Designing Outside the Box - Part II

The focus of my last Blog was on the Pre-Instructional Phase of instructional design where I referenced Michael W. Allen's article, Designing Outside the Box (http://www.learningcircuits.org/0308_allen.html). Mr Allen categorizes instructional design into three learning phases: Pre-instructional Phase, Instructional Phase and Performance Phase. This Blog's reflections will focus on the Instructional and Performance Phases.

Instruction Phase

When it comes to professional development, it was long ago established that learning by doing is far better than the droning sit and git method. That being said, what makes the most difference is what learners are doing during the learning experience. At Professional Development Support, we are beginning to include job-embedded scenarios in our training designs. Once particpants understand the foundational level of instruction, the most valuable next step would be the application of that knowledge to job-embedded situations. By incorporating work-related scenarios during the instructional phase, participants are immersed in situations where they would need to think critically in order to analyze a situation and determine which performance skills should be used. This job-embedded application of knowledge should not wait for the follow-up activity, but should be written into the design and applied immediately as learning activities.

Performance Phase

The point that Mr. Allen makes about the Performance Phase that resonates with me is that designers need to provide learning experiences for two audiences - one set for the target audiences and another for their supervisors (administrators, principals). As many of us have experienced, untrained supervisors, even if supportive of the change, often are detrimental to that very change because they are unfamiliar with the new process being introduced and the challenges that particular change will bring. Dual designs, for these two audiences can help push change forward and might improve the climate when implementing new initiatives.

Finally, as a last step in the Performance Phase, designers need to consider various ways that participants can collaborate with each other as they transition learning to actual performance.

I'm blogging out of here.

Kyna

Designing Outside the Box

What should be the focus of an instructional designer? Many of us create our designs in a neat box where we adhere to the application of design principles, i.e. define objectives, organize content, select media, determine learning events, and develop evaluation measures and hope for the best. After much research, after many chats with colleagues who value quality instructional design, perhaps the designer's focus should shift to the success of the participants, thus enabling them to perform at higher levels of competency.

Questions I have pondered...If learners have done well on the post-test, does this mean that the course was successful? Does it mean that they will now do well performing that aspect of their job? Do I consider my course successful if the participants learned something they didn’t know before? Does success come from knowing things? Ohhhhh....the angst.

According to an article entitled, Designing Outside the Box (http://www.learningcircuits.org/0308_allen.html), written for Training and Development by Michael W. Allen, instructional designers need to change their focus on the types of activities they create. Although Mr. Allen talks about e-learning, these same principles could be applied to our face-to-face and blended workshops as well. He breaks down instructional design into three learning phases: Pre-instructional Phase, Instructional Phase and Performance Phase.

Pre-Instructional Phase - get them thinking about change
This is the period just preceding the skill-building instruction. It is the time for setting expectations for change. Change is a word that usually resonates negatively in the hearts and minds of many participants who may not want to be plucked out of their comfort zone. As an aside, brain researchers have actually discovered that the brain is wired to avoid change. It senses a sort of pain even when change is being contemplated. And haven't we all experienced painful change sometime in our lives?

The pre-instructional phase should be used to get learners in the mindset of thinking about change by using exercises such as asking them to think about how things could be better and then having them describe how such improvements could occur. Better yet, the designer could present specific problems that ask learners to evaluate possible solutions. This will help them move forward to understand the need for change. According to design guru Bob Pike, “people don’t argue with their own data”. Can you imagine how powerful this type of opener would be? The end result of the pre-instructional phase would be to have the learners see the need and value of the change so that they will be more willing to commit to the concept and to the skill-building exercises that follow in the instructional phase.

When designers create icebreakers instead of openers with cutsey games that have no meaning , when they use statistics for a dramatic effect without making a connection for change, when they neglect to open their design by getting participants to think about the need for change, then they are way off target. The opener provides the perfect opportunity to get the need for change ball rolling. Designers - Instead of opting for pointless games and even less meaningful statistics, don't forego this opportunity to get them in the mindset for change.

Stay tuned to my next Blog where I will continue with the instructional and performance phases of Thinking Outside the Box.

I'm blogging out of here.

Kyna

Who Plans/Designs Professional Development for Your Department or School?

After the SIP is completed, after the PGP’s are reviewed, after the APPAS are evaluated - what then? In your school/department who are the people creating a professional development plan? What are the conversations taking place within that team? Are you involved in planning your own professional development?

The Broward County Schools Strategic Plan for 2010 states that we believe professional staff development enhances a quality school.
This statement makes NOW a good time to start thinking about the professional development needs of your school/department or IZone. Your professional development team for 2008-2009 should be in place ready to take ownership of the professional development process for your school or department.

Did I hear you say that your PD team is already in place? Great! Do you need assistance creating the plan? The Professional Development Support Team at HRD/Davie looks forward to assisting you. Did I hear that you have been charged with designing some of those professional development events? No sweat. Do you need some pointers on how to deliver your event? Are you wondering how to coach your participants to mastery? Are you struggling with choosing a good evaluative plan? Our team can provide courses in the design, delivery, follow-up/coaching and evaluation of your Professional Development. That is what we are all about and all YOU have to do is ask.

Hold on…the phone is ringing. “Professional Development Support. This is Kyna, how can I help you? Why, yes, we would love to provide Professional Development support to your school."

Gotta go for now. Hope to hear your voice on the other end of the line very soon. 754.321.5006

I'm blogging out of here.
Kyna

Setting Goals

Happy New Year! As I helped ring in the New Year at a party attended by close to 50 people, I overheard many revelers proclaim their New Year’s resolutions proud and loud.

You might be asking yourself, what does this have to do with planning professional development? Glad you asked. While I listened and nodded and smiled, I couldn’t help but ask myself, Are these goals that people are setting for themselves really attainable? Let’s eavesdrop on a few, then you tell me. “I will lose weight.” "I will stop smoking." "I will be kinder to people." "I want world peace" (huh?). "I will be more organized." "I will exercise more." "I will spend more time with my family.” You get the point here.

Setting a goal is not very difficult. You know the results that you want to achieve at the end. Getting back to the New Year’s party, was declaring a resolution or stating a goal enough? No. And why you might ask. Those goals, those resolutions were not specific. They told the what, but not the how or when. A specific goal or a SMART (where have I heard this before?) goal will give you all the information you need to attain the end result. Specific (what do you want to happen), measurable(concrete criteria), attainable (reachable), realistic (doable) and timely (when).

Your New Year’s resolution should be phrased so that you know when you have achieved the goal. The same holds true for planning your professional development, programs and objectives for the year. What do you want to achieve this year? Do you want to learn how to create databases in File Maker Pro? Do you want your leadership team to develop professional learning communities in your school? In your department? Do you want to become a better designer? A better trainer? A better coach? What is your resolution this year? These are great partial goals.

Now that you have a clear picture of what you want to reach, how will you get there? What is the timeframe? What resources have you? It is really possible to achieve this year? Or should your goal be broken down into smaller steps? Goals you set which are too far out of your reach (unattainable) will loose commitment quickly. How will you know you’ve reached your goal? What method of measurement will you choose?

What are your professional development goals? For yourself? For your school? For your department? For your program? Let's work on setting goals, reasonable goals for the professional development in our areas of responsibility.

I’m blogging out of here.

Kyna

The Online Professional Development Catalog Needs Your Input

Reviewing Your Program Information

Are you aware that BCPS is switching to a new format to display our district-wide professional development? An online catalog will be created that will replace the paper staff development calendar previously used. BE’s (Business Events) with the specific dates and times will no longer be listed. Instead, prospective participants will search the catalog to find the program (BEG) and Event (BET) they are interested in attending. Then they will log into PDSS to find the listing of the event with its specific time and date.

Program Managers - The information about your district-based program will be taken directly from the Program Manager’s Database (File Maker Pro shared database BEG3.fp5). This means that your needs assessment, goal, SMART objectives and follow-up support will be showcased. This information will be what prospective participants read when planning their professional development. It is a good idea to review your program(s) now. The catalog is set to go live in January 2008.

