Planning and Evaluation of Education Program - Case Study Example

Planning and Evaluation of Hypothetical Program Name Institution Course Code Lecturer Due Date Planning and Evaluation of Hypothetical Program Context The educational program will be known as the Community Integration Program for International Students. This program design is in recognition of problems related to language barrier and low community integration faced by international students studying in Australian higher education institutions, which in turn affects their academic attendance and course completion. According to the UNESCO institute of Statistics, the number of international students globally in 2009 increased to 3.4 million up from 2.1millioin in 2002 (Choudaha & Chang 2012, p. 5). The top four destinations for international students are the U.S., the UK, Australia and Canada. In the same period, Australia experienced an increase of 43%, from 179,619 to 257,637, in international student enrolment. Currently, one in every five of the world’s overseas students is from either China or India, with other emerging source countries including Saudi-Arabia, Vietnam, Mexico and Brazil. There is a growing need to address issues associated with the adaptability of international students to their new living and learning environments which in turn affects their ability to complete the courses enrolled. Problems faced by students from foreign countries have been linked to the lack of adequate skills in spoken English and knowledge of the socio-cultural setting of their respective learning destinations (Yue & Thao 2009, p. 6). This educational program will seek to provide basic fundamentals of spoken English and essential socio-cultural awareness knowledge to new international students entering college in Australia. Aims and Objectives The main aim of the program will be to broaden the spoken language abilities of international students to enable them acquire social skills that will aid their successful integration into their new residential and academic communities. Improved social interaction skills will also focus on students gaining job seeking skills which will aid them in arranging for better living standards and in covering their living costs while enrolled in school. The specific overseas students’ needs necessitating this educational program include: International students, mostly English as Second Language speakers, have low English mastery skills which greatly hamper their study and their integration into the community in terms of social interaction, finding the best transport and living arrangements, and finding part-time employment. Language also affects their ability to access academic material, the academic and state bureaucracy and may bring them problems with the law. Language barrier and the associated culture shock problems causes esteem issues and stress which in turn affect academic performance and class participation. This may further result to poor family contact, visa cancellation or inability of some students to report for subsequent semesters (Yue & Thao 2009, p. 12). Academic life and career-path related issues which include the desire or need to change courses or transfer to different colleges. In relation to this, advertisements for undergraduate courses posted internationally may not correspond with the quality on offer in some colleges, thus students find problems in successfully changing to better quality colleges. Transition to careers after finishing college. Learning Objectives: Educational objectives are usually derived from curriculum theory. However, the outcomes of instruction programs are far more complex and numerous to encompass in a list of objectives (Eisner 1967, pg. 6). Educational objectives may fail to recognize the unique constraints that international student needs places upon the course’s objectives. This program design adopts a detailed and descriptive approach to outlining the objectives rather than a conventional list. At the end of this course, the students will be able to have: Gained spoken English communication skills and properly understand spoken English dialect, acquired adequate academic writing skills, Developed adequate understanding of relevant aspects of culture, government and community. Also skills related to self esteem, time and money management and public interaction. Learned how to apply language, civic and social skills learnt in interpreting hypothetical and real situations related to academic resources and school routine, academic and career requirements, transport and living, and part-time employment arrangements. Theoretical Orientation: Theories developed in psychological sciences can be used in the field of education in developing effective instructional practices that make use of the natural psychological setup of the human mind. Instructional programs designed for improving student reasoning and problem-solving skills and overall learning ability are developed in consideration of current psychological theory and research findings in cognitive sciences, developmental psychology and human intelligence studies (Glaser 1983, p. 3). The innate cognitive abilities of the human mind for understanding, logical reasoning, memory and learning are of great significance in educational program design with the aim of knowledge accumulation which promotes the increased utilization of these abilities in everyday situations. These abilities are much more developed at adult stage, whereupon their use is much needed. However, the present approach adopted in most school curriculum aims at teaching and testing scholarly concepts without encouraging thinking and mindfulness (Glaser 1983, p. 4). 