Chapter 8 Developing an

Instructional Strategy

Carolyn Jenkins-Haigler

Background

The planning of an instructional strategy is an important part of the instructional design process. It is at this point that the designer must be able to combine knowledge of learning and design theory with his experience of learners and objectives. Needless to say, creativity in lesson design will enhance this other knowledge and experience. Perhaps it is this component of creativity that separates the art of instructional design from the science of instructional design. It is clear that the best lesson designs will demonstrate knowledge about the learners, the tasks reflected in the objectives, and the effectiveness of teaching strategies.

Objectives

Describe consideration in selecting an instructional delivery system.

Sequence and arrange content in lesson-level clusters.

Name the five learning components of an instructional strategy and list the primary considerations within each.

Plan the learning components of an instructional strategy including pre-instructional activities, content presentation, learner presentation, assessment, and follow-through activities, for a set of objectives for a particular group of learners.

Specify learning components that are congruent with learners’ maturity and ability level and type of learning outcome.

Select appropriate student groupings and media for the learning components of an instructional strategy.

Consolidate media selections and confirm or select a delivery system.

Selection of Delivery System

There is usually a general methodology that is used for managing and delivering the teaching and learning activities that we call instruction.

This general methodology is referred to as the delivery system.

Delivery system and instructional strategies are not synonymous.

The best way to define delivery system more precisely is through a list of examples.

• Traditional model • Large-group lecture with small group • Telecourse • Computer based instruction • Site based internship and mentoring

In an ideal instructional design process, one would first consider the goal, learner characteristics , learning, and performance context, objectives, and assessment requirements, and then work through the following considerations and decisions to at arrive at the selection of the best delivery system .

Delivery System Selection

Review the instructional analysis and identify logical clusters of objectives that will be taught in appropriate sequences

Plan the learning components that will be used in the instruction

Choose the most effective student groupings for learning

Specify effective media and materials that are within the range of cost, convenience, and practicality for the learning context

Assign objectives to lesson and consolidate media

Instructional Strategies

Pre-instructional Activities

Information Presentation

Learner Participation

Testing

Follow-Through

Content Sequence and Clustering

Content Sequence The first step in developing an instructional strategy are : 1) Identifying a teaching sequence 2) Manageable content of learning.

Clustering Instruction The next question is how you will group your instructional activities. You may decide to present one objective at time, or cluster several related objectives.

Sequence to Follow

The most useful tool in determining the answer to this question is your instructional analysis.

You will generally begin with the lower level subordinate skills on the left and work your up way through hierarchy until you reach the main goal step.

It is not a good idea to present information about a skill until you have presented information on all related subordinate skill.

Work your own way from left, the beginning point and proceed to the right.

If there are subordinate capabilities for any of the major steps, then they would be taught prior to going on to the next major component.

Determining Factor

The age level of your learners

The age complexity of the material

The type of learning taking place

Whether the activity can be varied, thereby focusing attention on the task

The amount of time required to include all the events in the instructional strategy for each cluster of content presented

Learning Components of Instructional Strategies

An instructional strategy describes the general components of a set of instructional materials and the procedures that will be used with those materials to enabled student mastery of learning outcomes.

The concepts of an instructional strategy originated with the events of instruction described in Gagne`s Conditions of Learning (1985). In this cognitive psychologist`s view, nine events represent external instructional activities that support internal mental processes of learning

Learning Components for Learners of Different Maturity

and Ability Levels Consider different learners’ needs for

instructional strategies .

All learners could manage their own intellectual processing; foster learning.

They would be independent learners or had “learned how to learn”.

Should be planned selectively rather than being provided slavishly for all learners.

Learning Components for Various Learning Outcomes

Intellectual Skills

Verbal Information

Motor Skills

Attitudes

Learning Components for Constructivist Strategies Constructivism has roots in cognitive psychology and

has two branches:• Cognitive constructivism

• Social constructivism

• Cognitive ID Models

• Constructivist planning practices

Student Groupings Planning the learning components of an

instructional of an instructional strategy – need to plans the details of student groupings and media selections.

Type of student grouping – individual, pairs, small group and large group – depends on specific social interaction requirements

Selection of Media and Delivery Systems

Media selection for domains of learning

• Intellectual skills

• Verbal information

• Psychomotor skills

• Attitudes

Media selection for certain learner characteristics.

Media selection for certain task requirements found in objectives.

Media selection for replacing the need for instruction.

Practical considerations in choosing media and delivery systems

Alternative Views About Developing an Instructional Strategy

Theoretical considerations

A theoretical difference pervading comparisons of cognitive and constructivist views is rooted in the roles of content and the learner.

Cognitive assumption is that the content drives the system.

The learner is the driving factor in constructivism.

Previously, more focuses on products and outcomes but now more focuses on process.

The CLE is an instructional strategy includes goals for learners that spring from the inquiry process instead of from the content domain.

Instructional StrategyDeveloping

Reasoning, critical thinking, and problem solving

Complex, realistic and relevant

Retention, understanding, use

Providing for interaction among learners, peers, and teachers

Cognitive flexibility

Ability to adapt and change one’s mental organization of knowledge and mental management of solution strategies for solving new, unexpected problem

Self-regulation

Identifying learning outcomes of personal interest or value and choosing to pursue them

Mindful reflection and epistemic flexibility

Reflected by learners who maintain awareness of their own process of constructing knowledge and choosing ways of learning and knowing

Evaluating The designer must also

decide the best path for learning.

Considerations of several factors:

• Considerations of learners’ characteristic - ability, maturity, and experience .

• The skills of the teacher, trainer, or instructional manager.

Reference

SummaryThe learning components of a complete instructional strategy are summarized below in their typical chronological sequences:

A. Pre-instructional Activities

1. Gain attention and motivate learners

2. Describe objective

3. Describe and promote recall of prerequisite skills.

B. Content Presentation

1. Content

2. Learning Guidance

C. Learner Participation

1. Practice

2. Feedback

D. Assessments

1. Entry skills test

2. Pretest

3. Posttest

E. Follow through activities

1. Memory aids for retention

2. Transfer considerations

THE END

Carolyn Jenkins-Haigler