Week 7-8 Post

Hi all,
Here are my thoughts for this week. All comments welcome, Ryan.

1. What are the essential components of Instructional Design?

Gustafson and Branch (1997) state that Instructional Design has been grounded in the following components: Analysis, Design, Development, Evaluation, and Revision. It is the process of determining what learning goals are to be met and then designing and developing instructional resources that can meet these goals, considering students’ needs and learning styles. Feedback (preferably from the user/student) and revision must be part of the process in developing a proper Instructional Design. This is a continual process that will change depending on students experience, beliefs, and past knowledge. Revisions will be generated from both the front end (changes in learning objectives) and the back end (feedback and student evaluation).

2. Which of the essential components from question number 1 need to address issues concerning Information Technology?

I believe that of the five components listed above, the ones that will have the greatest effect from Information Technology will be Design and Development. Analysis of the learning goals will probably not be overly affected by the abundance or lack of available technology. However, as a teacher designs and develops an instructional plan to meet these objectives, the availability of Information Technology will impact the resources and plans that are created. Evaluation of the technological resources, student success with these resources, and the continued availability of these technological resources will be reflected in the Revision component of the Instructional Design.

3. From the models that you have read, which one(s) take IT into consideration? Discuss how the model(s) may be doing this.

I found that all of the readings took IT into consideration in varying degrees. However, I thought that the ADDIE, ASSURE and Gagne models specifically outline how IT can improve an Instructional Design. Gagne outlines how his nine-step Instructional Events can be tailored to e-learning through the use of multimedia and training simulators. The ADDIE model specifically describes synchronous and asynchronous methods of course delivery as well as a CBT and WBT course format. The ASSURE model has the selection and utilization of media right in its acronym. ASSURE mentions how technology should be integrated into the instruction and that students should be “encouraged to participate, engage and construct” (UMDNJ/Douglas College, 2003) by using various media and IT resources.

4. Do you need to use only one model?

Just as there is no one learning theory (e.g., behaviourism, cognitivism, constructivism, etc.) that can be used for all instruction, I believe that there is not just one model that should be used for Instructional Design. A teacher must be cognizant of the specific student learning styles, desired learning objectives, and available technological resources at his / her disposal. As each of these variables change, so must the Instructional Design. The model must be flexible enough to accommodate these ever-changing revisions. Therefore, I believe that teachers must pick and choose different components from different models in order to customize the Instructional Design to best suit the specific learning conditions and environment.

5. Is it possible for one “Super ID Model” to be used in all educational contexts? If yes, discuss the overall nature and structure of this model. If no, explain why not.

I feel that the ASSURE and ADDIE models take care to be broad enough and flexible enough to be used in most classrooms. However, as I mentioned above, I believe that the complexity and uniqueness of the classroom prevents the implementation of a one- size-fits-all approach to Instructional Design. It is the responsibility and talent of the teacher to determine what aspects of any model are relevant to their classroom. If delivering the curriculum were as simple as following a single step-by-step Instructional Design, we would all be out of a job! I do believe that models like ASSURE and ADDIE can assist teachers in developing resources, analysing student needs and determining appropriate evaluations and revisions. But at the end of the day, even the best, most super ID model is still just a tool to be used at the discretion of the teacher.

6. Do you have a model from above that you believe would work best for your educational context? If so, list it and explain why.

The most common question that I ask myself at the end of a class is “did that lesson meet the objectives that I set out at the start of the day”? For that reason, I believe that components of the ADDIE model would best suit my educational context. Objectives from this model are measurable and sequential. This model helps the teacher keep focus by relating each step of the process back to the objective and goal. In my classroom, I often use student feedback to assess how my lesson meets their needs. Important components of the ADDIE model also rely on feedback, testing and review to assess and revise the plan.