1. Cognitive Theory Cognitive development is the process of acquiring knowledge which is stored and retrieved for solving problems and developing insight. The emphasis under cognitive theory is that individuals have different needs and concerns depending on their environment and they have subjective interpretations of these situations in different contexts (Glaser 1983, p. 4). Cognitive theory grows from behavioral theory which is associated with classical conditioning theories. Behaviorism theory has been postulated by various psychologists of the behaviorist school of though including Ivan Pavlov in Classical Conditioning theory (1897), Burrhus Frederic Skinner in the Operant Conditioning theory (1937), and by Edward Thorndike and John Broadus Watson. These theories assume that the learner is wholly responsive to environmental stimuli and behavior can thus be shaped through positive and negative reinforcement (Department of Medical Education 2011, p. 5). Therefore behavior is a function of its consequence and the learner will repeat the behavior if positive reinforcement consequences are associated with that behavior. Much competency-based training is built on this theory. However, this approach is criticized for being overly rigid and mechanical. Behavioral reinforcement has been used extensively in learning institutions owing to its importance in acquiring skills related to scholarly performance. According to the Operant Conditioning theory by Skinner, the withdrawal of the reinforcement leads to the eventual extinction of the behavior. Since the 1960s, cognitivism has replaced relativism theory in significance as the dominant paradigm in educational psychology. Cognitive theory focuses in the acquired and retained inner mental abilities which are valuable for understanding and explaining how people learn new knowledge (Department of Medical Education 2011, p. 5). This theory explores mental faculties of thinking, memory, knowing and problem solving and the role they play in a students learning process. Under this theory, knowledge is viewed as systems or schema of mental constructions and the learning process as change in those mental schemata (Department of Medical Education 2011, p. 5). Therefore, unlike in relativism theory, students are not merely programmable through environmental stimuli, but are rational beings requiring active participation for the learning process to take place. Behavior is as a consequence of thinking and is and indication of the mental setup of a learner. The cognitive domain involves the development of knowledge that serves to develop mental abilities related to intellectual skills. The skills in this domain are essential for international students in adapting to the academic and social community settings and for solving problems arising in the course of their study. According to Earl B. Hunt, in his book “Will We Be Smart Enough” (1995), cognitive theory in adult education focuses on cognitive/intellectual development as advancement in levels of conceptualization of abstractness and in interpersonal maturity (Trotter 1982, p. 10). Research models by Hunt and William Perry proved that cognitive/intellectual development in adults moved from concrete to abstract with the most advanced stage of development operating from in-house rather than exterior standards. Programs for adult education and professional development should take into consideration the differing academic and social needs of individuals so as to design a learning process that would be more meaningful to students and transferable to the classroom (Trotter 1982, p. 10). 2. Psychomotor Skills Psychomotor learning seeks to relate innate human cognitive functions of the brain with physical movement, coordination and manipulation (Thomas 2004). This includes actions requiring finer motor control of body movement, like driving, writing, dancing or playing musical instruments, or athletics. The extent of development of psychomotor skills is considered in terms of alacrity, exactitude, expanse, and implementation procedures and techniques. The development of psychomotor skills takes place in three stages; the cognitive, associative and the autonomic stages (Department of Medical Education 2011, p. 10-11). The cognitive stage is characterized by the realization of the necessary movement required for a task and is marked by awkward, slow and choppy movement. Here, the learner finds difficulty in controlling movement because one has to think about each movement before making it. The associative stage is marked by the learner spending fewer time thinking about minutiae of movement, though the motor movements are not yet a permanent part of the brain. In the autonomic stage, the learner has advanced movement through practice and no-longer needs to think about the niceties of movement. The movement is spontaneous and reliance on the instructor for feedback on performance. Understanding the various stages of psychomotor development makes it easier to teach and learn skills requiring movement and mental coordination. Under the psychomotor skills domain, the four elements that enhance the learning process are motivation, association, repetition and use of senses. 