The ASSURE Model

Chapter 3

Instructional Media and Technologies for Learning

The ASSURE MODEL

is an ISD (Instructional Systems Design) process that was modified to be used by teachers in the regular classroom  The ISD process is one in which teachers and trainers can use to design and develop the most appropriate learning environment for their students.  You can use this process in writing your lesson plans and in improving teaching and learning.

incorporates Robert Gagne's events of instruction to assure effective use of media in instruction.

The ASSURE Model

Analyze learners State objectives Select methods, media, and materials Utilize media and materials Require learner participation Evaluate and revise

Analyze Learners

Identify learners General characteristics

grade, age, ethnic group, sex, mental, emotional, physical, or social problems, socioeconomic level

Specific entry competencies prior knowledge, skills, and attitudes. 

Learning style verbal, logical, visual, musical,

structured

State Objectives

Be specific State terms of what

student will be able to do Include conditions and

degree of acceptable performance

The objectives may be derived from a needs assessment or a course syllabus, stated in a text book, taken from a curriculum guide, or developed by the instructor.

Once you know your students, you can begin writing the objectives of your lesson.  Objectives are the learning outcomes, that is, What will the student get out of the lesson?

The ABCD's of writing objectives are: Audience (who are your students?) Behavior to be demonstrated Conditions under which the behavior will be

observed Degree to which the learned skills are to be

mastered. Example:  Fifth grade social studies students (Audience) will be

able to name at least 90% (Degree) of the state capitols (Behavior) when given a list of states (Condition).

Audience

A major premise of systematic instruction is to focus on what the learner is doing, not on what the teacher is doing.

Behavior

What will the learner be able to do after completing instruction?

Vague terms such as know,' understand, and appreciate do not communicate your aim ' clearly.

Better are define, categorize, and demonstrate, which denote observable performance

Condition

A statement of objectives should include the conditions under which performance is to be observed, if such conditions are relevant.

Degree

The final requirement of a well-stated objective is to indicate the standard by which acceptable performance will be judged:

What degree of accuracy or proficiency must the learner display?

Whether the criteria are stated in qualitative or quantita tive terms, they should be based on some real-world requirement.

CLASSIFICATION OF OBJECTIVES

CLASSIFYING objectives is much more than an academic exer cise for educational psychologists.

It has practical value because the selection of instructional methods and media depends on what type of objective is being pursued and so does the choice of evaluation instruments. Maybe classified as the primary type of learning There are 3 domains:

Cognitve

Affective

Motor Skills

Cognitive

Learning involves the whole array of intellectual capa bilities, from simple factual recall to the generation of new theories.

Affective

Learning involves feel ings and values. Objectives in the affective domain may range from stimulating interest in a school subject to encouraging healthy social attitudes to adopting a set of ethical standards.

Motor skill

Learning involves athletic, manual, and other such physical skills. Objectives in the motor skill domain include capa bilities ranging from simple mechanical operations to those entailing-sophisticated neuromuscular coordination and strategy, as in competitive sports.

Interpersonal skills learning involves interaction among peo ple. These are people-centered skills that involve the ability to relate effectively with others., Examples include teamwork, counseling techniques, adminis trative skills, salesmanship, dis cussion activities, and customer relations.

The cognitive Domain The original classification scheme for the cognitive domain pro

posed by Bloom* envisioned a rather orderly progression from simple to complex mental abilities. Research over the past three decades suggests that the cognitive domain incorporates at least three qualitatively different types of capabilities, not a single simple to complex continuum. Gagne's* categories are widely accepted among instructional designers:

1. Verbal/visual information: factual knowledge stored verbally or visually in memory; it con sists of single images, facts, labels, memorized sequences, and organized information.

Examples: To be able to recall that Mackenzie King served as prime minister of Canada three times between 1921 and 1948

2. Intellectual skills: the ability to use symbols to organize and manipulate the environment. The two most basic forms of symbols, words and numbers, allow us to read, write, and compute.

a. Discrimination: to be able to distinguish between two different stimuli, that is, to see the difference between physically similar objects.

Example: To be able to distinguish between a turbo prop and a turbofan jet engine

b. Concept learning: classifying things or ideas into cat egories on the basis of some shared attributes.

Example: To be able to identify a bat as a mammal. c. Rule using: applying princi ples to a variety of situations. Using mathematical equations or following the rules of grammar to construct sentences in a foreign language are rule-using capabilities.

3. Cognitive Strategies: the internal "control processes" that govern the learner's ability to visualize, think about, and solve problems. The sophistication of our cognitive strate gies determines how creatively, fluently, or critically we will be able to think.

