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Revisions

A complete instructional goal statement should describe the performance, and the learning context through the inclusion of four key including: a description of the learner; what learners will be able to do with the information learned; the context in which the skills will be applied; and what tools will be made available to the learners (Dick, Carey & Carey, p. 27). Upon further examination it was apparent that the original goal statement drafted for the analysis report was very abstract; it lacked crucial elements of information. Therefore, the original goal statement was revised to meet the recommendations set forth by Dick, Carey & Carey (See example Figure A).

Performance Objectives

According to Mager (1997), effective performance objectives should contain three main components including: a) performances that can be measured and observed, b) a description of the tools that will be available for the learners, and c) the criteria used to evaluate the learner’s ability to perform the task (Virginia Tech, 2008). Thus, the terminal objective for this instructional product is: “In a staff development training, adult education teachers will use Edmodo, a desktop computer, the Internet and various web-based reference materials (video tutorials, and instructional handouts) to: setup an Edmodo teacher account, and create a course group, post a note, post an assignment, and create a quiz with two or less errors per module.”

The main objective is both measureable and observable because the learners will need to create and perform a series of tasks in order to achieve the performance objective. The conditions are stated by providing information about the tools that will be used by the learners to perform the task, and the criterion is that the learners will need to create an account, a course group, post a note, post an assignment, and create a quiz.

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Sample Assessments for each objective

A pretest will not be used for this particular group of learners because they all master the prerequisite skills. However, a practice test will be administered at the end of each instructional module. Each test will contain a total of five questions comprised of a variety of T/F, Multiple Choice, and Fill-in-the blank (See example Figure B). The practice tests will be used as a diagnostic tool to gauge the learner’s comprehension and mastery of information, and to observe if there are any instructional gaps that need to be addressed or modified. Since the instructional product will be used for professional development training, the tests will not count towards or against the learner’s grades. A posttest will be delivered after learners have completed all of the modules. The results will be used to measure the effectiveness of the instructional materials. The tests will be created using an online quiz creator called Class Marker which provides learner’s with immediate feedback upon the completion of the test.

Instructional Sequence (Flowchart)

Originally the instructional product was going to contain only one main module, and a set of 25 sub skills. However, it was soon apparent that this method (of presenting all sub skills at once) would overwhelm the learner’s cognitive load and hinder the learner’s ability to process and transfer the learning from short-term to long-term memory (Dick, Carey & Carey, p. 179).

Consequently, the proposed instructional product was divided into five main modules; each one with its respective set of five sub skills that must be learnt before the learner can move on to the next module and so forth. It was setup this way to ensure that each step was presented to the learners in a chronological order. For example, the performance objective for module one is “The learner will, when given access to a computer, the internet, and instructional resources, set up a teacher account with Edmodo,” In order to achieve the performance objectives for

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module one, the instruction was broken down into five sub skills including: a) going to the

Edmodo website, b) provide signup information, c) select a school, and d) setup profile picture and URL (See example Figure C). This sequence provides both teacher and learner a pathway for teaching and learning. The performance objectives for module two through five follow the same structure, one main module with a set of five sub skills. Lastly, the learners will be able to reach the terminal goal upon the successful completion of all five main modules.

Instructional Strategies for Teaching Terminal Objective

All of the instructional materials will reside in a website created by the trainers, this in case one of the learners cannot attend a session. The instruction will begin by addressing the lower level sub skills first, and continue working upwards until the main goal has been reached. The instruction will continue to work from bottom to top and from left to right until all of the sub skills have been covered. It is projected that each main goal will be presented once a week, during a one-hour timeframe. Lecture will last approximately 20 minutes to allow learners the opportunity to work on the assignments, and to provide learners with individual help as needed. The instructional product will call for learners to work through a progression of five activities to get to their final product. They will engage in both hands-on activities, and several pretests designed to gauge their understanding of the topics presented in each activity.

