Reflection for EDTC 6025:  Analysis and Evaluation in Instructional Technology

Instructor:  Dr. William Sugar

State the competency, or standard that is appropriate for your degree and licensure area.

ISTE Standards for Coaches

4.  Professional Development and Program Evaluation:  Technology coaches conduct needs assessments, develop technology-related professional learning programs, and evaluate the impact on instructional practice and student learning.

            a.  Conduct needs assessments to inform the content and delivery of technology-related professional learning programs that result in a positive impact on student learning.

            b.  Design, develop, and implement technology-rich professional learning programs that model  principles of adult learning and promote digital age best practices in teaching, learning, and assessment.

            c.  Evaluate results of professional learning programs to determine the effectiveness on deepening teacher content knowledge, improving teacher pedagogical skills, and/or increasing student learning.

Describe the requirements for the artifact.

            Analysis and Evaluation in Instructional Technology, taught by Dr. William Sugar in the fall 2013, focused on developing instructional analyses, strategies, and formative evaluation methods.  This class continued our study from EDTC 6020 on the instructional design process, as well as introduced us to various instructional design models.  Dick, Carey, and Carey (2009) stress the importance of technology facilitators having the ability to create effective instruction.  In this class, we learned to create instruction that was not only effective, but thoughtful, systematic and inquiry-based.  Our final project required us to take what we learned about instructional design and apply it to professional development for teachers.  We were to choose an instructional design model (we chose ASSURE) and use this model to guide us through the design of instruction.  We were again required to complete all the steps of the instructional design process as in EDTC 6020, however this time the focus was on the actual implementation and evaluation.  I completed this project with two of my classmates and colleagues, Melinda Moody and Beth Elliote.    

Explain how your artifact is a good example of the objective, competency, or standard.

            My EDTC 6025 instructional design project demonstrates my ability to conduct needs assessments, develop technology-related professional learning programs, and evaluate the impact on instructional practice and student learning (ISTE Standards for Coaches, 4) through the creation of professional development for teachers using all of the steps in an instructional design model.  We chose the ASSURE model for our instructional design because the steps in this model incorporate Gagne’s events of instruction that promote effective learning through the use of media (Culatta, 2013).  Using the ASSURE model, we started with analyzing our learners.  In order to do this, we needed to conduct a needs assessment to find out what it was that these teachers needed to learn (ISTE Standards for Coaches, 4a).  We conducted interviews and sent out a survey to the staff to collect data on our learners. 

            The data collected through the needs analysis guided us in the design, development, and implementation of the professional development we created for the teachers at our school (ISTE Standards for Coaches, 4b).  Keeping participants interested, engaged, and motivated throughout the three sessions was a primary focus for us.  Teachers chose to attend this professional development.  We feel that this helped with the motivation of the participants because the desire to learn the material was shown through the choice to participate.  One important principle of adult learning is that the content is relevant (Collins, 2004).  The teachers need to see that what they are learning relates to their teaching needs.  So, throughout each session, we gave examples of how teachers could use the content they were learning in their classrooms.  Another way we kept teachers interested, engaged, and motivated was to incorporate an abundance of technology resources that they could interact with during the sessions and then later use in their classrooms.

            In the final part of our instructional design project we evaluated the program to determine its effectiveness (ISTE Standards for Coaches, 4c).  Our evaluation consisted of input from the technology coach and media specialist, as well as, input from a survey completed by the participants of the workshop.  The data collected through the evaluation process allowed us to improve the design so that it will deepen teacher content knowledge and improve teacher pedagogical skills more effectively in future presentations.

Discuss how you might change the content, strategy, or design of the artifact.

            Overall, I would not change this project.  We evaluated each step in the process as the instruction was created.  We also had the media coordinator and the technology coach evaluate the overall design and provide feedback.  So, there were many changes that were made prior to the workshop being presented to the staff.  This instructional design meets the needs of the teachers and the objectives for the instruction.  One thing I would change about this instructional design project is the time frame.  I feel that teachers need more than three 30 minute sessions to have time to practice and play with the all that this resource has to offer.     Another thing I would change is to provide a time when teachers can share how they are using this resource in their classroom.  This would be something that took place a few weeks after the workshop sessions were over, and would consist of the teachers getting together for 20-30 minutes to reflect on how things are going.  According to Danielson (2009), being able to reflect helps teachers to not only know what to do, but also why they do it.  Reflecting as a group allows the teachers to share ideas and activities that were effective, or were not effective. 

Discuss how the artifact is representative of future and career goals and plans.

            EDTC 6025 has taught me how to design instruction with the end in mind.  I have learned that this is important to know where you want to end up before you begin planning.  Before taking this class, I often planned instruction from beginning to end and the results were not always as I had hoped for them to be.  I feel that as a result of this class and the completion of this project, I am now able to design effective instruction that focuses on the overall goal of the learning.    

            Although I have always been a reflective practitioner, this class has taught me the benefits of reflection and evaluation, even before instruction takes place.  I have learned that you do not, necessarily, have to wait until the end of instruction to evaluate and reflect.  During our project we evaluated and reflected throughout the design.  I feel that this constant reflection allowed us to make changes, before implementation, that helped the instruction to be much more effective. 

            As an AIG teacher, with a desire to create online, self-paced learning for my students, I feel that this class has given me the foundation I need to design valuable, effective instruction that will not only meet the learning needs of my students, but will provide learning environments for them that are engaging and exciting.

References

Collins, J. (2004). Education techniques for lifelong learning: Principles of adult learning. Radiographics: A Review Publication of the Radiological Society of North America, Inc, 24(5), 1483.

Culatta, R. (2013). ASSURE. Retrieved from http://www.instructionaldesign.org/models/assure.html

Danielson, L. M. (February 2009). Fostering reflection. How Teachers Learn, 66(5). Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb09/vol66/num05/Fostering-Reflection.aspx

Dick, W., Carey, L., & Carey, J. O. (2009). The systematic design of instruction. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Merrill/Pearson.