Trends and Issues in IDT: If you design it will they come?

The reading of this last week had me wondering how I rate as a twenty-first century teacher.  Most of the time I would say that I always teach my students to think critically and solve real-world problems, but my thirteen year-old son informed me that I could use more training and resources in this department.  Don't you love the honesty of a teenager who is confident he will solve all the world's problems when he gets older?  I guess I need to print the quote here and paste it in a prominent place in my classroom to remind me of the type of teacher I want to be when I grow up. 

1.  Chapters in Section V identify trends and issues in IDT in various contexts:  business & industry; military; health care education; P-12 education; and post-secondary education.  Select at least 3 of these 5 contexts and compare/contrast the IDT trends and issues.  Then explain how they are similar or different from the IDT trends and issues in the context in which you work.  

Technology Setting	Trends	Issues
Business and Industry	Many industries are moving out of the country. Demands for design cycle time reduction, increased effectiveness, and efficiency.	Instructional designers must create instruction for cross-culture situations based on societal cultural factors, learner cultural factors, and for cross-cultural workforce.  This may cause many issues if they are themselves not from the country they are trying to design instruction.  Design cycle times are often reduced and thus they must find ways to increase effectiveness and efficiency.  They are sometimes able to use rapid prototyping which allows them to design and develop while also evaluating the product at the same time.  The increase in technology-based instruction has also improved efficiency and allowed them to produce instruction and deliver it via computer to the clients.
P-12 Education	Computer access has increased across the country with a 4:1 ratio of students to computers within the last 3 decades.  All states have also adopted technology integration curriculum or standards.	Still a gap in where we are and where we want to be.  These are some key reasons why. 1.  Students use computers for both high- level instruction and low-level tasks which negate the gains. 2.  Professional development not always available or adequate for teachers. 3.  Technology may be in –line with higher level thinking, but state assessments are still geared toward low-level learning. 4.  Employers state our high school graduates are still deficient in 21st century skills needed for higher-level problem solving. 5.  Standards are in place for all states, but only 42% of states require a technology course for initial state licensure and 20% of states require technology training or testing for recertification.
Post-Secondary Education	Faculty instructors tend to also be the instructional designers, which means, they not only teach courses, they also develop and design the instruction.  Collaboration with colleagues allows for them to see what is and is not working for instruction.  Instructional Designers also are the ones who develop training for their fellow faculty members and give workshops.  Since they are continuing with research and publications, they are on top of the latest trends in ID.	Some of the issues they face are the same for other industries.  They still face time constraints and must work around them.  Finding time to conduct research and publish findings is difficult when teaching a full course load and designing instruction.  They must push fellow faculty to make time for training and also developing instruction.  They also need to take into consideration that their fellow colleagues may or may not have ID theory background which will affect how they design instruction.

After looking at these three industries for Instructional Design, I have decided that everyone struggles with issues when designing instruction.  It was very refreshing for me to see that even in business and industry, ID’s deal with cultural issues too.  We are constantly reminded in teaching to remember not every child lives in a home that believes as we do.  For some districts with more diversity, that is truer than ever.  Understanding how to look at these issues and account for them in instruction is a harder job than we might think.  I especially enjoyed reading how they suggested looking at word choice and subtle signals and cues in illustrations that may have different meanings in other cultures.  I have heard humorous stories from previous professors that made a gesture while talking and unknowingly offended someone in the country they were visiting.  Knowing this is a possibility and taking measures to avoid it is difficult, but necessary if you want to be an effective teacher. 

We have been discussing how to help students become twenty-first century learners and prepare them for college and the workforce.  I think sometimes it is hard for teachers who have taught all of their adult life to understand what that really means.  My friends who have only taught do not understand when I tell them things are different in the corporate world.  I worked more than 10 years outside education and know that students need to think beyond knowledge and comprehension and to synthesize and evaluate.  This means we need to stop teaching to the state assessments and start working towards higher level thinking.  If only it were that easy to do.  Unfortunately, our school districts think more of how TEA rates us based on our test scores than producing students who will think outside the box we have put them into.  Of course, more quality professional development may help with this issue if teachers find the time to attend.  This is where the desire to be life-long learners helps with motivating teachers to carve out that time for training.  I know our lives are busy and it is hard to find time for one more thing extra, but I feel strongly that quality training is important for making us better teachers.  If we don’t desire to know more, how can we expect our students to want to know more? 

2.  Chapters in Section VI discuss global trends and issues in IDT.  As the world’s population grows exponentially, we face unprecedented challenges that have implications for learning.  How and can we prepare our youth to address the problems of living in a world with 9 billion people when the earth’s resources cannot sustain that many?  Do our current education system, curriculum, and instructional practices help learners foster the complex problem-solving skills necessary to tackle these issues?  Are there methods and practices used in European and Asian countries that we should use here in the US?  Why or why not?