Merrill’s (2002) “Five Principles of Instruction” (Problem, Activation, Demonstration, Application, and Integration) will be used in the teaching approach and the development of the instructional product. First, the instructional product relates to a real world problem one that is relevant to their classrooms and teaching professions because they need to find an alternative to the current course management system before the current one is phased out. Second, the learner’s prior knowledge of course management systems will be applicable to what they are learning; this

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will allow learners to make a connection between what they know, and what they are going to

learn. In addition, demonstration will be incorporated through the inclusion of multiple representations including guided instruction with visual aids, web-links, and videos that model performance. Moreover, learners will be able to apply their skills by “doing” the work themselves in the creation of their account, course group, notes, quizzes, and assignments. Last, but not least. The participants will be able to show and demonstrate their newly acquired skill set by inviting the trainer, and working towards the creation of other course assignments.

Additionally, John Keller’s ARCS Model of Motivational design (Clark, 2010) will be integrated in the instructional design of the instructional materials. In order to meet the motivational needs of the learners, the instruction will begin by posing a series of questions such as: “Have you ever considered using a social networking site like Facebook to reach students in your classroom? If so, what has kept you from using it in the classroom?” This will be done in an effort to engage the learners from the start, and get their attention. Each module will be presented the same way, with an opening question or fact to draw learner’s attention and prepare them for instruction. In order to make the instruction relevant I will point out that how the tools are applicable and relevant in their classrooms, for example, I will point out that Edmodo is very much like Facebook, and that it can be used as an alternative to the current learning management system. The learning activities are designed to promote active levels of engagement through computational thinking, practice, and repetition. Lastly, immediate feedback will be provided to them during instruction, and learners will be able to see their progression upon the completion of each assignment, and completion of quizzes.

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Student Grouping and Media Selection

Students will work individually. The media used to impart instruction will include: print media, streaming videos, and practice with online feedback. Furthermore, all of the materials will be instructional materials will be made available to the learners during the instruction, and will also be posted on a website so that the learners can access and refer to it as needed.

Summary

The topics covered in this instructional product are designed to introduce teachers (at the San Bernardino Adult School) to some of the features and affordances that Edmodo has to offer so that they can use it in lieu of the current Learning Management System. The topics will gradually move them from creating an account, to creating course groups and posting notes and assignments, and lastly to create quizzes. These are the fundamental components of any learning management system, and while Edmodo is not considered an LMS per se, it still offers its users various alternatives that are comparable to those offered by fee-based LMSs.

At this point all the necessary bits and pieces of information have been acquired and analyzed to justify the development of the instructional training. As observed in this and the analysis report, there is a need for training, and a need to develop instructional materials that will allow its targeted audience to learn in a quick and efficient manner. Teachers at the San Bernardino Adult School will be able to integrate Edmodo as part of the course curriculum to enhance teaching and learning. This course management system will enable its users to connect theory (reflection) with practice (action) to bring forth meaningful educational experiences beyond those currently taking place within the confines of the classroom (Krutka, Bergman Flores, Mason & Jack, p. 85).

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References

Clark, D. (2010). John keller’s arcs model of motivational design. Retrieved from http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/learning/id/arcs_model.html

Dick, W., Carey, L. & Carey, J. (2015). Systematic Design of Instruction, (8th ed.) Krutka, D., Bergman, D., Flores, R., Mason, K., & Jack, A. (2014). Microblogging about

teaching: Nurturing participatory cultures through collaborative online reflection with pre-service teachers. Teaching & Teacher Education, 40, 83-93.

Lechuga, K. (2014) Appendix A Revised Instructional Analysis.

Lechuga, K. (2014) Appendix B Sample Practice Tests and Posttest.

Lechuga, K. (2014) Appendix C Instructional Map depicting Terminal Goal and Subordinate

Skills.

Virginia Tech School of Education. (2008). Writing objectives. Retrieved from

http://www.itma.vt.edu/modules/spring03/instrdes/lesson6.htm

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Merrill, M. (2002). First principles of instruction. Educational Technology Research and Development, 50(3), 43-59