Evaluating, Implementing, and Planning Instructional Programs

I.  Models for Evaluating Instruction
A.  The ADDIE Model

Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, and Evaluate

The ADDIE Model includes five phases through which the learning environment and learner characteristics are identified.  This is one of the most popular models used for instructional design and evaluation.  One analyzes their audience, designs and researches material, develops the activity, implements the activity, and conducts both formative and summative evaluations of the lesson or project.

Source:  http://ed.isu.edu/addie/index.htmlback from the users.

B. Formative Evaluation Design Reviews

Goal ReviewConduct a formal needs assessment and review the learning goal.

Review of Environment and Learner AnalysisAfter data has been collected; instructional designers should consider the environment and analyze the learners.

Review of Task AnalysisReview the task for completeness.

Review of Assessment Specifications and BlueprintsReview assessment items to determine if they are effective blueprints for achieving the intended goal.

Source:  Instructional Design (2nd ed.) Smith, P. and Ragan, T. (1999). New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

II. Facebook

          When given the assignment to discuss the perceived attributes of a recent technological innovation in my social system, the most blatant example for me would have to be Facebook.  Perceived attributes are a component of adoption and diffusion theory as described by Everett Rogers in his work Diffusion of Innovations.  According to Rogers, this concept refers to the how potential adopters form their opinions of newly introduced innovations.  These opinions may be based on a variety of factors, not simply a relative advantage.  Of the five key attributes that Rogers identified, relative advantage is listed alongside four others:  compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability.  What this means is that people want to know if something is “compatible with their values, beliefs and needs; is not too complex; can be tried out before adoption, and has observable benefits” (Reiser & Dempsey, 2007).  To anyone who has used Facebook, it is clear that each of these five attributes is characteristic of this application as a technological innovation.  For example, one may customize their account to meet their values, beliefs, and needs; it is not too complex; can be tried and cancelled; and has observable benefits in both private and public realms. 

          I find it only fitting to include an example of Facebook’s most recent victory:

Whether one agrees with the current situation in Egypt or not, the level of organization and instruction incorporated in such protests has most definitely been due to the power of technology and social networking.

III. Situational Leadership

          If I were given a task of designing professional development sessions about technology for teachers, the first thing I would want to do is contact the teachers.  Rather than begin with an environment of inefficiency, it would be more productive to survey the teachers as to what it is they want and need to learn.  I might even contact them with social networking, texting, or email, and then use a web-based suryvey tool.  After assessing these needs, I would look to find the most productive way to present sessions.  This stage of organization would be of the utmost importance, because it would involve time and creativity.  For that reason, I would attempt to involve the learners in this design process.  There might be a teacher who already has a whiteboard set up in his room, or there may be a yearbook sponsor who would be willing to conduct a series on digital cameras, and so on.  By creating ownership and trust, I would hope to build a schedule of needed sessions that are beneficial for the learners involved.  Once establishing that schedule, I would communicate it widely to all involved.  This communication could be done on a school website with links a calendar of events, relevant websites, necessary supplies, and contact information.  Naturally, all things human have their hiccups, and upon closure of the professional development, I would ask that all participants complete a survey to better meet the demand of teachers learning needs in the future.  This could be done formatively during each session, but using http://www.polleverywhere.com/ and summatively on paper or with a web-based survey instrument.