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Instructional Design Semester Project:

Report 1

Hannah Steele and L. Wimberly Tyler

Department of Leadership, Technology, and Human Development, Georgia Southern University

FRIT 7231: Instructional Design

Dr. Randy Hollandsworth

September 28, 2020

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1.0 Introduction

1.1. What is your system of interest?

Hannah teaches a current events class to sixth grade students, and Wimberly teaches sixth

grade language arts. In both class curriculums, we discovered that the students are expected to

find and use primary and secondary sources in research and writing. In Hannah’s class, there are

a series of lessons implemented in which students must understand the differences in primary

and secondary sources, and must be able to read, analyze, and interpret a variety of sources in

order to locate information. In Wimberly’s class, there is a unit in the second semester that

focuses on informational writing and expects students to write informational essays using a

variety of sources acquired through multiple methods. Therefore, the system of interest is an

instructional module focused on accessing, acquiring, and identifying differences between both

primary and secondary sources so students can accurately use them in research and writing.

1.2. What are the subsystems?

The prior knowledge of the students

For the Georgia Standards of Excellence for language arts, students have had practice

with informational writing and informational research since the first grade. There are standards

that involve conducting research projects and writing informational pieces using facts, with each

year adding more complexity to the standard. By the fifth grade, students are creating

informational writing pieces with plenty of factual information, conducting and presenting

research projects, and gathering information from a variety of sources.

The Georgia Standards of Excellence for social studies introduces conceptual knowledge

and skills related to primary and secondary sources in the first grade. According to the matrixes

for the state standards, students should reach mastery with the standards for identifying and using
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primary and secondary sources by the fourth grade. The students in this system are in the sixth

grade.

The students’ levels of technological literacy

In Wimberly’s school, many students are considered impoverished or from low income

households. Therefore, their only access to technology beyond a cell phone is at school. Many

students struggle to interact with devices that have physical buttons and keyboards since they are

so used to touch screen devices and applications created for such format. Most do not know what

several of the keys on keyboards mean, such as the enter, tab, and shift keys, and navigating the

trackpad on laptops is a new skill for them.

For Hannah’s students, the majority of the population are also from impoverished and

low socioeconomic backgrounds and are in attendance of a Title I school. Because of this, many

students face the issue of not having internet access at home and are limited to device interaction

outside of school. However, most of the students do obtain basic computer skills and are able to

navigate technology due to the schools in the system being 1:1 for devices for students across all

grade levels. Therefore, students have had consistent interaction with technology over time.

The resources available to students

In Wimberly’s school, students do not have language arts textbooks. Each grade level has

four computer carts to be shared among 13 sixth grade teachers. Each teacher is able to have a

cart one day a week. There are two computer labs that must be reserved in advance and must be

shared with the entire school. Each language arts class visits the media center once every three

weeks, and while there are computers available in the media center, students only have roughly

thirty minutes of unstructured time a day to visit the media center and access those resources as

needed. Students in Wimberly’s district are not “one-to-one,” meaning that the schools do not
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provide a device for every student to use at home and during class. Many students at the school

are considered impoverished and do not have a computer at home. The system does have a

“bring your own device” policy that allows teachers to have students utilize whatever device they

do have during class.

In Hannah’s school, the student population is provided with their own personal device.

Each student has a chromebook that they are able to use the device and take it home each day.

There are no textbooks assigned for the curriculum of the current events/critical thinking course.

Therefore, the course relies heavily on the use of technology for resources and to implement

instruction for students.

1.3. What symptoms drew your attention to this system of interest?

This system of interest was brought to our attention through informal observations of

previous student performance with such skills. It has also been observed that when using

academic vocabulary related to our system of interest, many students are confused and show a

lack of understanding. Through previously completed assignments, it became apparent that

students did not understand the difference between primary and secondary sources, let alone

possess the ability to acquire such sources.

2.0 Front End Analysis

2.1. Are there performance gaps involved in this problem that justify a learning

intervention?

