Week 2 Instructional Design

Instructional Design is the way I begin (especially new) the semester – actually, it begins with the evaluation from the last semester. At Yavapai College, I teach both computer science/applications and business communication. These would seem perhaps pretty clear on which method in which class, but I do mix them up. I also use the Constructivist design as well.
For Business Communications, I would say I use a Cognitive Approach/Cooperative Learning to this class. The highlight of the semester – for me and the students (hopefully!) is to have a ‘trial’ on a current topic in the news. We start about the 3-4 week of the semester. For example, one semester, we chose the Terry Schivo trial. I choose the ‘sides’ (usually opposite of what they have expressed prior). They have a set of ‘evidence/discovery’ to turn in to me and the opposing group. It is brief, but it shows me progress (hmm, Constructivist?). They must also submit self-evaluations and group evaluations. The last two weeks of the semester, we hold the trial – it’s complete with presentations, evidence, ‘expert’ testimony, etc. I complete the class with a final self and group evaluation and what was learned through the process. We’ve had some pretty amazing views evolve in the class.
I’d have to say I use both a Behavioral/ Direct Approach (Skinner), based on and a Cognitive Approach (John Dewey, et al), depending on the type of class. Obviously, computer skills seem to fall into the Direct Approach, but I use the Cognitive for final projects – I want to see their thinking behind the theory. In the classes, students can see the skills they have learned (cause/effect), and I can use the class time (especially for beginning students) to reinforce learning, show steps of skills, and use a very systematic way to instruct to achieve the desired level (behavior) of the students. In the final project, I give students the rubric and general directions of the project. For example, in my MS Office class, they use the components of the software application (Word/Excel/PowerPoint/Access) to create a choice of A) Family Reunion/Event materials; or B) Business marketing materials. Now, they need to use the skills learned to create these materials, but the rubric is very broad – I want them to be creative and have no ‘right or wrong’ way to do it, using a more Cognitive Approach.
Each semester, I evaluate my instruction – not just from student comments, but how I felt it flowed – how I felt it worked or did not work. Also, no one approach works every time; so I look at better ways to instruct. Actually this is why I’m taking this class! I have also taking a class on Second Life (Social networking) to see if I can’t incorporate it into the Bus. Comm. Class – to both expose students to SL if they have not been so and to give real world experiences to the class. Hey, if Harvard can conduct workshops in SL, classes are good!