics. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications. Pp 30-33 Liu, G. Z (2008). Innovative research topics in learning technology: where are the new blue oceans? British Journal of Educational Technology 39(4), pp 738-747. Malachowski (2002). ADDIE- based five-step method towards Instructional Design. Retrieved from http://fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us//ADDIE.html Merrienboer, Jeroen (1997).Training complex cognitive skills: a four component instructional design model for technical training. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Educational Technology Publications. Molenda, M (2003). In search of the elusive ADDIE model. Performance Improvement 42 (5). Pp 34. Ottewill, Roger (2002). Student self-managed learning: cause for concern? On the Horizon 10 (1). pp. 12-16. Strikland, A. W (2006). ADDIE. Idaho State University of Education, Science, Math and Technology Education. The ADDIE Instructional Design model (2010). Retrieved from http://www.intulogy.com/addie/ Schutt, W (2010).The ADDIE Instructional Design Model (2010). Retrieved from http://et.sdsu.edu/wschutt/addie/addieindex.htm Thornett, Trevor, Viggiani, Rosemary (1996) .Quality in education: The Pen y Dre experience. TQM Magazine 8 (4). Pp 29-35. Watson, Russell (October, 1981). Instructional System Development. In a paper presented to the International Congress for individualized instruction. EDRS publication ED. pp 209-239. Read More