Act 2 Project
"Sometimes science is more art than science, Morty. |
I was a secondary science teacher for ten years before diving headlong into research and teaching in the field of instructional technology. When I first started teaching biology, my instruction was evaluated by the assistant principal of my school. He had a checklist of things he was looking for in my lesson, and what I learned later is that the behaviors on the checklist were based on Madeline Hunter's seven-step lesson plan model:
Though a bit dated, this lesson planning model is really not very different from the model promoted by the more contemporary lesson framework developed by Marzano, et al. (though the Marzano framework does emphasize more social learning and cognitive strategy strategies). What I did NOT realize at the time about the Hunter model was that it was thoroughly grounded in cognitivist principles, heavily influenced by the work of Gagne. |
For this project, you are asked to describe a learning experience you developed for a specific target population. You can think back to a time when you were a classroom teacher, or you can describe a faculty development experience you might have developed more recently. And similar to what you did for the Act 1 project, you must analyze your own design process and reflect on some specific ways in which you were, in fact, applying cognitivist principles to the experience...whether you realized it at the time or not (probably not).
Here is an example from one of my own recent teaching experiences. I am purposefully selecting a simple example that addresses professional development/learning since many of you must develop material for these types of learning experiences. Also, we are still in a pandemic caused by a virus and this example addresses vaccines...something hopeful!
Example
I am a consultant for an instructional design organization that (among other things) develops training material for immunization health workers in Africa. We recently designed, developed and launched an online training program to help meet the specific learning needs of people working in different jobs that define global immunization initiatives. Our training material is designed to be self-directed and accessible on mobile devices as well as networked computers. The training is primarily video-based, with selected-response practice/feedback assessments provided to support learning and monitor progress. The following is one of the many individual video presentations we developed to help facilitate the learning of a specific skill: giving an intramuscular injection. Watch this very brief instructional video before reading my basic analysis of the cognitive principles applied:
I am a consultant for an instructional design organization that (among other things) develops training material for immunization health workers in Africa. We recently designed, developed and launched an online training program to help meet the specific learning needs of people working in different jobs that define global immunization initiatives. Our training material is designed to be self-directed and accessible on mobile devices as well as networked computers. The training is primarily video-based, with selected-response practice/feedback assessments provided to support learning and monitor progress. The following is one of the many individual video presentations we developed to help facilitate the learning of a specific skill: giving an intramuscular injection. Watch this very brief instructional video before reading my basic analysis of the cognitive principles applied:
To develop this small instructional intervention, the instructional design team conducted a needs assessment with health care workers to ascertain what some of the high-need areas for training might include. One thing that became clear was the need for those administering vaccines to consider the entire environment when preparing to deliver injections. Once the outcomes for the specific training video was determined, the team mapped out the content, committed to breaking the entire process down into no more than 7 steps maximum. A basic storyboard was developed, the script was written. A subject-matter expert was consulted to ensure the information was accurate. Then the video was shot. Basic graphics and other additions were made during the editing, including the narration. The material was pilot-tested with a small group of health workers to ensure it effectively conveyed the information and examples. Based on pretest-posttest analyses, it worked well.
When you view the video, it is very easy to identify some basic design principles that align with cognitivist principles. Here are some of the obvious ones, with references to the cognitivist principles in parentheses:
- Information is presented clearly with attention to reducing cognitive load whenever text is presented on the screen. Graphics complement the oral presentation but the minimal amount of text does not overly compete with the audio for processing. (This strategy aligns with the limitations of short-term memory as depicted in the multi-store memory models, as well as cognitive load theory.)
- Information is organized into six fundamental categories and does not overload working memory when presented conceptually at one time. (Same reference as above.)
- Modeling is provided clearly throughout the presentation. (This is an example of vicarious learning in Social Cognitive Theory. Also, the modeling reflects an instructional event in the selective perception phase of Gagne's model.)
- Many instances are presented assuring the learners that if they perform specific tasks well, there will be positive consequences. (This strategy is included in Gagne's Conditions for Learning regarding attitudes.)
- The six steps are are summarized again at the end with a reminder about what the learners just learned how to do. (This type of summary is an example of an instructional event in the cueing retrieval phase of Gagne's model.)
Project
For this project, you need to complete the following three tasks:
For this project, you need to complete the following three tasks:
- Describe a learning experience you developed for a specific target population (identify the target population in this description).
- Describe how you planned the learning experience and developed the materials.
- Analyze your design process and reflect on some specific ways in which you applied cognitivist principles to the experience. You do not need to reference individual studies, authors or researchers in your references if they come from the course notes or text. If you do reference outside sources, cite them in the paper and add a reference section.
Evaluation
This project is worth 20 points. It will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- All 3 items (above) are adequately addressed and included in the project paper.
- All applications of cognitivist principles (item #3 above) are accurate and clearly reflect a good understanding of the research and theoretical perspectives of cognitive theory and its applications.
- All writing is consistent with graduate-level expectations, including error-free spelling and well-structured sentences and paragraphs.
- Citations, where applicable, are APA formatted, and all corresponding references are APA formatted.
- Paper does not exceed the recommended number of paragraphs (~2 pages maximum, excluding any references). Paper can be single-spaced....it is not fully APA-formatted.
- Paper is submitted into D2L by the due date (midnight on Sunday, 6/7)