Wednesday, July 8, 2015

ED 601 Module 1 Reflection

          Learning experiences must provide a link to previous knowledge to learn and apply new information. The most memorable learning experience I had growing up was learning how to cook. I was most interested in recipes that included a picture of the final product, and turned to my mom to teach me. She provided me with the basics of cooking through hands-on, step by step instruction. According to Larson and Lockee (2014), "Well designed instruction captures the attention of learners and prompts them to interact with the content" (p.31). Beneficial learning experiences, regardless of content, require good instructional design. But where do we start?




          As I read through the text, I thought about the most important technology needs within my school as well as how to deliver the information without going over someone's head or boring them with repetitive information. Larson and Lockee (2014) explains that the ADDIE model, acronym for Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation, is an instructional design model representing activities to be accomplished to form an effective "recipe." In the analysis phase, clear goals need to be established, steps to achieve goal should be determined, evaluate what the learner already knows, and determine the learning objectives. The following video explains the first part of the ADDIE model, analysis, by comparing the activity to cooking.



         
          As a special education teacher, I am constantly designing accommodated, modified, and individualized instruction. As I read this text, I wondered how an instructional designer would plan ahead to ensure all learning needs are met. A wide range in ability, differing learning styles, and varying attention spans should be considered when analyzing the instructional design. This includes different learning styles, but also a wide variety of experience with technology. Hands-on instruction ensures students are receiving auditory instruction, a visual, and an opportunity to engage in the content. While hands on learning is essential, more diverse instruction is necessary. When new information is introduced, it can seem very overwhelming. Providing handouts to review the information and share resources is very beneficial to those learning the material. Additional resources can be compiled on a website for an efficient reference for students. While it may seem overwhelming to create a variety of resources, ultimately each student will understand the concepts, reducing the amount of additional instruction in the future.
 
 
                                                       References

jclarkgardner. (2011, September 25). The ADDIE analysis phase [Video file].
           Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZdv5lrJs4U

Larson, M., & Lockee, B. (2014). Streamlined ID: A practical guide to
          Instructional Design.
New York: Routledge.

2 comments:

  1. I have to imagine that as a special education teacher, your biggest challenge everyday is providing individualized instruction for all of your students. Larson and Lockee reference Chastain (1975) and say that individualizing instruction means gearing the learning to the needs of the individual, not learning in an isolated context. I would be very interested in hearing your perspective on individualized instruction based on your experiences in a special ed environment. I have found the differences we experience as teachers in the classroom fascinating on individualizing instruction. We all approach it from so many different ways that there are so many good insights into how to best individualize instruction.

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  2. I really enjoyed the video you included. Being able to relate the steps of the ADDIE model to cooking really helped me better understand the process. I think it can become overwhelming to consider all of the characteristics of analyzing the learner that Larson and Lockee suggest. I find comfort in their words that, "You rarely have unlimited time and budget to meet everyone's needs, so you must often address only the most global and critical learner characteristics in your design" (2014, pg. 49). Of course, we should strive to meet all the needs we possibly can, but there are restrictions and limitations that may be out of our control such as financial or time constraints.

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