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Module
4
Learner Analysis
Introduction
Readings
Videos
Activities
Evaluation
Other
Modules
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Module
4
Learner Analysis, Readings
Since you know quite a bit about your learners,
what questions would help to determine additional information
that will help you design instructional materials best suited
for those learners?
Questions
to ask
- What cultural differences may be present in the classroom?
- What outside responsibilities do your students have (extracurricular
activities, family responsibilities, etc.)?
- What is your students' motivation for learning the new
material?
- What is their prior knowledge of the topic?
- What are their attitudes towards the potential delivery
mechanisms (lecture, film, Power Point, Web pages, etc.)?
- What are their learning style preferences?
What
to do with the answers
Determining the answers to the questions is only half the
task when designing instruction. The remainder of your job
will be to address the issues of these answers in your instruction.
For example, if you determine that you have a class of students
from several ethnic backgrounds, you will need to find resources
to make sure that you are not only sensitive to their cultural
background, but that you understand
your student's communication and interpersonal skills.
This may also help you determine your students' responsibilities
outside the classroom.
Once you have determined your students' motivation to learning,
what do you do with that information? How will it impact instruction?
John Keller
did some wonderful work on motivation and instruction. The
ARCS
Model of Motivation is a terrific way to help your students.
There are many theories on learning styles. Howard Gardner's
Theory
of Multiple Intelligences (half way down the page) posits
that everyone has intelligence, but there are seven different
kinds of intelligence. The theory's idea is that if teachers
can identify children's different strengths among these intelligences,
they can accommodate different children more successfully
according to their orientation to learning by customizing
the design of the instruction towards multiple intelligences.
You can use this ready-to-use tool to determine
Multiple Intelligences. Also, you may find the InTime
Checklist
of Observable Behaviors useful. You will find terrific
ideas on how to address instruction to various intelligences
at Walter McKenzie's
Surfaquarium site and the Examples
provided by InTime.
Before you can actually design an instructional lesson, you
need to not only learn who your learners are, but account
for their differences when planning instruction.
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