Instructional Design

Posted: August 7th, 2013

Instructional Design

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Instructional Design

URL: http://lrieber.coe.uga.edu/edit6170/syllabus.html

Instructional design is a process of defining the instructional provisions using learning and educational theories to guarantee that the quality of educational instruction is high. The benefits arising from the application of the principles of instructional design increase the effectiveness of meeting instructional objectives (Rothwell & Kazanas, 2008). This course enables the teacher in waiting to understand the relevance of using the principles of instructional design in the lives of their future students.

To teach this course effectively, it is helpful to have a suitable syllabus. A suitable syllabus as outlined by Lloyd Rieber conceptualizes the syllabus for instructional design in six stages. These stages are regarded as important components in attaining a satisfactory training process. To begin with, the instructor considers attendance vital. Attendance sets precedence for content retention of subsequent learning (Goldman, 2002). Secondly, there is an informal activity. Third, the next stage is improving on the learner’s knowledge of internal design theories and concepts. Fourth, the course prescribes an instructional design activity. Fifth, the course demands students design their own courses using instructional design. Finally, the course ends in a PowerPoint presentation of the project in stage five.

The course expects that everyone attend. This is because the class is an interactive process that will require cooperation amongst the students to achieve course objectives such as group work. The informal activity is meant to have the learner directly experience learning without the help of a teacher. The student is expected to select a topic of his or her own choice and go through the prescribed content without the help of a teacher. The student is to report on their experiences. The third step is the tackling content on instructional design. The student is required to demonstrate practical understanding in the central theories and concepts in instructional design. The content acquired must be based on the recommended literature. A test is issued to ascertain how effectively the student has mastered the content.

The fourth step in the syllabus requires the student to undertake activities in instructional design. The aim of these activities is to give the student an opportunity to practice and employ any of the instructional design skills that have been tackled in class. The ultimate goal is to help all the other students to understand how to the skills are used. It is important that skills discussed in theory be practiced to ensure adequate understanding. The next stage in the syllabus is the project. The project is aimed at enabling the students to apply every instructional deign skill and methods in a genuine project. The project is to be carried out in teams. The teams are expected to design a course that has at least two units. The team is also expected to design lessons in the units and it is expected that each team member design a lesson. The project empowers the students with the chance to practice all hey have learnt though out the course. The final part of the course, as specified by the syllabus, is a presentation of the project to the rest of the class via a PowerPoint presentation. This presentation comes at the end of the school term. Each student is also expected to listen to the other presentations for different perspectives used in the design of the project.

The syllabus has been effectively sequenced in a progressive manner. The syllabus enables the learner to build on preexisting knowledge, piling them sequentially so that each build up relates to the previous stage in the course. The aim of sequencing the content of a unit is intended to enhance effective learning (Curzon, 2004). This course is also highly interactive making it a fun class yet aimed at enhancing the learner’s content retention. The course also provides for effective assessment process, based on practical element of syllabus requirement (Butler & McMunn, 2006).

References

Butler, S. M., & McMunn, N. D. (2006). A teacher’s guide to classroom assessment: Understanding and using assessment to improve student learning. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Curzon, L. B. (2003). Teaching in further education: An outline of principles and practice. London, UK: Continuum.

Goldman, M. R. (2002). The Future Catches Up: Selected Writings of Ralph M. Goldman, volume 4. Bloomington, IN: iUniverse.

Rieber, L. (2010). Introduction to Instructional Design. Retrieved from  http://lrieber.coe.uga.edu/edit6170/syllabus.html

Rothwell, W. J., & Kazanas, H. C. (2008). Mastering the instructional design process: A systematic approach. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer.