Reflection for Fourth Week

The fourth week is looking at the implementation phase of instruction design. In this stage it is important to look at the instruction that has been designed and created and make sure that it can be presented properly. In this case that would mean that all the links work, that everything is complete and easy to follow on the website and that no problems exist for the student to obtain the instruction. I know that many times in class when I'm getting ready to present a lesson I suddenly realize I'm missing something for the lesson or that something isn't working. This can be frustrating. The point of the implementation phase is so that you don't suddenly realize that something is missing or not working. The goal of the instructional design process is not having to worry at the last moment if everything was done correctly in the earlier phases. Implementation also looks at room set-up, supplies needed for the presenter and students, that the equipment, including the internet, is working

The readings from the book and in class this week looked at the evaluation phase of the process. Really evaluation is a constant through out the process. It is essential in creating instruction that you evaluate not only the delivery, but how well students achieve the desired outcomes and if the results are consistent over time. In my own class I'm often evaluating not only how the students are doing, but how my teaching is going. It becomes fairly obvious when something is not working. Sometimes I adjust on the spot and other times I have to adjust later. Either way the evaluation helps me see what needs to change. In the book it discusses three types of evaluation: formative, summative, and confirmative. Formative is a useful tool in the ID process before the program is finalized. It is the opportunity to see if the instruction is meeting the objectives and adjust. Summative evaluations are a concluding assessment to see how well the objectives were met. It allows the designer to see if the students achieved. Confirmative evaluations look at the longer term effects of the instruction, are the students still able to meet the objectives. In order for instruction to be successful it needs to pass all evaluations, along with the students passing all. It is also important to make sure that the tests are valid and reliable. In the past in my own classroom I've used tests created by someone else. I didn't really check the tests before administering them. What I noticed is that the test didn't actually meet the objectives I thought it did. Thus the test was not a valid test for my instruction and is some ways was a waste of time. That is why it is important to create an assessment that aligns with the instructional objectives and checking to make sure that your instruction aligns with those objectives. A test is considered reliable when it produces consistent results. When choosing/creating assessments there are a variety of options that need to be weighed. Objective tests are easy to grade and short-answer tests allow the learner to show a higher level of thinking. Both are important and I think that trying to use a mix is useful. Although this can be more complicated is shows a better level of student understanding. The important thing to remember is that evaluations can help the instructor develop a better program and it can help the learner see how they are doing.

In class I also realized that variety of questions to ask on exams and realized the need to go back and reexamine tests to see if they have well written questions that are clear and concise. It is not easy to write questions, but having a well written evaluation is definitely going to help the evaluation. I also never considered looking at wrong answers students marked in order to find out where the student is getting confused. Multiple choice questions really have a benefit in the amount of data provided. An important part of evaluation is feedback to students. One thing I've struggled with, in the classroom, is giving feedback for a multiple choice test. We use a machine to score so all they know is that "b" was not the correct choice for question 2. I realized that I need to take that day and go over the test and what students got wrong. So that students have that opportunity to continue to learn.

I enjoyed the information about WebQuests from Wednesday's class. I've done WebQuests before, but its been a long time. I find that WebQuests are interesting and I think that my students would enjoy them. They are also good for students being able to learn about something in a safe environment and doing somehting different than they are used to in class. I got a couple of ideas to use them in my classroom for Social Studies. I also liked the PowerPoint museum idea. I'd never considered doing such a thing, but it gave me some good ideas.