Instructional Design Blog Post #1

Step 1. Worksheet
SITUATIONAL FACTORS TO CONSIDER

For this instruction scenario I will imagine an one-shot with an English 101 class at a community college since it mirrors my most common instruction experience.

1. Specific Context of the Teaching/Learning Situation

1. How many students are in the class? 
1. 15
2. Is the course lower division, upper division, or graduate level? 
1. lower; college freshman/sophomore
3. How long and frequent are the class meetings?
1. Their regular class meeting 2x a week for 1 hour and 15 minutes. They will have one meeting with me for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
4. How will the course be delivered: live, online, or in a classroom or lab? 
1. Computer lab
5. What physical elements of the learning environment will affect the class?
1. The lab is designed in a way that is not conducive to group activities.

2. General Context of the Learning Situation

1. What learning expectations are placed on this course or curriculum by: the university, college and/or department? the profession? society? 
1. The humanities department has certain outcomes that are expected of 101 classes:
1. Use library services, including reserve materials, check-out process and inter-library loan
2. Conduct a library catalog search using selected term
3. Locate and check out books
4. Access newspaper, magazine, and scholarly sources from  databases
5. Use citation tool on databases
6. Demonstrate knowledge of differences between database and web researching
7. Evaluate sources for currency, authority and credibility for use in academic essays
2. As far as society; I'm not sure?

3. Nature of the Subject

1. Is this subject primarily theoretical, practical, or a combination? 
1. Practical
2. Is the subject primarily convergent or divergent?
1. Convergent 
3. Are there important changes or controversies occurring within the field?
1. What field isn't undergoing changes at this time? Of course now that I say that -- I will probably think of some later. But I believe for the most part -- things are hardly ever static.

4. Characteristics of the Learners

1. What is the life situation of the learners (e.g., working, family, professional goals)?
1. Many are full time, first year students. But some are working and attending class at the same time. College for all of them is tough but something they want to do. For most -- the end game is not yet clear. They are still testing the waters.
2. What prior knowledge, experiences, and initial feelings do students usually have about this subject? 
1. I would say that most students are dreading this assignment (the first research paper!) And this is all voodoo to them.
3. What are their learning goals, expectations, and preferred learning styles? 
1. They want to get a passing grade on their paper but they don't' want to kill themselves doing it. They want to see how to do it and then be able to do it later without a hassle.

5. Characteristics of the Teacher

1. What beliefs and values does the teacher have about teaching and learning? 
1. The teacher likes learning centered coursework and values interactivity over lecture. I think that's the correct answer?
2. What is his/her attitude toward: the subject? students? 
1. Very excited about subject. Obviously cares about students and their education.
3. What level of knowledge or familiarity does s/he have with this subject?
1. Very. 
4. What are his/her strengths in teaching? 
1. Connecting with students and encouraging discussion.

Step 2. Worksheet

Questions for Formulating Significant Learning Goals 

"A year (or more) after this course is over, I want and hope that students will have the ability to find useful, trustworthy information for whatever informational needs they have .”

Foundational Knowledge 

1. What key information (e.g., facts, terms, formulae, concepts, principles, relationships, etc.) is/are important for students to understand and remember in the future?
1. A toolbox of places to search for information and how to effectively use them 
2. How to evaluate information found from toolbox.
2. What key ideas (or perspectives) are important for students to understand in this course?
1. That research is a process and not simple nor easy but that doesn't mean it can't be interesting or fun
2. That information is to be evaluated and not just taken as is.

Application Goals

1. What kinds of thinking are important for students to learn?
1. Critical thinking, in which students analyze and evaluate
2. Creative thinking, in which students imagine and create
3. Practical thinking, in which students solve problems and make decisions
2. What important skills do students need to gain?
1. Research, evaluation and application of information!
3. Do students need to learn how to manage complex projects?
1. YES

Integration Goals

1. What connections (similarities and interactions) should students recognize and make…:
1. Among ideas within this course?
1. I'm not really sure :/
2. Among the information, ideas, and perspectives in this course and those in other courses or areas?
1. That subject areas often overlap?
3. Among material in this course and the students' own personal, social, and/or work life?
1. Not sure :/

Human Dimensions Goals

1. What could or should students learn about themselves?
1. They may not be experts in the field but they can research too!
2. What could or should students learn about understanding others and/or interacting with them?
1. that research can be an interactive process and not something you have to do byyourself. You are not an island.

Caring Goals

1. What changes/values do you hope students will adopt?
1. Love the library resources! (haha)
2. Feelings?
1. Excitement
3. Interests?
1. To dig further
4. Ideas?
1. For their research paper

"Learning-How-to-Learn" Goals

1. What would you like for students to learn about:
1. how to be good students in a course like this?
1. That digging in and exploring is the best way to learn how to research
2. how to learn about this particular subject?
1. That it is a process and not a task. And it can be interesting and enjoyable
3. how to become a self-directed learner of this subject, i.e., having a learning agenda of what they need/want to learn, and a plan for learning it?
1. YES...?

That was a lot of text! Here is something else:

Source:

https://i.imgur.com/GX28uPy.jpg