Guidelines for Selecting
an Instructional Design Project
First, it is important to note that the prototype project
for this course is a self-instructional paper-based unit. That
means that your aim is to have the unit of instruction stand on its own, without
a teacher. Your goal is to make a project that you can hand to a learner and
leave. Some projects may require instructor-led lessons, including ones where
the learners are poor readers (e.g. first graders) and projects where only a
human can give effective feedback (e.g. some psychomotor skills or interactive
skills).
Second, I do
not expect you to use other media besides printed pages in your instruction.
Occasionally, people do make videotapes, audiotapes, computer materials, etc.
but mostly they make extra work for themselves. Other times, people might need
extra materials such as math manipulatives.
Other than that, the criteria for your project include
- Approximately
one hour’s worth of instruction. This will vary depending on audience,
types of learning, size of objectives, and so on.
- Well-defined
skills and knowledge.
- Preferably
cognitive skills and/or psychomotor skills.
- Preferably
not pure verbal knowledge or attitudes.
- Something
that students will have to do repeatedly, not just once.
- Skills
that are either directly observable or that have easily observable products.
- You
should be the subject-matter expert.
- You
should have access to three (3) learners from the target population for
testing.
Examples of Good Projects:
- Binary
arithmetic
- Word
problems
- Pre-writing
processes
- Telling
time
- Basic
software use
- Searching
(The Web, CD-ROM encyclopaedias, etc.)
- Classifying
biological specimens
Examples of Poor Projects
- Morse
Code (Memorizing Verbal Information only)
- Writing
resumes (Used one time only)
- State
capitals (Memorizing Verbal Information only)
- Causes
of the Mexican War (Ill-defined; difficult (but not impossible!) to analyze)
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