How often do we as a society make a decision to push our problems further in the future in hopes that we will not have to deal with them.  Why are we setting up our youth for the downfall?  I do not have an answer to this, but I hope that someday we will realize it is okay to solve our own problems.

After reading all three chapters in Section VI I have come to realize that Instructional Design is not a highly regarded profession in other countries.  Of course, I did not expect it to be a high priority in third world countries.  These countries deal with so much contention between tribes and coups to overthrow the current governments, that education and more importantly instructional design is not as important as who will come out on top.  However, with all the “technology” in Asian countries, I certainly expected more from them.  I was impressed to see that in Korea they require technology courses for both licensure and re-certification.  I think in the twenty-first century, this should be a requirement in all countries.  It also should be required for our administrators who ask us to adopt a technology for use without even understanding how it might work in the classroom.  Then they might decide to test on their own the latest technology craze before asking us to use it in our classrooms.  

It was almost shocking to know that educators did not enjoy the respect they deserve by the business world in European countries.  I then began to think of how teachers are regarded in American and realized we are not given the respect we deserve either.  I have been told on more than one occasion that teachers don’t work that hard and should be happy since we get summers off.  I don’t know where they heard that, but after 10 years in corporate America, I have worked harder in the five years of teaching than I did any other time in my life.  I think America and Europe might need to take some notes from Korea and even Japan to some extent on how to show respect to our teachers. 

It seems like our education system is trying to become more conducive to thought-provoking instruction and curriculum.  I just think that we have looked at testing for so long we are not sure what that should look like.  With current teaching practices, our youth will not be prepared to handle our sustainability issues.  This week my son went to a Texas Brigades Camp in South Texas.  Why am I mentioning this and why is it relevant?  Well, they did something in four and a half days that some teachers do not manage to do in 182 days of instruction.  They taught the kids to be leaders while working as a team.  They learned wildlife management and how to help sustain populations of quail.  The binder he brought home actually referenced TEKS for 7^th grade Science.  I was surprised when he got in the truck and did not stop talking about all he learned until he fell asleep (evidently sleeping was not as high a priority as team building).  Why don’t our students do this when they leave our classrooms?  The slogan or motto of the organization is “Tell me and I forget.  Show me and I remember.  Involve me and I understand.”  They involved the kids in learning about not only habitat management and ecology, but also anatomy of the birds and egg development.  He said he learned a lot and wished I had done more of that in my science class that he happened to be in this past year.  Ouch!  To go back to camp, he will be required to give presentations on all he learned and write articles for newspapers and magazines.  This is all for a camp that I paid for him to attend!  How do we design instruction that works like this?  Maybe it will take more than looking at what technology will work best.  After all, they were only allowed to use computers minimally and the biggest form of technology they used was a radio telemetry receiver to locate quail with radio collars.  Our kids are being “dumbed down” as Phil Green said when talking about infantilism as stated in “Big Babies or Why can’t we just grow up?”, by Michael Bywater.  I completely agree with this statement.  We are putting a band-aid on a dam that is about to burst and we don’t even realize it.  I love to ask questions that are not necessarily in the textbook or reading material, but can be disseminated if they read and think about it.  However, many times I hear the same thing over and over again, “where do I find this in the book?”  At times I laugh it off and remind them that we were given a brain to use.  If used right, we will be able to discern the answer with the knowledge we have stored in it.  Other times, I would have to take several deep breaths because I knew they were going to Google the answer at any minute for a quick fix.  Even teachers such as me who want to ask the questions that make my students think critically and problem solve are finding resistance from our youth.  They have become lazy and do not want to think.  That does not stop me from requiring them to think, and I will continue to do so until they begin thinking for themselves.  I only hope I can outlast them.  

Reiser, Robert A., and John V. Dempsey.Trends and issues in instructional design and technology. 3rd ed. Boston: Pearson, 2012. Print.

Instructional design and Performance Improvement: You want me to design it and then what?

"The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency."  Bill Gates

This weeks reflection was a bit of a challenge for me as I tried to search for two other ways to evaluate Instructional Design.  I am sure there were more out there, but I was unable to find any that I felt fit with the topic this week.  The quote above fit well with the idea of Return on Investment and Managing Resources.  It also seemed to sum up Performance Support Systems and Knowledge Managment Systems in Section IV.  

1.  Chapters in Section III discuss evaluation in instructional design and provide three evaluation models:  CIPP, Five-Domain, and Kirkpatrick’s Training Evaluation model.  Search for at least two other models used for evaluation and summarize these models.  Describe how you would use them to evaluate your instruction.

