Week 5 Response

1. What are the essential components of Instructional Design?

Instructional design has been defined by Smith and Ragan (2005) as a process that includes analysis of learning needs and goals, development of instructional materials and activities, and instruction of the learners’ understanding. Spector and Muraida (1997) refer to instructional design as a structuring of the learning environment for the purpose of facilitating learning or improving learning effectiveness. Jonassen (2001) suggests that instructional design is the application of theory to create effective instruction. While there is no one definition for instruction design, it is clear that instructional design is a process that establishes appropriate phases in a systematic manner for students to achieve desired learning outcomes.

 

I think that essential components of instructional design include analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. These five steps form the acronym ADDIE, a model developed by Royce (1970). During the analysis phase, the teacher must consider the learning environment and learners. Factors to consider include resources, students’ ages prior knowledge, and abilities. In the design phase, teachers will consider the learning objectives, and determine which approach is most suitable for the circumstances. The teacher will gather and/or develop materials and resources for implementation. An evaluation of the product and process determine if students met learning objectives and if students’ needs were met.

 

While I think that the five components of the ADDIE model serve as a general guideline for developing a lesson or a unit, I think that revision is an important part of the instructional design process that is missing in the original version of the model. The ASSURE model includes an evaluate and revise phase, which sees teachers reflect upon the stated objectives, content, strategies, activities, and assessment, determining if they were effective and revising them until students become successful learners.

 

http://web.archive.org/web/20120509190427/http://fog.ccsf.cc.ca.us/~mmalacho/OnLine/ADDIE.html http://crl.acrl.org/content/64/6/494.full.pdf
http://www.learning-theories.com/addie-model.html

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

 

Each of the components from question number one need to address information technology. In the analysis phase, the teacher must determine what forms of information technology is available and necessary for learners. Or, a teacher may decide to use such technology to gather information on students prior knowledge of a concept. Teachers must decide what forms of information technology are appropriate for the design. Working with students who students who are interested and motivated by technology, I think that it is important to develop materials and resources with technology as much as possible. Information technology should enhance implementation. Teachers should be able to utilize IT to develop all learners’ understanding of concepts. During the evaluation phase, information technology would be used for summative evaluations, and should be used properly to provide accurate evaluations. For revision, information technology may need to be adjusted, based on feedback, reflection, and evaluations.

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

 

While many of the instructional design models that were developed before information technology was as valueable as it is today, I think that most models can accomodate IT. Technology is a tool that can be applied throughout the phases of most models. One obvious model that we have already considered in an earlier module is Rapid Prototyping. Another model that considers IT is the NTeQ model. NTeQ represents the Integrating Technology for Inquiry, an approach to integrating computers to guide students’ learning. The NTeQ model views the teacher as a facilitator and encourages students to collaborate and become engaged in their learning through various forms of technologies. Teachers are expected to develop a classroom environment that embraces technology and encourages such learning opportunities. The computer is viewed as a learning tool, with the student at the centre of learning. As you can see from these two graphical representations, technology is involved throughout the NTeQ model.