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FRIT 7231 Instructional Design Unit - Amy N Shell
FRIT 7231 Instructional Design Unit - Amy N Shell
Dr. Purcell
Fall 2016
Identification of Learning Problem
The target audience are a group of 20-30 seventh graders at McIntosh County Middle
School. The learning problem is that these students are not meeting grade level reading
expectations set forth by the Georgia Milestones and the McIntosh School
System. The achievement data used as the rational for the need was the August 2016
Assessment that gauges reading ability based on a series of questions – the difficultly of the
assessment increases or decreases based on the responses from the students. It provides accurate
results for both low- performing and high-performing students. After looking closely at the
screening results from the beginning of the year STAR Reading Assessment this instruction is
needed because 31% of the students fell in the “Developing Learning/Less than Proficient”
category. Because these scores are significantly lower than others in their grade level and they
are missing the foundational reading skills necessary to succeed, these students are in need of an
immediate intervention. The instructional goal is for these students to score as “Proficient
Learners” on the STAR Reading Assessment by increasing their reading level percentages. This
instructional goal will be met by progress monitoring every 3 weeks with resources provided by
Learner Analysis
The target group is composed of seventh grade male and female learners between the ages of
eleven and thirteen. These learners are considered to be below grade level in reading – beginning
fourth grade to beginning sixth grade. They have demonstrated a basic understanding of reading
but lack the foundational skills needed to move them onto on-grade level texts and concepts.
Their low performance on the STAR Reading Assessment is comparable to their reading scores
on various standardized tests, current grade point averages, and reading content letter grades.
Their motivations are typically derived from a “what’s in it for me” attitude, so they have to be
given a solid reason for raising their achievement on “the test”. These learners need to gain the
ability to work accurately while working under the pressures of a timed assessment. This group
represents individuals with a mixture of ethnic and educational backgrounds but have common
interests and goals with other seventh graders such as…TV shows and movies (Netflix), sports,
popularity amongst their peers. A large percentage of these learners are chronic behavior
problems in the academic setting, not based on gender or ethnic background, but because they
are performing lower and act out as overcompensation in their lack of achievement. Within this
specific group, there are learners who are in the Early Intervention Program (EIP) but none have
Task Analysis
I plan to use a procedural analysis so that the steps can be easily identified to track the learning
of my target audience (See Diagram 1 below). Morrison, Ross Kalman, & Kemp state, “We use
procedural analysis to refer to the analysis of both observable and unobservable behaviors.”
I will be meeting with our Reading Intervention Specialist (RIS) as my subject matter expert
(SME). “Conducting a procedural analysis is a matter of walking through the steps with an SME,
preferably in the environment in which the task is performed,” as explained by Morrison, Ross,
Kalman, & Kemp. I feel that my RIS will be the expert in guiding me toward my instructional
goal by her deep knowledge of the subject and close relationship with the target audience.
Diagram 1
Diagram Summary
The STAR Reading assessment is a computer-adaptive reading test that provides you with
reading levels for students in K-12 grades in a short amount of time - estimated to take 30
minutes. The students follow the following steps to take the STAR reading assessment: 1) They
login to the computer using their county assigned username and 10-digit GTID number as the
password. 2) They login to the STAR Reading assessment by going to the school web page,
choosing the Renaissance Place tab, selecting STAR Reading, and logging in with their county
assigned username and 8-digit birthdate as the password (ex. 03102002). 3) The students will
work through multiple-choice questions until they reach the end of the test. Once a score is
recorded it will be determined what type of intervention the student will need.
Instructional Objectives
The instructional objectives for the plan will focus on each area of the procedural analysis and
will place an emphasis on reading objectives. As stated by Morrison, Ross, Kalman, & Kemp,
these behavioral objectives are in the cognitive domain and will indicate the behavior the learner
must demonstrate to show that he or she has mastered the knowledge or skills specified in my
instruction.
1. To apply understanding of what is read including facts and importance of the main idea at
a proficiency level of 70% or greater.
Assessments
The assessments for my instructional plan will include both formative and summative
assessments. Formative assessments will include individualized checkpoints within the progress
monitoring programs (Read 180, System 44, and STAR Custom) that assess for comprehension
and understanding in reading and vocabulary. Summative assessments will be those formal
assessments within the programs from Renaissance Learning (STAR) and Scholastic (SRI) to
assess for proficiency in comprehension and understanding in reading and vocabulary for the
individual learner.
The STAR Custom formative assessment measures are aligned with the objectives of the
instructional plan and provides differentiation for the students based on their initial screening.