ADDIE Model

This model was first presented in 1975 by Florida State University.  They developed it for the U.S. Army to use in their training.  It has been revised over the years to move from a linear model into a more dynamic and interrelated concept.  ADDIE is an Instructional Systems Design model which is broader in scope than the traditional Instructional Design models which focus mostly on analysis and design.  The ADDIE model focuses on five phases:

• Analysis – basis for the training program asking who will be trained, what needs to be learned, how will the training occur and where.  Simply put it is where the main problem is identified and learning outcomes are set.  Uses a Backwards Planning Model to make sure instruction connects to the organization’s needs, vision, mission, and values.
• Design – driven by products or results of the analysis phase and is completed when a blueprint of the training process to be developed is created.  Must contain five key outputs:  learning objectives, performance test, learning steps, entry behaviors, and structure and sequence of the instructional outline.
• Development – builds on the learning objectives and takes previous content to create learning platform.  This in turn results in the instructional courseware.
• Implementation – instructional courseware is delivered to the organization and presented to learners.  The previous three phases insure that the instructional platform performs as predicted and supports learner’s needs.
• Evaluation – is the determination that the instruction meets the criteria outlined during the analysis and design phase.  Often we think it only occurs at the end of the design process, but in actuality it is on-going from beginning to end.  In the ADDIE model it is both formative and summative in nature. 
  

Since the ADDIE Model is designed to evaluate the Instructional Design throughout the entire process, it is a valid assessment tool.  It is based on Kirkpatrick’s Four Levels of Evaluation, however it flips them to look at the results first.  This creates the Backwards Design Model which many in education use to design instruction in the classroom.  In other words, what do we want the learners to know, so we may create instruction that gets those results?  (Clark, www.nwlink.com)

Kemp Instructional Design Model

The Kemp design model takes a holistic approach to designing instruction.  This model takes into consideration all factors in the learning environment from learner characteristics and learning objectives, to instructional activities and resources needed.  It has a cycle that incorporates nine key elements and continuous implementation and evaluation.  In other words, while the instruction is being designed, evaluators are determining the effectiveness of each component on learning.    The nine key elements of the Kemp ID model are:

1. Identify instructional problems, and specify goals for designing an instructional program.
2. Examine learner characteristics that should receive attention during planning.
3. Identify subject content, and analyze task components related to stated goals and purposes. 
4. State instructional objectives for the learner.
5. Sequence content within each instructional unit for logical learning.
6. Design instructional strategies so that each learner can master the objectives.
7. Plan the instructional message and delivery.
8. Develop evaluation instruments to assess objectives.
9. Select resources to support instruction and learning activities.
   

This model focuses on the learner’s needs and instructional objectives, which make it effective for creating whole units of instruction, as well as, individual lessons. 

Most of the time our units of instruction are based on the Common Based Assessment (CBA) that our district creates to determine if students have mastered the learning objectives for that unit.  With this backward design in mind, I see how the ADDIE ISD model might be useful in creating instruction that gets the results we are looking for.  However, as a teacher, I need a model that helps assess the objectives that I want my students to meet.  The Kemp ID model looks at the learning objectives with learner characteristics to create instruction that meets all my needs.  It takes pedagogy, content, and technology into consideration when designing instruction.  I definitely see myself using this model over the others.  I also agree with many of the websites that I read through that sometimes it is not one Instructional Design Model that works all the time.  By looking at several ID models, we are able to piece together instruction that fits all of our needs. 

2.  Reflect on what other questions that instructional design evaluation should address besides whether the instructional design leads to comparable amounts of learning and learner satisfaction as traditional methods.  Should return on investment and management of resources also be considered in evaluations of instructional programs?  What other measures should/could be considered?

In the last two years, our district has been tasked with the challenge of evaluating textbooks to determine if they meet the objectives or TEKS that TEA has set out for Science instruction.  We have looked at the information in the textbooks to make sure they addressed the content needed and learning objectives.  Functionality was another criteria addressed since we have been told that TEA will not allow textbook publishers to print traditional copies for school districts.  With the push for technology use, the textbooks will now need to be online or in a PDF or ebook format.  So, we were asked to test a couple of “textbook” websites to see if they fit the bill.  I looked for a few things when cruising their websites and that was ease-of-use, correct content, connection to real-world topics, and an evaluation component to see if students met the objectives for the unit of instruction.  Ease-of-use is a big thing for instruction that is being used in the classroom.  I may teach Pre-AP Science, but my students still need an instructional resource that is designed with their level of development in mind.  I won’t name the specific publishers that I tested, but will say that one did meet most of my criteria.  I know that I am supposed to be addressing instructional design, but as a teacher, my instruction is designed with the resources we have available in mind.  If the resources our district gives us are not lending to the learning environment, then we need to find something that does.  It also must give us the best return on investment possible.  Let’s face it, Texas school districts are dealing with budget shortfalls just like the state and federal governments.  We are asked to teach more students with less money for supplies and teaching resources.  Our time is very valuable and searching for the best resources to complete an unit of instruction can be very time consuming and costly.  I think that when evaluating instructional design, ROI and management of resources is a big deal, but also whether or not it is effective in meeting the learning objectives.    