Yes, based upon the Mager and Pipe Performance Model, there is a performance gap

problem that could justify a learning intervention. Using steps in the model such as training,

feedback, coaching, mentoring, and job aids, deficiencies in learning have the potential to be

addressed and resolved.

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3.0 Needs Assessment

3.1. Optimals

What information and data would you collect?

The information and data that would be collected would pertain to the level of student

understanding of determining the differences between primary and secondary sources along with

students being able to use them appropriately for research and writing purposes.

How would you collect that information and data?

This information and data would be collected through a pre-test focused on identifying

primary and secondary resources and using them to acquire information. After collecting the pre-

test results, we would then design our instruction based on the need of students and use this
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information to design our lessons in order to best meet the needs of students in an entire research

based unit to focus on the application of these skills.

3.2. Actuals

What information and data would you collect?

We would use the information and data based on the pre-test results to determine the

students’ level of understanding of the content area knowledge and by assessing prior knowledge

related to primary and secondary sources.

How would you collect that information and data?

The information and data would be collected through pre-test results, various classwork

assignments, quizzes, and unit tests. Based on the pre-test results, classwork, and other formal

assessments we would be able to recognize the areas of strengths and misconceptions in student

understanding and use these areas to guide reteaching and remediation.

3.3. What are the discrepancies between the current (actual) and desired (optimal) state?

The discrepancies between the actual and optimal state is that pre-test results are not

always a valid score that should be solely used to determine student understanding. This is

because some students are better test takers than others. Multiple forms of assessment are

necessary to identify content mastery, and these assessments should be designed to cater to the

multiple learning styles throughout a classroom setting. In addition, a research based unit

focused on the applications of these skills would be ideal. However, due to the pacing of our

curriculum, it is not feasible to incorporate an entire unit of these writing and research based

practices.

3.4. What priorities can you assign to the identified discrepancies or goals?
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It is important to use multiple forms of assessment in order to assess student

understanding. If students are given the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge in a way that

best suits them, then they will perform better. However, it is also important that prior knowledge

is assessed in order to get a better understanding of what students are already familiar with

regarding the topic so that the instructor can spend more time in the critical areas of need.

3.5. Prepare a learning goal statement.

The learning goal is as follows: Students will be able to access, acquire, and identify

primary and secondary resources.

Program: ELA/SS Date: 9/25/20 Instructor: Tyler/Steele

LEARNING GOAL MEASUREMENT

Observations
Students will be able to acquire, access, and identify
primary and secondary sources. Formal Assessments

Questioning/Discussion

Group Evaluation
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Learning Outcomes

Performance Condition Intellectu Cognitive Verbal Motor Criterion

(learning Attitude
(tasks to perform goal)
environment) al Skills Strategies Information Skills (restrictions, tools)

Students can select the Middle school X X X Observations of

most appropriate search classroom with selected search
tool for their research. 6th grade tools
students

Students can conduct a Middle school X X X Observation of

search using strategies classroom with search tools and
and filters to find the 6th grade resources selected
most appropriate students
resources

Students are able to Middle school X Various formal

understand the difference classroom with assessments
between primary and 6th grade
secondary sources. students Questioning/
Discussions

Classwork
practice

When presented with Middle school X X Various formal

sources, students can classroom with assessments
identify the sources as 6th grade
primary or secondary students Quizzes,
documents. classwork, unit
exams

4.0 Instructional Analysis

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4.1. Goal Analysis

What is the domain classification and type of learning for your problem?

The domain classification for our problem would be considered an intellectual skill.

Students will be learning concepts pertaining to the content related to primary and secondary

sources and then must be able to apply this knowledge in various assessments while performing

the goal.

4.2. Subordinate Skills Analysis

The learning goal is an intellectual goal. Therefore, a hierarchical analysis method was

chosen to investigate the subordinate skills. The entry level skills include: knowing basic

computer operating skills, knowing how to use a computer to conduct a search, knowing how to

find books in the library, knowing how to find information within books for research, and

knowing how to identify specific information within a text.