STAR Custom moves the diagnostic to prescriptive and from judgment to action-ability, which
makes this assessment authentic for the students. Targeted skills in English Language Arts are
pulled from a bank of tools to make it easier to pinpoint mastery of individual standards and
specific skills tailored to the individual based on their initial STAR screening.
The STAR Reading assessment is considered a summative assessment in that it evaluates the
student learning based on their grade/age level. STAR is best described by Renaissance
students in grades 4‐12. It assesses in five domains including: word knowledge and skills;
literary text; and analyzing argument and evaluating text. The assessment is statistically linked to
measure is administered three times during the school year as a benchmark and can be used for
progress monitoring as needed. All scores and student performance reports are available through
Renaissance Place.”
that the students answer fill-in-the-blank or cloze questions, similar to those found in many
standardized tests, which measure students’ comprehension of the passages they read. The
passages are taken from children’s literature, newspapers, magazines, and periodicals.
SRI is an electronic reading assessment that measures students’ level of reading comprehension.
The score from this test helps to differentiate learning and monitor reading growth over time.
Readers are matched with appropriate, interest-level books, which fosters an authentic
assessment product. Because this electronic platform allows for adaptive testing and performance
adjustment, their abilities and interests guide the students as they progress through the test.
Scholastic research proves that the method of adaptive testing shortens test-taking time for
students, increases their testing accuracy, and helps to differentiate learning in ensuring that
Content Sequencing:
Instructional Strategies:
students will be provided support mini-lessons over main idea and context clues before taking
For instructional videos, the students will be expected to examine the program that reiterates the
skills necessary for the task at hand before moving on to the next task.
Gaining the Attention of Learners ● I will use a short, fast-paced video that
introduces the topics that will be
learned.
● In order to create a clear picture to
learners, I will introduce clear learning
objectives and a brief overview of the
content and structure of my
instructional unit in this video.
The SME that will serve as the expert reviewer for my instructional program will be Mrs.
Ami Hulett, our Reading Intervention Specialists (RIS). Mrs. Hulett has been an RIS and teacher
in McIntosh County for twenty-three years. Therefore, her experience qualifies her as an expert
reviewer. Her knowledge will be greatly beneficial in ensuring that my instructional program
follows a Universal Design, and makes use of proper differentiation methods. Her time in an
ELA/reading intervention classroom also ensures that she can effectively evaluate my
instructional program for content. “Formative evaluation is the best way to ensure quality in a
unit or course before its release” (Lockee, Moore, Burton 2002). As explained by Lockee,
Moore, and Burton (2002), these evaluations are useful in improving an instructional program by
providing feedback during the developmental process. The formative evaluation that Mrs. Hulett
will complete will target content appropriateness and accuracy, completeness, and usability and
appeal.
Content is
appropriate for
intended student
population.
Content supports
the school
curriculum.
Instruction is
integrated with
previous student
experience.
Content is
accurate.
Content is
current.
Content is
relevant to the
subject field.
Definitions are
provided when
necessary.
There is
continuity
between the
information
presented and
prerequisite
skills required.
Completeness
Learner
objectives are
stated, and
purpose is well
defined.
Help is available
at likely points
of need.
Program uses
branching to
automatically
adjust difficulty
levels or
sequence
according to
student
performance.
Program
provides an
adequate means
of evaluating
mastery of the
content.
Accurate and
clear
descriptions of
content topics
are made.
Sequence of
content topics
and instruction is
logical.
Graphics and
audio are
appropriate for
the intended
student
population.
Graphics help
focus attention to
appropriate
content without
being distracting.
Audio is clear
and used
effectively.
Learner can
review
instructions and
previous frames.
Program avoids
unnecessary or
inappropriate
moving back and
forth between
screens.
Students require
a minimum
amount of
teacher
supervision
while using the
program.
Program uses
other
technologies
(e.g., audio,
video) to
enhance
learning.
Summative assessments determine whether a program has worked successfully in achieving its
goals. As explained by Lockee, Moore, and Burton (2002), summative assessments evaluate
“how the entire package works in a real setting.” For an online learning program, the best
audience to determine this are the students completing the program. Providing students with a
way to give detailed feedback on their experience in an online course will enable me to improve
the presentation of the class for future students. The test group of students completing my
program will take the following summative assessment survey at the end of the course.
Usability of Materials
Instructor Usefulness
The assessments that I have described are all web-based and require user access to view the
STAR Custom
http://www.renaissance.com/products/assessment/star-360/star-custom-sample-items/
STAR Reading
http://www.renaissance.com/products/assessment/star-360/star-reading-skills/