Week Three

Chapter Two

Question 1: How can an instructional design model help you develop your instructional plan? Identify the steps of the DID model and briefly explain each.

Planning is essential for effective instruction. If teachers don’t have a plan, they “fly by the seat of their pants”, guessing at what students need to know, pulling together half-baked activities at the last moment, and generally making it all up as they go along. Have you ever had a teacher like that? I have. Students don’t have confidence in the teacher and don’t take the class seriously. That is why planning is so important, but how does one even begin to plan for instruction? It seems like such a large task.

Models facilitate planning. According to one definition, a model is a pattern or mode of structure or formation (Dictionary.com). Models exist to ensure that the finished product or design has a sound structure and will function as intended. By using an instructional design model, teachers can be confident that their instruction will take into account all aspects of the learning process – what the students will learn, the learning environment, the characteristics of students, and sound strategies for instruction. An instructional design model will provide the framework for a strong instructional plan, effective delivery, and positive student outcomes.

The Dynamic Instructional Design (DID) model is an example of a model that teachers can use to plan instruction. The DID model is used in the first part of a larger process called Design-Plan-Act (DPA) which takes the teacher from square one of course and unit planning all the way through to delivering individual lessons in the classroom. The word “dynamic” in the name of the DID model is important. This model is dynamic as opposed to static, which means at each step the designer looks back at what has been done so far and modifications of previous steps are possible. Therefore, DID is an iterative process rather than a linear process. The steps in the DID model are described below.

Know the learners. Lay the groundwork for instructional design by getting to know the students in terms of their cultural and linguistic backgrounds, learning characteristics, prior skills and knowledge, and physical and cognitive development. Create individual profiles and class profiles on these dimensions. This information is valuable for planning the learning environment and specific strategies to address learning needs of individuals and the class as a whole.

State the learning objectives. These objectives should be clear, concise, well-written statements of exactly what is expected of students as a result of the instruction event. Objectives should tap multiple levels of thinking from simple knowledge all the way through synthesis. An example of a learning objective is: In an essay, students will compare and contrast the reasons for U.S. military action in Vietnam and Afghanistan with a rating of at least “adequate” on a rubric designed for evaluating the specified essay.

Establish the learning environment. The learning environment encompasses all conditions which may affect learning. The physical space (lighting, temperature, etc.) as well as the emotional space (supportive and nurturing atmosphere) are both aspects of the learning environment. In addition, the environment must be well-organized and promote active rather than passive learning.

Identify and select support technologies. In the design phase of DPA it is important to consider which technology tools will best support the teaching and learning of the objectives as well as the needs of students. Varieties include audio (recordings of narration or music), visual (video, 3-d models, pictures), or digital (computer software and hardware, smart board, etc.). Selected technology should be well-matched to the learning environment. In order to make wise decisions about support technologies, teachers must be well-versed in the advantages of each available technology, and teachers must understand how to use each technology.

Evaluate and revise the design. As the design unfolds, formative evaluation takes place. This allows the designer to discover problems with the design and make adjustments and improvements at many points in the design process. It is this formative evaluation that makes DID an iterative process. After the design has been implemented, a more formal summative evaluation takes place. Feedback and analysis regarding the effectiveness and practicality of the design are considered, and modifications to the design may be made. In this way, the design will be improved each time it is used.