3.7.4 DESIGNING TECHNOLOGY- ENHANCED LESSONS- THE ASSURE MODEL

To ASSURE good learning, I believe it is not one single thing that a teacher or designer should consider, but I do believe that there are areas of emphasis.

First, ASSURE starts with looking at the learner in detail. Nothing you plan or design is effective unless you have taken the time to look at the learners. That means that by understanding where the learners are at the start of instruction, a teacher will make every effort to assist all learners to be successful in their learning endeavors. This new direction supports my position about knowing the learner. I feel that knowing as much as possible about your learners is critical to design and implementation of instruction.'

Second, the second letter in ASSURE, S, refers to knowing the intended outcomes or expectations. No instruction should begin without everyone having a clear understanding of what is supposed to happen in the instruction. This does not preclude the possibility of additional learning taking place, but without a road map, some of your learners may well be "lost." And, especially in the schools today, as we edge closer to the 100% of all students meeting or exceeding expectations, I believe that students need to know what is expected of them.
 we need to find ways to make it possible for our diverse learning population fit into the "mold" that has been outlined for us. Learners need to know what they are to do. And, I add that you cannot assess learning without knowing what was expected.

My final area of importance in the design and implementation process to ASSURE good learning is the reflection component of evaluation. Once you have completed the design and instruction and gathered the data about the outcomes and impressions from your learners, you need to take the time to consider what went well and what could be changed in that particular instructional event. This information will help you re-design that instructional event for future opportunities. But, this information also guides you on how to better address your learners in instruction beyond this particular instructional event. We often do not put enough emphasis on reflection as teachers and designers, but I do consider that it is not time wasted.
from our group discussions, i have learnt many ideas; analysis of the learners is paramount, selection of teaching  aids is very key to enhance retention and recall of the learnt material and among others the learners involvement from the start will help them to grasp every content and the assure model does not accommodate cram work since the learners are as much involved and they take their findings themselves with the teacher standing in a corner to force material into their heads.

3.6.4 ASSURE LESSON PLANS- ANALYSIS FIRST

Analyze learners

Most teachers understand that integrating technology into the curriculum is the best way to make a positive difference in education. While many specific strategies can be used to add technology to the mix, the following model is one example of how to integrate technology into  future lessons.

The ASSURE model was developed by Heinich, Molenda, Russell, Smaldino (1999) and is an instructional model for planning a lesson and the technology that will enhance it. The ASSURE model contains six steps and the letters in ASSURE form an acronym. The “A” stands for Analyze the learner. Who are my students? While this seems to be common sense, the step is important to mention because keeping a class of students in mind will help ensure that I work diligently to find those materials and resources that will be most appropriate and useful to my students. I should know who my students are (e. g.  demographics, prior knowledge, learning styles, academic abilities) on a multitude of levels, and use this knowledge in every lesson I really plan. http://ed205.net/assure_model.html

 

I have learnt that before I can begin, i must know my target audience (your students).  I need to write down the following information about my students:
General characteristics - grade, age, ethnic group, sex, mental, emotional, physical, or social problems, socioeconomic level, and so on.
Specific entry competencies - prior knowledge, skills, and attitudes.
Learning styles - verbal, logical, visual, musical, structured, and so on. http://www.myteacherpages.com/webpages/mkiva/university.cfm?subpage=1114844

This lesson of analyzing the learners has answered many questions that occupied my mind

v  What are stable and changing similarities and differences among learners?

v  What are the categories of cognitive characteristics that should be considered in designing instruction?

v  What is the difference between general characteristics and specific prior knowledge of a learner population?

v  What are some instructional strategy variables that may be influenced by learner characteristics?

v  How can different learner characteristics influence how the variables are implemented?

v  How can i identify sources of information about learner characteristics of a particular audience?

v  What are some examples of learner characteristics?

v  What are some techniques and procedures that can be used to identify learner characteristics when designing instruction?

While we are analyzing the learners we need to clearly capture their; sensory capacities: these include observing and modeling their behaviors

We also need to know that the learners have big differences in terms of intelligent quotient. Intelligent quotient will help the teacher to know whether to give a number of examples, the learners ability to interpret concepts, whether to increase on duration, how much practice is needed for the trainees, their attitude towards learning and the amount of prior knowledge. Off course the IQ helps us to understand the attention span of the learners.

I also have learnt that the gender, ethnicity and racial information are very important. This will help me understand and learners experiences, cultural factors and how to manage their groups.

Understanding the psychosocial traits of learners helps us to capture learner’s anxiety and performances in particular settings.

Specific prior learning is considered to be the most significant factor when designing a lesson simply because it allows the teacher to set objectives that will not bore the trainees and off course will realize many opportunities towards using and instruction technique.

I have learnt that I have to gather information from the trainees in the following categories as well.

Specific prior knowledge, Psychological characteristics, Cognitive characteristics

http://www.angelfire.com/la2/learners/learners.html and have concurred with the educators on the mentioned link.

http://www.itma.vt.edu/modules/spring03/instrdes/lesson5.htm

The site above also explains clearly the purpose of conducting the learner analysis. I have learnt that it helps the teacher to manage the class effectively if he or she understands the weaknesses, challenges and strengths of the learner.

NIWAMANYA GILBERT

A/g Head of Plumbing and Sheetmetal Department 

Nakawa Vocational Training Institute-Uganda

+256 (0) 774 228 871