Analysis of Current Research Literature in the Field of Instructional Design

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My latest assignment requires students to critically examine current research literature in the field of instructional design to determine research-based instructional design techniques and approaches. Each student will read at least six current research articles based on instructional design issues, models, and contexts of interest to the student. All students will contribute to a single, shared meta-analysis spreadsheet to share notes and thoughts about the readings. Based on the shared notes, each student will construct a blog post to discuss trends, implications, and recommendations for instructional design from the whole class review of literature conducted by the entire class.


Trends:
Creativity, explicit instruction, and engagement of students are several trends related to Online Instructional Design.  Creativity in online instruction requires a slightly different methodology than traditional instruction.  The teacher is unable to use some of the  traditional methods to engage and excite students about learning (body language, tone, and/or emotions).  Therefore, they must be creative in their design and implementation of course material.  Explicit instruction and engagement of students go hand-in-hand with each other.  Students can become frustrated with the course if assignments are not properly explained and communication is sporadic.  Online instruction has many of the same tenets as traditional instruction, however, more attention to detail is required because of the lack of individual and/or group face-time.

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The most cited research models in this study were the ADDIE model, Universal Design for Instruction (UDL), and Gagne's Nine Events of Instruction.  These models have many similarities and differences.  Please see the pictures below for a brief description of each model.

ADDIE Model

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Most of the research in this study regarding the ADDIE model were a result of "best practices" in the educational field.

UDL
http://autismtools.weebly.com/uploads/1/4/4/8/14481562/4248713_orig.gif?1 

Most of the research in this study regarding the UDL model were the results of studies focused on special education.

Gagne's Nine Events of Instruction

 https://sarahzaki.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/gagne.jpg

Most of the research in this study regarding Gagne's Nine Events of Instruction were through artifact analysis.

Three words that came up quite often when looking for trends in the shared database were: creativity, engagement, and games.  This is pleasantly surprising because I feel that these are very important components to successful implementation of online courses.  Using game applications in online learning is relatively new to the educational field.  It has the potential to add some excitement and immediate satisfaction to learning.

Implications:
While research into the field of online learning is growing, there is still so much to be learned.  Educators today are still learning as they go, which can be very frustrating to teachers and students.  It is time consuming and there is not a guarantee that a newly designed course will be effective.  However, studies show that if a course is effectively and efficiently designed, mastery of the content should be expected.  The UDL model is often focused on learners with special needs because it offers options to those with different learning needs.  Several articles in this study demonstrated how the model can be just as effective in online learning.  This makes sense because one of the main concepts of online learning is choice.  Creativity, explicit instruction, engagement of students, options, and availability of resources should be priorities when designing an online course.  


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Recommendations:
Research!  More in depth studies need to be conducted to make designing an online course more streamlined.  This will not take away from the creativity that each individual teacher brings to his or her class.  Instead, it will provide more time for each teacher to expand and improve their courses.  Most of the models designed for learning can be applied to online learning in one way or another.  Reviewing past literature and applying it to today's learning can be informational, however, actual studies are the only way to definitively prove the effectiveness of a design model.  Expanded research could provide a combination of models that will make the process more effective.
Teachers need to ensure that their syllabus contains all the information the student will need.  Each assignment should be explained in detail.  Resources and examples of successfully completed assignments can also aid in student success.  Communication and availability should be another focus of online educators. 

  

A Critique and Comparison of the Revised Bloom's Taxonomy and Merrill's First Principles of Instruction

The Revised Bloom's Taxonomy (RBT) and Merrill's First Principles of Instruction (MFPI) are two very similar, yet unique instructional models.  Each has a main focus that is somewhat different from the other.

There are two major components to the RBT: Types of Knowledge and Cognitive Processes.  Each of the four Types of Knowledge contain Sub-Types that detail the type of learning that should take place in each category.



There are six components to the Cognitive Processes in the RBT beginning with Remembering and ending with Creating.

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The RBT does a great job of differentiating between how we should learn and what we are learning.  Having the ability to tailor a lesson based on the content that should be learned is a major component to effective teaching.  Lessons require different levels of learning and should be taught in different ways to accommodate the needs of the student.  The RBT is geared towards explaining to students the different levels of learning and what each level involves.  Sometimes we forget the most important step in teaching, teaching the students how to learn. 

