Title

Instructional Design with Third Grade Subtraction

Time
&
Collaboration

The project was created during summer 2013 of my graduate program. The
ISTC 667 (Instructional Design and Development) course served as an overview
and application of the instructional systems approach for problem solving and
the design of instruction; emphasizing media selection, needs assessment,
prototyping implementation, and evaluation of instructional systems.

I developed this lesson independently as a part of my third grade math
curriculum. This two-day lesson was designed to identify misconceptions that
students have with regrouping, while providing a concrete foundation through
manipulatives and connecting the new learning to real-world examples. The goal
for the instructional design is for students to be able to apply their knowledge
of money, place value blocks, and regrouping in order to solve word problems
with two-digit subtraction using a standard algorithm.

Content
&
Description

The instructional design project was created to meet the needs of a third
grade math class. The math class is a low-ability grouped class with a variety of
students who have Individualized Education Programs (IEP).

This lesson took place in a general education classroom. Instructional materials
that were used during the design process were money and place value
manipulatives. Dry erase boards and markers were used for students to
practice a standard algorithm of subtracting with regrouping, while allowing for
every student to respond to the questions. A laptop computer, a document
camera, and an LCD projector were used to project the teachers demonstration
of regrouping using place value manipulatives (Math Playground, 2010). The
medium was also used to display a video using place value manipulatives to model
regrouping. The designer created and showed a PowerPoint presentation using
this media to project subtraction word problem for the visual learners. Each
student received an explanation page of regrouping in order to refer back to
for homework and future purposes, along with graphing paper to set up their
place value charts correctly, and the students final evaluation.

Justification
&
Reflection
The ID process consisted of an instructional goal, conducting a font-end-
analysis, implementing a task analysis model (1999), and a final performance
assessment. Developing step-by-step approaches of instruction increased
complexity, and demonstrated how to solve a problem, while evaluating my
students knowledge of the content.
The needs-analysis model that was implemented for this instructional design
project was Smith and Ragans (1999) Discrepancy-Based Needs Assessment
Model (as cited in Brown & Green, 2011). The Discrepancy-Based Needs
Assessment was the most appropriate model for determining my students gaps
in prior knowledge as well as assessing the knowledge needed to achieve the
chosen instructional goal (Appendix F.) There were five phases in The
Discrepancy-Based Needs Assessment model, the first consisting of listing the
goals of the instructional system (Smith & Ragan, 2004, as cited in Brown &
Green, 2011).

After determining the instructional goal and completing the front-end analyses,
I used Merrills (2002) Pebble-in-the-Pond model (Appendix C.) This model is a
task-centered instruction that gradually increases the complexity of the skill
through five problem-based tasks (Appendix A). TSAD in conjunction with
Merrill's PITP approach and your organizer. Tell Show Ask Do (TSAD) is the
sequence that Merrill advocates for achieving the kind of real-world relevance
you described. In TSAD (Appendix B), the whole-task (the instructional goal) is
demonstrated to the learners first; and then each individual task, with
individual topics, is addressed through a combination of Tell, Show, Ask, Do.
Solving each of the problems in the progression requires the learners to have
acquired the intended knowledge and skill essential for the instructional goals
(Merrill, 2002).

A third grader struggles with mathematical concepts such as understanding
place value. Misconceptions my students have with place value, directly affect
subtraction with regrouping. I created meaning by using manipulatives, real
world applications, and media as a representational way to increase student
understanding and engagement.
I noticed myself using more of a constructivist approach of teaching rather
than a behaviorist approach. I allowed my students to explore regrouping and
revisit place value using their place value blocks and money manipulatives. By
using the PITP method, I analyzed what needed to be focused on, while
breaking it apart by its complexities. This allowed the students to explore each
performance task while kinesthetically inquiring their own learning. I was able
to utilize the new information from my ISTC 667 course, apply it to group
discussions, and implement it in the classroom.

I can apply this experience to what I choose to do in the future. I hope to
become a technology liaison within Baltimore County, teaching different
workshops to teachers on integrating technology in the classroom.
Understanding pedagogical methods such as constructivism and behaviorism,
along with understanding the instructional design process, I can be more
effective in my trainings. Learning how to analyze the needs of the learners and
the content benefited the success of my project.