Design Your Own Team Learning Agenda P

Advanced Instructional Design 1

Advanced Instructional Design

Dr. Susan Santo

NCA-CASI School Improvement Process

Using WEB-CT for Staff Development

Joel Price

December 10, 2001 Advanced Instructional Design 2

I strongly believe that an effective framework for school improvement is in place. The staff, patrons and school board are excited about the prospect of real school-wide reform and have provided information and resources necessary for the process to succeed. The process is in the second of a five-year plan so the District is far from complete. However, with adequate staff development and training plus the continued push by all involved the prospects for real reform is more possible than at any time in the District’s past. Using this starting point as a beginning of the project for real school improvement in the Woonsocket School District the use of WEB-CT to incorporate the school improvement goal of improving writing across the curriculum in grades

K-12 will be the focus of this paper. This paper ties in with the PowerPoint presentation given in class.

The beginning of the paper will develop the needs assessment of the Woonsocket School

District, its students, teachers and parent partners. In the initial instructional design process the needs assessment helps the ID developer plan for the needs of the stakeholders. This needs assessment was taken to incorporate the needs of students, parents and business owners in the

Sanborn County area.

The standard instructional system design (ISD) model that has been around for many years is still the best approach for developing technology-based training. Systematic design nearly always yields the best results (Dick & Carey, 1990). Advanced Instructional Design 3

While there were variances observed in instructional design approaches and methodologies, the following tasks were identified as common to most instructional design processes (Chapman

2001):

 Identifying needs and problems

 Writing instructional goals

 Using a mission statement to define a project

 Understanding the target audience (end user)

 Writing performance objectives

 Outlining course content

 Creating high-level designs for courses (course map)

 Defining treatments with theme elements, setting, tone and pacing

 Selecting instructional strategies

 Writing storyboards and specifying screen layouts

 Managing media to be used in the course (whether produced or yet to be produced)

 Generating reports such as Needs Analysis, Design Strategy Document, Storyboards, etc.

 Conducting alpha and beta tests (course evaluation)

The information presented next develops the steps in the ID process during the school improvement phase of the NCA-CASI school improvement process. The capstone activity of this school improvement process will be the development and implementation of a WEB-CT class using the goal of improving written communication across the curriculum in grades K-12 in the Woonsocket School District. Advanced Instructional Design 4

1. The goals of the Woonsocket School District NCA/CASI school improvement process

a. To demonstrate a commitment to developing a quality educational environment

b. To focus on improved student performance

c. To enhance services to students through effective school improvement.

d. To demonstrate public accountability.

e. To learn about effective interventions and teaching behaviors.

f. To facilitate change.

g. To gain and sustain momentum in school improvement planning and

implementation.

h. To increase community ownership in the schools by engaging them in the

process.

i. To join a collegial group of schools having similar goals.

2. The current realities of the Woonsocket School District NCA/CASI school improvement

process are that the District:

a. Knows itself through surveys developed in house.

b. Defines its goals through consensus and team building.

c. Engages in continuous improvement through staff development.

d. Implements change to enhance student learning by training in 6+1 writing traits.

e. Documents and analyzes the growth of students through standardized tests and

action research component.

f. Measures its success in terms of student performance in writing across the

curriculum. Advanced Instructional Design 5

g. Continuously learns and adjusts its processes and systems through monthly

Steering Committee meetings.

h. Seeks objective review from peers through an on-site visit spring 2002.

i. Assesses the quality of its programs and interventions by continuously assessing

strengths and weaknesses.

j. Presses for improved student performance in all areas but specifically in the area

of writing.

3. The following items are known at this time in the Woonsocket School District.

a. Our Title 1 scores are low and have been falling over the past five years.

b. Our ACT scores are below state average.

c. Our SAT-9 and OLSAT scores are below state and national levels in some

classes.

d. Our Stanford writing assessment scores are adequate but could improve.

e. The hypothesis is that if our writing scores improve then the District’s scores will

improve as well.

4. The following items are unknown at this time in the Woonsocket School District.

a. Will the 6+1 writing traits intervention serve as an effective vehicle for school

improvement?

b. Can our students’ scores improve so that our Title 1 program does not become a

target at the DECA level?

c. How do we manage our curriculum to intervene effectively in writing K-12?

d. What effect will the NCA/CASI school improvement process have on our overall

staff development process? Advanced Instructional Design 6

e. Will the District’s staff have the appropriate staff development tools and

techniques so that they may effectively facilitate learning?

f. How can the District remain focused on school improvement in this time of

declining enrollment and reduced funding?

5. The Steering Committee and the Woonsocket School District can learn and grow by

utilizing the steps below:

a. Promote staff development on a regular and on-going basis.

b. Provide a framework for accountability

c. Enhance student learning and love for learning.

d. Foster healthy, creative, and innovative human beings.

e. Prepare students to live and learn in an ever changing and diverse world.

f. Provide standards and evaluation services for schools that ensure successful

schooling transitions for its students.

The needs assessment and determination of the school improvement goal has led

the Steering Committee in the correct direction. In my role as an instructional designer I

will be utilizing WEB-CT to facilitate a course in writing across the curriculum. I will use

the concept of computer-aided instruction to develop a course in writing for the teaching

staff at the elementary and secondary level. I believe that the ultimate aim of the course is

to enhance the skills already present and also develop new skills using technology and

writing for teacher and student applications. Advanced Instructional Design 7

Bibliography

Chapman, B. L., Accelerating the Design Process: A Tool for Instructional Designers

Communication, A Times Mirror Company.

North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement, http://www.ncacasi.org.