3.  Section IV focuses on human performance, performance support systems, knowledge management systems, and the concept of informal learning.  Not all problems in learning and/or performance require an instructional one.  Many times a non-instructional approach is a more appropriate solution.  Identify a performance problem in your area of work and identify non-instructional solutions that may help solve the problem.  Would better performance support systems, knowledge management systems, or opportunities for informal learning solve the problem?

"There can be infinite uses of the computer and of new age technology, but if teachers themselves are not able to bring it into the classroom and make it work, then it fails."  Nancy Kassebaum 

             Since I began teaching five years ago, the recurring argument has been about how to use technology in our classrooms while trying to manage more students than we had before.  I am not sure why this is such a big issue, but it has become the proverbial “broken record” complaint.  When I think of performance problems, this one seems to be one of the biggest.  I say this because it does not necessarily have anything to do with teaching the students and more about personal issues with technology.  The “complainers” all demand more training from administration on how to use the technology we are given.  They think with more training they will miraculously be able to make wonderful lessons using the technology given to us.  The problem is, they really do not know how to use the technology and deep down do not want to use the technology.  Therefore, we have a performance problem that needs to be improved in some way.  While reading the chapter on Human Performance Improvement, one thing I noticed is that the word performance was defined by Gilbert as “the valued accomplishment derived by costly behavior”.  This is an interesting point, because behavior is one of the issues we have.  I don’t mean they have inappropriate behavior, I just think that their negative attitude directly relates to how they perform in the classroom and thus their behavior does not result in an increasing value.  The question now is, how do we address these problems in a way that improves performance and attitude?  I think informal learning has benefitted our campus by allowing some of the “knowledgeable” teachers to mentor the others.  I personally have helped teachers who are not as “into” technology as myself, by finding lessons that are easy to use and then assisting in implementing them in the classroom.  This does not cost me or my peers anything and the district saves money on formal training sessions.  I also believe the knowledge management systems may benefit these teachers, but only if they will access them.  We use OneNote to consolidate training materials, campus forms, and even testing data for our own campus.  Our district uses a website that houses the district forms, and an internal server that allows us to access training videos and podcasts, curriculum from our instructional facilitators, and even updates for programs we use.  These knowledge management systems keep us up-to-date while minimizing the need for formal trainings and meetings.  Our principal also addresses issues through meetings with our department chairs, who pass on the information to each individual department, and emails from the district office that address items we need to change or important details we need to know.  None of these require “formal lessons” and everyone benefits from them. 

Another example of how formal instruction may not benefit is with my husband’s work.  His employment (which I will not name specifically because it is a federal government entity) has many different systems for each component of the organization.  Most of the systems are not available to all employees for one reason or another.  They do not interact with one another often as they are housed in different locations even within the region.  So when an issue arises, they must call each department to obtain the information needed to make a decision.  If the knowledge management systems were all accessible to everyone, then this process might take less time.  They also have issues with some supervisors who like to promote based on people’s personalities (basically they brown-nose their way up the ladder) rather than on their own performance, which as Gilbert outlined in his principles and theorems, encourages incompetent employees (Reiser & Dempsey, 2012 pg. 137).  These employees are able to socialize, but do not have any knowledge of the performance factors that allow them to do their job well.  This also causes issues as these employees are often out to discredit others in the department and spend more time on this endeavor than their jobs.  All the performance improvement support, knowledge management systems, and informal learning cannot overcome the “good -old-buddy system” that occurs in this situation.  

Resources:

Clark, D. (1995, July 13). ADDIE Model. Performance, Learning, Leadership, and Knowledge. Retrieved June 21, 2013, from http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/history_isd/addie.html#dynamic

File:ADDIE Model of Design.jpg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. (2012, April 18). Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved June 21, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ADDIE_Model_of_Design.jpg

Instructional Design Models and Methods | Instructional Design Central. (n.d.). Instructional Design Central | Instructional Designer Resources, Information, and Professional Networking Services. Retrieved June 21, 2013, from http://www.instructionaldesigncentral.com/htm/IDC_instructionaldesignmodels.htm

Morrison, G. (n.d.). Kemp Design Model. Instructional Design. Retrieved June 21, 2013, from http://www.instructionaldesign.org/models/kemp_model.html

Schneider, D. K. (2007, June 4). Kemp design model - EduTech Wiki. EduTech Wiki. Retrieved June 21, 2013, from http://edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/Kemp_design_model