3. Attitudinal/Affective (cultural, motivational, moral) Attitudinal or affective theory considers adult education in terms of a student’s motivation to learn. The domain of attitudinal theory deals with emotional response to situations such as feelings, values, appreciation, enthusiasm, motivation and attitudes (Department of Medical Education 2011, p. 11). It includes the receiving fact pertaining to consciousness, readiness to listen and preferred concentration, and responding phenomena associated with active partaking by learners, willingness and compliance to respond and satisfaction in response. This domain also includes valuing which is the worth a person attaches to particular objects, condition or experience. It varies from simple recognition to the more compound commitment and is based on the internalization of specific values which is articulated in behavior. Here, organization of values into priorities is reached by comparison, relation and synthesis of differing values to create a unique value system. Internalization of values builds characterization which controls behavior in a invasive, steady and conventional way. Attitudes are learnt inclination to response. Attitudes are attained and therefore liable to change. Attitudes vary in direction, degree and intensity, with attitude change being an alteration to any or all of these. Attitudes are manifest in the actions and behavior to which they contribute. Summary/Sketch of Content: In teaching spoken English and communication skills, emphasis will be on teaching international students who are non-native speakers of English basic and intermediate speaking and listening skills that facilitate everyday communication. Formal and informal communication skills with focus on grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary will be taught through individual presentations, literature reviews and peer-group participation. Academic writing language and style will be taught as an extension of student assignments in other core courses and will focus on sentence structure and paragraph development, organizing ideas in descriptive/narrative and contrast/comparison modes. The students will also be taught basic research and report-writing skills with focus on the acquisition of academically valid sources and citations. In teaching Australian culture and civic education to international students, relevant media containing views on contemporary Australian society and culture will be used. Students will be encouraged to employ critical and reflective thinking in analyzing and communicating cultural and cross-cultural ideas on relevant issues. Students will be exposed to a variety of oral and print media which will include newspaper articles, law reviews, film and music, art and literature. Students will be expected to present oral and written reports on the issues learned and on hypothetical situations as will be appropriate to the subject’s requirements. Personal development in relation to self esteem, motivational talks, financial and time management topics will be covered under this module. Focus will be on developing relevant social skills, cultural understanding, knowledge and confidence necessary for their successful integration into their respective academic and residential environments. This module will include an introduction to the school-based routine in the university and an introduction to the urban setting of Australian cities. Students will be required to work in action-learning sets/groups in tackling topics dealing with contemporary city life and issues pertaining to employment, urban housing and transport among others. Here, focus will be on creating awareness within the students of potential problems related to international students living in the country that may affect their learning. In line with this, students will be taught academic journey and career-path related content in the context of living, studying and working in a foreign country. Teaching and Learning Strategies, Program Structure and Participants: Teaching and Learning Strategies 1. Action-learning Strategy Action-learning is an educational process that involves individuals working on real problems and learning from them through questioning and reflecting on the situations (Marquardt & Waddill 2004, pg. 2). The action-learning process is a powerful strategy to learning owing to its ability to solve difficult challenges while developing people and organizations at the same time. The strategy was initially proposed in 1940 by Reg Revans in coal-mining organizations in England, but over the years a number of persons have initiated ways and models that capture the quintessence and fundamental elements in action-learning. Michael J. Marquardt in his book “Action Learning in Action” (1999) outlines a variant to Revan’s action-learning strategy. According to the method outlined by Marquardt, action-learning strategy entails posing a problem or challenge to a group of 4-8 individuals (an action-learning set, drawn from diverse background (Marquardt & Waddill 2004). A commitment to learning is fostered in the individuals and an action-learning coach helps in focusing time and energy and capturing the learning and skill-improvement aims of the exercise. The action-learning set meets on regular basis to work on real-life issues raised by the coach or pertaining to individuals in the group with the aim of learning from and with each other. This strategy seeks to incorporate programmed knowledge/traditional instruction and questioning insight in imparting education to students. 