Example:

To resolve logical contradictions by questioning the assumptions behind each.

The Affective DomainThe affective domain is organized according to the degree of internalization

—the degree to which the attitude or value has become part of the individual:

1. Receiving: being aware of and willing to pay attention to a stimulus (listen or look) (e.g., The student will sit quietly while the teacher reads Long fellow's Paul Revere's Ride.).

2. Responding: actively participat ing, reacting in some way • (e.g., The student will ask questions relating to Paul Revere's Ride.).

3. Valuing: voluntarily displaying - an attitude, showing an interest (e.g., The student will ask to read another story or poem about Paul Revere.).

4. Characterization: demonstrat ing an internally consistent value system, developing a characteristic lifestyle based upon a value or value system (e.g., The student will devote a percentage of his or her free time to studying American his tory.).

The Motor Skill Domain The motor skill domain may be seen as a progression in the degree

of coordination required:

1. Imitation: repeating the action shown (e.g., After viewing the film on the backhand tennis swing, you will demonstrate the swing with reasonable accuracy.).

2. Manipulation: performing independently (e.g., Following a practice period, you will demonstrate the backhand ten nis swing, scoring seven of the ten points on the performance checklist.).

3. Precision: performing with accuracy (e.g., You will dem onstrate an acceptable back hand tennis swing, returning successfully at least 75 percent of practice serves to the back hand.).

4. Articulation: performing unconsciously, efficiently, and harmoniously, incorporating coordination of skills (e.g., During a tennis match, you will execute the backhand stroke effectively against your opponent, returning nine out of ten of all types of shots hit to the backhand side.).

Types of Interpersonal Skills Learning* The types of interpersonal skills can be classified into six categories:

1. Seeking/giving information: asking for/offering facts, opin ions, or clarification from/to another individual or individuals (e.g., You will ask your supervisor about the meaning of a new work rule.).

2. Proposing: putting forward a new concept, suggestion, or course of action (e.g., You will make a job enrichment suggestion to your supervisor.).

3. Building and supporting: extending, developing, and enhancing another person, his or her proposal, or concepts (e.g., In a departmental meeting you will suggest an amend ment to someone's motion.).

4. Shutting out/bringing in: excluding/involving another group member from/into a conversation or discussion (e.g., In a departmental meeting you will ask a quiet mem ber to give his or her ideas.).

5. Disagreeing: providing a con scious, direct declaration of difference of opinion, or criticism of another person's concepts (e.g., During a lunchroom discussion you will defend a new work rule against a colleague's attack.).

6. Summarizing: restating in a compact form the content of previous discussions or considerations (e.g., Before giving your comments in a departmental meeting you will summarize the arguments that have been presented.).

Select Methods, Media, and Materials Decide on appropriate

method Choose suitable format Select available

materials Modify existing

materials Design new materials

Obtaining Specific Materials: Select, Modify, or Design?Having decided what media format suits your immediate instruc tional objective; you face the problem of finding specific mate rials to convey the lesson.

Selecting Available MaterialsThe majority of instructional materials used by teachers and trainers are "off the shelf"—that is, ready-made and available from school, district, or company collections or other easily accessible sources. How do you go about making an appropriate choice from available materials?

Modify existing materials

Materials that provide your students with the help they need in mastering the objectives.  Materials might be purchased and used as is or they might need some modifications.  You can also design and create your own materials for the students to use.  Materials would be specific software programs, music, videotapes, images, but would also be equipment, i.e., overhead projector, computer, printer, scanner, TV, laserdisk player, VCR, and so on.

Design new Materials

Objectives—What do you want your students to learn? Audience—What are the charac teristics of your

learners? Do they have the prerequisite knowledge and skills to use and/or learn from the ma terials?

Cost—Is sufficient money avail able in your budget to meet the cost of supplies (film, audio-tapes, etc.) you will need to prepare the materials?

Technical expertise—Do you have the necessary expertise to design and produce the kind of materials you wish to use? If not, will the necessary technical assistance be available to you? (Try to keep your design within the range of your own capabilities. Don't waste time and money trying to produce slick professional materials when simple inexpensive products will get the job done.)

Equipment—Do you have avail able the necessary equipment - - to produce and/or use the materials you intend to design?

Facilities—If your design calls for use of special facilities for prep aration and/or use of your materials, are such facilities available?

Time—Can you afford to spend whatever time may be necessary to design and produce the kind of materials you have in mind?