Revising instructional materials Chapter 11 Revising instructional materials

The Dick and Carey Model Conduct Instructional Analysis Revise Instruction Assess Needs to identify Goal(s) Write Performance Objectives Develop Assessment Instruments Develop Instructio nal Strategy Develop and Select Instructional Materials Design and Conduct Formative Evaluation of Instruction Analyze Learners and Contexts Design and Conduct Summative Evaluation

Objectives Describe various methods for summarizing data obtained from formative evaluation studies. Summarize data obtained from formative evaluation studies. Given formative evaluation data for a set of instructional materials, identify problem in the materials, and suggest revisions for the materials.

Two basic types of revisions The first is changes that are made to the content or substance of the materials to make them more accurate or more effective as a learning tool. The second type of change is related to the procedures employed in using your materials.

Analyzing data from one-to-one trials The designer has five kinds of basic information available: Learner characteristics and entry behaviors Direct responses to the instruction Learning time Posttest performance Responses to an attitude questionnaire.

Analyzing data from one-to-one trials The steps of analyzing data The first step is to describe the learners and to indicate their performance on any entry-behavior measures. Next, the designer should bring together all the comments and suggestions about the instruction that resulted from going through it with each learner. Begin by obtaining individual item performance and then combine item scores for each objective and for a total score.

Analyzing data from one-to-one trials Revise the instruction: Try to determine, based in learner performance, whether your rubric or test items are fault. If flawed, then changes should be made to make them consistent with the objectives and the intent of the instruction. If the items are satisfactory, and the learners performed poorly, then the instruction must be changed.

Analyzing data from one-to-one trials You have three sources of suggestions for change: learner suggestions, learner performance, and your own reactions to the instruction.

Analyzing data from small-group and field trials The available data typically include the following: item performance on the pretest, posttest, responses to an attitude questionnaire; learning and testing time; comments made directly in the materials.

Analyzing data from small-group and field trials The purpose for the item-by-objective analysis is threefold: To determine the difficulty of each item for the group To determine the difficulty of each objective for the group 3. To determine the consistency with which the set of items within an objective measures learners’ performance on the objective.

Analyzing data from small-group and field trials Learners’ item–by-objective performance From these data the designer could infer that: The group selected was appropriate for the evaluation The instruction covered skills not previously mastered by the group, and The instruction was effective in improving learners’ skills.

Why the individual item information is required? Item information can be useful in deciding whether there are particular problems with the item or whether it is effectively measuring the performance described in its corresponding objective. Individual item information can be used to identify the nature of the difficulties learners are having with the instruction. Individual item data can be combined to indicate learner performance on an objective, and eventually, on the entire test.

Graphing learners’ performances Another way to display data is through various graphing techniques. Another graphic technique for summarizing formative evaluation data involves the instructional analysis chart.

Other types of data It has been found that a good way to summarize data from an attitude questionnaire . Another important type of data is the comments obtained from learners, from other instructors involved in the formative evaluation, and from subject-matter-experts who react to the materials. The final type of data summary you may wish to prepare is related to any alternative approaches you may have used during either the small-group or field-trial evaluations.

Sequence for examining data Entry behaviors Pretests and posttests Instructional strategy Learning time Instructional procedures

Revision process We suggest that as you begin the revision process ,you summarize your data as suggested in this chapter. Given all the data from a small-group or fields-trial evaluation, the designer must make decisions about how to make the revisions. Otherwise, the strategies suggested for revising instruction following the one-to-one evaluations also apply at this point-namely, use the data , your experience, and sound learning principles as the bases for your revisions.

Revising selected materials When working with selected materials, however, there is little opportunity to revise the materials directly ,especially if they are commercially produced and copyrighted. with copyrighted materials, the instructor can consider the following adaptations for future trials: (1) omit portions of the instruction, (2) include other available materials, or (3) simply develop supplementary instruction.

Revising instructor-led instruction Instructors working from an instructor’s guide have the same flexibility as the developer for changing instruction. The instructor’s notes from the guide should reflect questions raised by learners and responses to those questions. Unlike using written instructional materials, the instructor can revise the presentation during its implementation and note the reasons for the change.