2. Scientific/Experiential Learning Strategy This strategy entails learning through doing and reflection on the actions (Beaudin & Quick 1995, pg 1). Experiential education focuses on self initiative and active learning for the student through discovering and experimenting with real-life or scientifically simulated situations. As opposed to learning and thinking about abstract concepts, experiential learning involves a direct encounter with the phenomena under study to validate a theory or concept. In order for learning to occur, ideas cannot be separated from experience, but must be connected the context and situation of concepts learnt. 3. Critical Reflection Learning Strategy Reflective learning is a strategy which seeks to integrate thought and action with reflection in curriculum development (Susan 1992). It is based on the premise that knowledge and skills cannot be acquired in isolation from their performance context and that thinking and critically analyzing one’s own actions with the goal of improved performance greatly enhances the learning aspect of activities. This strategy has been proponed by Donald Alan Schon in his book “The Reflective Practitioner” (1983). Critical reflection enables the student to fit experiential learning into a broader conceptualization of knowledge by reflecting on the experience. Evaluation Methods: Program evaluation in education is organized around questions designed to provide information about a particular educational program. Educational programs evaluation can either be formative or summative (Department of Medical Education 2011, p. 74). Formative or process evaluation seeks to provide information that can be used in making improvements on a program’s operation and implementation. It is usually conducted in the early stages of a new educational program. Summative evaluation focuses on the program’s results or impact on the learner and seeks to provide information pertaining to the worthiness of the program. 1. Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels of Evaluation Donald Kirkpartick’s, in his book “Evaluating Training Programs” (1994), puts forward Four Levels of Learning Evaluation, which details a sequential way of evaluating educational programs (Winfrey 1999). This evaluation method has been in use since the 1950’s when it was first proposed. In the four levels of evaluation, each subsequent level is built on information provided by the lower level, and thus the levels becomes progressively difficult with each level requiring more time and providing additional information. This evaluation strategy employs both seminal and cumulative assessment of the educational program under assessment. The four levels of evaluation measure reaction, learning, behavior and results, arranged hierarchically in that order. Measurement of reaction, also referred to as the ‘smile sheet’, evaluates what the learner perceived and thought about the training program. This level seeks to provide feedback about improvements needed for the program. The second level, learning, evaluates the extent to which increase in knowledge and skills and change in attitudes was realized as a result of the training program. This evaluation is done during training by either demonstration or test. Behaviour is evaluated by measuring the extent to which transferring knowledge, skills and attitudes to the actual job performance has been achieved. This evaluation is done three to six months after training and is usually conducted through observation. The final level measures results which are the eventual outcomes of the training program. These can be monetary, sales or profit, or other performance-based measurement. 2. Phillips’ Five-Levels of Evaluation This is an evaluation strategy developed by Jack J. Phillips as an extension to the classical Kirkpartick’s Four-Level evaluation strategy. This strategy seeks to evaluate educational programs using a five levels approach consisting of: level 1- reaction, satisfaction and planned action; level 2- learning; level 3- job performance and knowledge application; level 4- impact on organization, and; level 5- Return On Investment (ROI) (Ketter 2010, p. 9). References Choudaha, R, Chang, L 2012, Trends in International Student Mobility. World Education Services: New York. Yue, Y, Thao, L 2009, Cultural Adaptation of Asian Students in Australia. Tasmania: University of Tasmania. Department of Medical Education 2011, Pre-service Innovative teaching methodologies: Participant Workbook. India: St. John’s Medical College, Bangalore. Eisner, E 1967, Educational Objectives: Help or Hindrance?” University of Chicago Press: Chicago. Trotter, Y 1982, “Adult Learning Theories: Impacting Professional Development Programs” In Delta Kappa Gamma, Bulletin 72, No. 2. Glaser, R 1983, Education and Thinking: The Role