Merrill's First Principles of Instruction are comprised of the five first principles.  These principles are guidelines for creating effective instruction by the teacher for the learner.

Table 1: Augmented first principles and reflective questions for design

Principle	Learning is promoted when…	Questions to ask yourself
Problem and task centered	Learners are engaged in solving real world problems and tasks	Does the instruction involve real world problems and tasks relevant to the learner? Does the instruction show the learners what they’ll be able to do at the end of the learning experience? Does the instruction include the components or chunks required for the successful completion of the problem or task? Does the instruction show multiple examples of the problem or task?
Activation	Existing knowledge is retrieved or activated as a foundation for the new knowledge or learning	Does the instruction make use of or activate learners’ prior knowledge as a foundation for the new learning, including cognitive structures to help organize the new knowledge? Does the instruction help learners see relevance of the problem task and boost confidence in ability to complete successfully?
Demonstration	New knowledge (task) is demonstrated to the learner	Does instruction show what the learner will learn versus telling what he or she will learn? Are examples consistent with content being presented (including non-examples)? Is learner guidance included (focus on relevant content, multiple perspectives, linking new knowledge to current knowledge)
Application	The learner applies new knowledge	Do learners have a chance to practice and/or apply learning? Are activities and assessment aligned with learning objectives? Is feedback provided after practice? Is coaching or scaffolding available to learners?
Integration	New knowledge is integrated into the learner’s world or context	Do learners have the chance to reflect, discuss, and/or defend their new knowledge or skill? Does instruction encourage learners to transfer learning to everyday contexts?

 http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/1233/research-for-practitioners-are-there-basic-principles-across-all-instructional-design-models

Here is video on MFPI-  https://youtu.be/rSIYP0BgOTw



Merrill's First Principles of Instruction are also comprised of different levels of thinking.  Each level requires more conceptual thinking and understanding.  This learning design model does an excellent job of helping the instructor understand all the questions they need to be thinking about as they design their lesson.  

Here is a spicy node to show the similarities and differences 

http://www.spicynodes.org/a/663e46d91d8668cff3d519a591748dfd

Critique
While the RBT lays out a clear path for learning, it can be difficult to differentiate between the levels of the Cognitive Processes.  They have a tendency to overlap.  Reaching the creating step in the process is more involved and requires a real depth of understanding.  This model is more beneficial to students than teachers.

MFPI's design is very thorough and does an excellent job of outlining the design process for teachers.  This design does not specifically focus on the student.  However, it does provide a great guide for the teacher and assists the students by providing a pathway for instruction.

I feel that Merrill's First Principles of Instruction are more beneficial to me at this point in my life.  It is more focused on assisting teachers in designing a thorough lesson and providing them with the right questions to ask when designing that lesson.  The RBT is more focused on the actual student and providing a pathway to effective learning.  

Take Advantage of the Universal Design for Learning Framework

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The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework is set up to design learning experiences that are universal and to make sure everyone learns.  The design is based on the power of being flexible and allowing choices.  This allows students to take different paths to achieve their learning goals and gives them options on how to display their knowledge. 




http://www.cast.org/our-work/about-udl.html#.VWEpCVlVikp

Three Core Principles: 

1. Provide Multiple Means of Representation

2. Provide Multiple Means of Action and Expression

3. Provide Multiple Means of Engagement


 
http://www.udlcenter.org/sites/udlcenter.org/files/updateguidelines2_0_0.png



Essentially, these guidelines are focused on using multiple instructional platforms and offering students multiple ways of displaying their knowledge.  Each student learns in their own unique way.  Students should not be restricted in how they demonstrate their knowledge.  As with learning, each student has a preferred method of disseminating information.

It is my goal to do my best to incorporate as many of the UDL guidelines in my instruction as possible.  The UDL guidelines should be common sense.  Provide options in everything that you do with your class.  It keeps the learning fresh and gives the students the opportunity to take ownership of their learning.