Your needs assessment should contain 2 important pieces of information; the tool(s) used to collect the data and the resulting need (gap).
Here are 2 helpful tools from the HRD Trainers and Designers Website that will be useful when evaluating your needs. http://www.broward.k12.fl.us/hrd/trainersdesigners/docs/ProfDevToolbox/Needs%20Assessment%20checklist.pdf
and http://www.broward.k12.fl.us/hrd/trainersdesigners/docs/ProfDevToolbox/Needs%20Assessment%20Rubric.pdf

Please refer to my blog dated November 26 to ensure that your goal encompasses the overall purpose of your program, and that your objectives are written SMART-ly.

A new section has been added called Additional Support and Resources. This portion will give you the opportunity to market your program further by indicating the type of follow-up implementation and evaluation support you are offering in addition to the courses (events). For instance, you might want to tell prospective participants that your program will use on-site coaches, web-based resources, or monthly best practices meetings.

Questions? Comments? Please let me know how I can help.

I'm blogging out of here.

Kyna

Let's Get SMART

Creating quality SMART Objectives for a program or an event seems to elude many of us. As educators, we know that an objective is the outcome that we desire at the end of our lesson. Therefore, an objective must be plausible and have evaluability. As I review our District’s programs and events, I see several avenues of misunderstanding when it comes to goals, objectives and SMART objectives. Too often I see general goal-type statements where objectives should be. According to Joellen Killion, a goal is a statement of the overall purpose of a program. An objective, on the other hand, is a specific statement detailing the desired accomplishments of a program or event.

Taking this thought a step further, program and event objectives should be SMART-ly written. SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timely and can be broken down as follows:

Specific – The objective denotes one single key result using an action verb such as plan, write, produce, conduct, etc.
Measurable – The objective can be evaluated. Usually we use numbers, percentages, or frequency.
Attainable – The objective is realistic in proportion to the available resources. In other words, if a school does not have wireless carts, you cannot state that 75% of the teachers will use Wireless Carts in their classrooms.
Relevant – The objective supports the goal of the program, or the needs assessment.
Timely – The objective contains a stated timeframe for completion. (i.e. by the end of the session)

Let’s look at a performance gap (need) and an example of an aligned, dissected SMART objective.

Performance Gap (need): A study of 30 random events indicates that a group of designers failed to indicate the formative and summative strategies needed to evaluate participant learning in their course design .

SMART Objective: By the end of the event (timely), designers will be able to use a rubric (attainable) to select (specific) at least 3 methods of evaluating participant learning (measurable). Objective is relevant to the need.

If you require further assistance, please let me know how I can help you create smart SMART objectives for your program (district-based) or event (district or school-based). It would be my pleasure to hear from you.

I'm blogging out of here.

Kyna

Using Fairy Tale Story Structure To Increase Retention

What do the phrases once upon a time and they lived happily ever after have to do with creating a quality design? Everything. Think about those childhood stories we delighted in hearing over and over again. They all had an opening that set us up and made us want to hear the whole story. They also had some sort of contrived closing, usually a happily ever after that drew all the story elements together and had us smiling at the wonderful ending. As designers, we too have to create our enticing openers and fulfilling closers in much the same way.

This important introduction to our design has been referred to as an icebreaker. But its intention should be much more than to break the ice at the beginning of an event. According to Bob Pike, an effective opener is a critical “piece of retention real estate”. We are more likely to remember best what we see and hear first and last. An opener should: break preoccupation (alleviate personal tension), facilitate networking (connect learner to learner and reduce relationship tension), relate to the content (connect learner to content), maintain or enhance self-esteem, be fun for the trainer and participant and create curiosity.

An effective closer is also a must have for content retention. Not only do we usually remember what we see and hear first, we also remember what we see and hear last. In that case, a good closer should be designed to provide these purposes: tie things together (revisit content, highlight and reinforce the key concepts), form a basis for making action plans (allow for reflection) and celebrate the close of the event.

Of course designers are not writing fairy tales and the content that you stuff in between the opener and closer is the meat of the design. Just think how much tastier your design will be with the addition of that delicious once upon a time and happily ever after.

Have you used an opener or closer that was especially effective? Please share your successes with us.

I'm blogging out of here.

Kyna