During the instructional design process determining what strategies
to use can make or break the plan. According to Larson and Lockee “Instructional
strategies are the heart of an instructional design” (p. 149). In my last blog
I discussed the importance of knowing your audience or learner. Now that we
know our audience, we move on to what strategies we will use to deliver the
instruction.
Determining the learners’ prior knowledge is an important step
when deciding what strategy and interaction type to use. All types of
instruction require some kind of interaction (Larson & Lockee, 2014). The
learner will interact with the content, other learners, and the instructor in
some way. One form of interaction, learner-to-content, is scaffolding.
Scaffolding is a strategy that always seems to find its way
into instructional trainings. Learners of all ages benefit from seeing and
doing. Using strategies like a KWL (know, want to know, learned) chart is a
great scaffolding activity. In my experience as a learner and as a teacher, a
KWL chart is a great way to open lines of communication in a training. It gives
the learner and the instructor a way to connect. When dealing with large groups
of learners with many levels of knowledge a KWL activity can help guide the
instruction. For additional information about KWL charts check out this article by the National Education Association.
Another strategy that involves several levels of interaction
is the think, pair, share activity. During this activity learners are asked to
brainstorm individually on a question or the content, get with a partner discuss
the question or content, and then share their thoughts with the entire group. Using this activity
during a lesson gives everyone the opportunity to get involved. This type of
activity fosters higher level thinking and learning. To learn more about this
type of activity please watch the short video below.
Both of the types of strategies above enable the instructor
or teacher to hear from all learners. Teachers can tend to squash learners’
voices without meaning to (Weih, 2015). When the teachers use scaffolding strategies,
it can help learners feel more comfortable to speak out. With any instruction
or training the learning is the most important part. The goal of any training
or lesson is for the learner to be able to apply the knowledge they have received.
Using strategies that require learners to interact will strengthen their
understanding and increase the higher order thinking.
Please check out these instructional design videos:
Resources:
J. (2014, November 05).
Think, Pair, Share. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com
K-W-L (Know, Want to Know,
Learned). (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nea.org
Instructional Strategies --
The KWL Strategy. (2016, January 29). Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com
Larson, M. B.,
& Lockee, B. B. (2014). Streamlined
ID: A practical guide to instructional
design. New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
Montes, B. (2014, February
12). Instructional Design - Unit 9 - Instructional Strategy. Retrieved
from https://www.youtube.com
Weih, T. G. (2015). Discussion Strategies for the Inclusion
of ALL Students.
Tracy,
ReplyDeleteI agree that using Think-Pair-Share is a great strategy to get everyone involved in the conversation. I do that that we sometimes inadvertently "squash" some of the conversation for sake of time. This strategy allows for more input and connection to the information, along with engagement (Larson and Lockee, 2014)
Larson, M. B., & Lockee, B. B. (2014). Streamlined ID: A practical guide to instructional design. New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
Tracy,
ReplyDeleteK-W-L & Think-Pair-Share are both great instructional strategies that enable the instructor to hear from all learners. Larson & Lockee(2014) stated that if instructional activities lack a clear purpose they often won’t engage or motivate learners(p. 151). Learners should definitely be able to apply the knowledge they received using either of these instructional methods if they are implemented effectively.
Larson, M. B., & Lockee, B. B. (2014). Streamlined ID: A practical guide to instructional design. New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
In the text, Streamlined ID, A practical guide to instructional design, Larson and Lockee state, "as you design instruction, consider the effects on learning that result from the interaction of the strategies you choose and the technologies you select to support those strategies" (2014, p.150). With this in mind, the different strategies you shared will strengthen the learners understanding as you've stated. The text goes on to state to "consider both strategies and technologies concurrently", so the designer can continue with building an effective training or lesson that the learner is able to apply their understanding.
ReplyDeleteLarson, M.B., & Lockee, B.B. (2014). Streamlined ID, a practical guide to instructional design . New York, NY: Routledge.