Assure model in Instructional design Professor : Esmaeil zaraii zavaraki(PH.D) By : Akram Amiri

Introduction The difficulty, of course, is in determining whether to incorporate the newer tools into the instructional model. Are these new tools effective?

Introduction Are they accessible to the students? A good strategy for dealing with the new instructional media and technologies is to develop a planning framework to assist in determining when it is appropriate to use these tools, rather than to react to the tools’ introduction into the educational environment, whether by a colleague or by the College. One useful mechanism of planning is the ASSURE model. ASSURE is an acronym for a series of six steps or procedures that take into consideration the different stages of instruction that is referred to as “events of instruction” by Gagnà (1985)

Introduction As such, the ASSURE model provides a planning framework suitable for dealing with the ongoing changes of media and technology in the teaching and learning environment.

Origins of ASSURE Classroom oriented model of instructional design. Developed by Heinrich & Molenda in 1999 Works well with Gagne’s Events of Instruction.

Steps in the ASSURE Model  A nalyze learners  S tate Objectives  S elect Media  U tilize Materials  R equire Learner participation  E valuate

A = Analyze  A - Analyze Learners  Obtain general entry behaviors of the learner like grades, previous knowledge,and learning styles

S = State Objectives  S - State Objectives  Objectives need to be clear and measurable

S = Select Media  S - Select Media and Materials  Since teachers adapt materials to suit their styles the model suggests some specifications about material use with openness for adaptation.

U = Utilize materials  U - Utilize Materials  A set of practical tips aid the teacher in the adaptation

R = Require learner participation  Feedback and practice are critical components here

E = Evaluate  E - Evaluation/Review  Evaluation of the learning materials and the learning outcomes are required at this stage

Analyze Learners Learners’ General Characteristics The instructional unit is for grade eight students enrolled in a general English class geared toward the average learner. The students range in age from 13 to 15 years. None of the students have learning disabilities but they are culturally diverse. They come from various socioeconomic environments; however, the majority of the students are white, middle class Americans who live in a rural area. Some are from Hispanic and  African-American origins. Generally, the students behave well when the lesson integrates interactive activities that focus on topics of interest

Analyze Learners Entry Competencies          The eighth graders have received prior instruction and have working knowledge in : 1) Working with WebQuests 2) Conducing a research using search engines and internet 3) keybording 4) Using MS Word, Ms Power point, MS excel, Real Player , software, tape and LCD 5) Plagiarism and copyright 6) Citing resources using APA 7) Average reading comprehension level of 7.6

Analyze Learners Learning Styles   The students dislike reading from textbooks. They prefer updated material of real-life issues. They appear to learn best in cooperative team settings. They like to work on projects and conduct oral presentations. Some of them do not test well on   paper-and-pencil assessments. Therefore, rubrics allow them to know in advance the objectives and expected outcome of their performance

State Objectives The obgectives for the instructional unit on the perfect society

Select Methods, Media, and Materials The instructor first selects a teaching method, followed by materials and equipment that are available at school. The teacher also develops instructional materials and evaluation guidelines. The method chosen was large-group instruction with small groups. The lesson will begin with the use of a LCD projector and a large screen to introduce the activities prior to the WebQuest, the WebQuest and activities that follow.

Select Methods, Media, and Materials The WebQuest helps students stay on task while searching for information on the Internet. They are inquiry-based activities that appeal to both students and teachers because they provide structure and guidance. The teacher will conduct discussions on what makes a perfect society and why Jonas left the community, the importance of color, feelings, and memory prior to the WebQuest   The school has mini labs in each classroom with six PC desktop computers connected to the Internet. There is also one computer laboratory that can accommodate the whole class

Select Methods, Media, and Materials The students will have access to MSWord, MS PowerPoint, and RealPlayer software to work on their projects. A video camera, digital camera, a CD burner and tape recorders will be available for students to use. They are a good choice for the objectives and assignments required for the final project. Students will enter the website through an image of the book cover  Using MSWord the teacher will create a set of handouts so that each student will have the interview questions, the final paper guidelines, the final project requirements, and rubrics for the individual report, group report, and final project.