of Knowledge. University of Pittsburg: California. Marquardt, M, Waddill, D 2004, The Power of Learning in Action Learning: A Conceptual Analysis of How Learning Theories are Incorporated within the Practice of Action Learning. Online Article, Available from: http://www.wial.org/publications/WIALauthored/ALadultLearning.pdf Beaudin, B, Quick, D 1995, Experiential Learning: Theoretical Underpinnings. Center for Agricultural Health and Safety: Colorado. Winfrey, E 1999, “Kirkpatrick's Four Levels of Evaluation.” In B. Hoffman (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Educational Technology. Online Article, Available from: http://www.4cleanair.org/Kirkpatrick.pdf [Accessed 24 Oct., 2012]. Thomas, K 2004, Learning Taxonomies in the Cognitive, Affective, and Psychomotor Domain. USA: Rocky Mountain Alchemy. Susan, I 1992, Reflective Practice in Adult Education. Available from: http://www.ericdigests.org/1992-3/adult.htm [Accessed 25 Oct, 2012 ] Phillips, J 2005, “Measuring ROI: Fact, Fad or Fantasy,” in Ketta, P. (ed.) (2010) The Best of Measuring and Evaluating Learning. Journal, T+D. Available from: http://www.ddiworld.com/DDIWorld/media/articles/Best-of-TD-Measuring-and-Evaluating-Learning.pdf Read More

Language barrier and the associated culture shock problems causes esteem issues and stress which in turn affect academic performance and class participation. This may further result to poor family contact, visa cancellation or inability of some students to report for subsequent semesters (Yue & Thao 2009, p. 12). Academic life and career-path related issues which include the desire or need to change courses or transfer to different colleges. In relation to this, advertisements for undergraduate courses posted internationally may not correspond with the quality on offer in some colleges, thus students find problems in successfully changing to better quality colleges.

Transition to careers after finishing college. Learning Objectives: Educational objectives are usually derived from curriculum theory. However, the outcomes of instruction programs are far more complex and numerous to encompass in a list of objectives (Eisner 1967, pg. 6). Educational objectives may fail to recognize the unique constraints that international student needs places upon the course’s objectives. This program design adopts a detailed and descriptive approach to outlining the objectives rather than a conventional list.

At the end of this course, the students will be able to have: Gained spoken English communication skills and properly understand spoken English dialect, acquired adequate academic writing skills, Developed adequate understanding of relevant aspects of culture, government and community. Also skills related to self esteem, time and money management and public interaction. Learned how to apply language, civic and social skills learnt in interpreting hypothetical and real situations related to academic resources and school routine, academic and career requirements, transport and living, and part-time employment arrangements.

Theoretical Orientation: Theories developed in psychological sciences can be used in the field of education in developing effective instructional practices that make use of the natural psychological setup of the human mind. Instructional programs designed for improving student reasoning and problem-solving skills and overall learning ability are developed in consideration of current psychological theory and research findings in cognitive sciences, developmental psychology and human intelligence studies (Glaser 1983, p. 3). The innate cognitive abilities of the human mind for understanding, logical reasoning, memory and learning are of great significance in educational program design with the aim of knowledge accumulation which promotes the increased utilization of these abilities in everyday situations.

These abilities are much more developed at adult stage, whereupon their use is much needed. However, the present approach adopted in most school curriculum aims at teaching and testing scholarly concepts without encouraging thinking and mindfulness (Glaser 1983, p. 4). 1. Cognitive Theory Cognitive development is the process of acquiring knowledge which is stored and retrieved for solving problems and developing insight. The emphasis under cognitive theory is that individuals have different needs and concerns depending on their environment and they have subjective interpretations of these situations in different contexts (Glaser 1983, p. 4). Cognitive theory grows from behavioral theory which is associated with classical conditioning theories.

Behaviorism theory has been postulated by various psychologists of the behaviorist school of though including Ivan Pavlov in Classical Conditioning theory (1897), Burrhus Frederic Skinner in the Operant Conditioning theory (1937), and by Edward Thorndike and John Broadus Watson. These theories assume that the learner is wholly responsive to environmental stimuli and behavior can thus be shaped through positive and negative reinforcement (Department of Medical Education 2011, p. 5). Therefore behavior is a function of its consequence and the learner will repeat the behavior if positive reinforcement consequences are associated with that behavior.

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