Utilize Media and Materials Preview the Materials            The teacher previews all the Websites under the resource section of the student WebQuest. Also, the student produced PowerPoint presentations, videos, play scripts, and audio materials, before allowing them to present before the class Prepare the Materials The teacher prepares student WebQuest page, handouts, and rubrics using MSWord software. The teacher makes sure that the necessary equipment is working and accessible for the students to use. The equipment available will be available in the classroom: video camera, digital camera, DVD player, CD burner, tape recorder, computers, TV monitor, projector, large screen, and blank video cassettes, audio tapes and CD’s

Utilize Media and Materials Prepare the Environment The classroom will always be set up for small teamwork. There is a mini lab in the classroom with six computers. One computer will be assigned to each team for their use. The teams will take turns to plan, create or rehearse their presentation in the classroom. During this time the rest of the teams will have access to the computer lab to work on their individual reports Prepare the Learners To prepare the students, the teacher presents the overall plan and objectives for the lesson. Each student receives a handout of the student WebQuest page, the Committee’s Journal, the Individual Reports rubric, the Final Written Report rubric, and the Presentation rubric. The teacher conducts a whole class discussion each one of the evaluations guidelines using the large screen projector with the teacher’s laptop computerThe teacher quickly reminds the students about plagiarism, copyright issues, and citing resources making reference to available Web links.

Utilize Media and Materials Provide the learning Experience During the introductory phase of this unit, the teacher presents materials using a laptop computer and the large screen projector. The only place for the projector is at the center of the room over a tall cart attached to the teacher’s laptop computer. The large screen is right in front and center of the class. A TV monitor connected to a desktop computer is located to the front-left side of the classroom. There is also a VCR and a DVD player connected to the TV monitor. The other five computers are set around the left and back sides of the room. All desktop computers have CD burners, headphones with microphone, and RealPlayer software

Require Learner Participation Large-Group Activities  At the beginning of the lesson, as a review, and introduction, each student will have a white board and expo marker to answer questions from the novel, The Giver. The instructor will ask questions regarding the text, to check for comprehension, to review, and warm-up for the interviews. Each student will answer the questions on their individual white board and hold it up for the teacher to check.

Require Learner Participation In addition, the instructor will project a PowerPoint presentation of the WebQuest on a large screen. The students will view a sample of the progress report journal on the computer. The instructor will demonstrate how to add an entry into the computer journal page.. After the journal entry, the instructor will display an evaluation rubric for the progress report. Each entry will consist of 150-200 words. Then, the instructor will play a sample interview using RealPlayer software. The interview is available for continuous listening at: http://www.nelliemuller.com/ThePerfectSociety.audio.evaluation.htm

Require Learner Participation Small Group Activities Following the large-group instruction, the students will form teams of four to participate in small group interviews, collaboration, and writing. They will receive a handout with instructions. Prior to the interview process, students will locate the pictures on the website at : http://www.nelliemuller.com/paintingsbyNoa.htm They will discuss the importance of color, the difference between the black and white, and the color painting. Students will evaluate why the community valued sameness and had eliminated color from individuals. Each student will record their own thoughts, feelings, and conclusions in a progress report.

Require Learner Participation After viewing and discussing the pictures, students will interview one another by using the questions in the handout. Each student will have to interview, collect data, input data into the computer, and submit a progress report. The group will need to work together to plan, discuss, and agree upon their paper and visual presentation. The presentation must follow the provided rubric for content, pictures, sounds, transitions, incorporating the data from the surveys and interviewsUpon completion of the student’s interviews, the group will analyze and listen to one of the two audio recordings of an interview: http://www.nelliemuller.com/Multimedia.Presentation.htm

Require Learner Participation After listening, they will record their findings in the journal, located at: http://www.nelliemuller.com/ThePerfectSociety.audio.evaluation.htm The journal exercise will count as one of their daily reflections Personal Interview The small groups will conduct individual interviews regarding Jonas’ leaving the community. They will record the interview on the form provided at : http://www.nelliemuller.com/Theperfectsociety.committeejournal.asp   Technologgy Students will utilize the computer lab to make their individual reports. Each team will have one computer assigned during class time. Those not working at the computer stations will be doing their interviews and recording the answers in their journals. Additionally, students will submit their progress reports online using http://www.nelliemuller.com/Progress_Report.htm

Evaluate and Revise Assessment of Learner Achievement The following rating for will be used to evaluate students’ knowledge of the “The Perfect Society” unit  1) Individual Interview and Written Report (25 points): http://www.nelliemuller.com/Theperfectsociety.individualreports.htm 2) Team Final Written Report (50 points): http://www.nelliemuller.com/Theperfectsociety.evaluationofthecommitteesreport.htm : Team Presentation (25 points) 3) http://www.nelliemuller.com/Theperfectsociety.presentation.htm  

Evaluate and Revise Evaluation of Media and Methods  The students will evaluate the WebQuest as an instructional media using the rubric (see Appendix D). The teacher will also ask them to write. Overall Instruction At the end of the WebQuest lesson students will evaluate their work so that the teacher can revise and improve the instructional lesson plan.   unit. A form is available online for student feedback and comments on the WebQuest and teamwork :   http://www.nelliemuller.com/student_reflections_march31.asp The instructor will analyze the evaluations of the students and the students’ evaluations on the unit to assess the effectiveness of the WebQuest and if the final projects met the objectives of the unit.)  

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