University of Balamand

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Educational Technology Department

EDMM311: Instructional Design

Topic: Research and Online Sources

Submitted to: Dr. Guenia Zgheib

Prepared by: Sharin Chadid and Iman El Hoz

 Research Skills Training

I. Instructional Problem: Research and recent studies has shown that undergraduate

students, especially freshmen, tend to find difficulties and struggle with college

courses that require specific 21st century skills, such as Research Skills (O’Sullivan et

al., 2017). In fact, many university students do not know how to use the Library

website and retrieve data from the electronic databases available. This indicates

that these students have not been prepared enough, in high school, to apply such

skills in college (O’Sullivan et al., 2017). They are used to basic research skills, they

used back in high school, and are directed towards applying them in their University

courses. However, things that have worked in the past may not be efficient enough

in the present.

Based upon that, we approached undergraduate students at the University of

Balamand and communicated with them to check whether the research results

presented earlier do apply to students here as well, or not. In fact, the difficulty with

research was evident. Students explained that they are mainly using tools such as

Google Scholar; a web search engine that does not contain many open and free

resources. This might be due to them not aware of the diverse resources available

for them, not being aware of the availability of the University database, or lack of

the necessary research skills. This is an expressed and felt need since many students

confronted that they are facing difficulties in finding open peer reviewed and
 credible sources to use. Therefore, we have identified the need to create an online

training that aims at teaching the learners on how to use the necessary research

skills to access and retrieve credible online sources.

II. Learner Analysis:

Audience: University Students

Age: University students mainly ranging between the ages of 18-30 years old.

Gender: 50% Males, 50% Females. 60% are not aware of the available database on

the UOB Website, 20% are aware that they exist but do not know how to use them,

10% are aware and tend to access them for their courses.

Background: According to the UOB Fact Sheet, there are 55 undergraduate majors.

This shows the diversity of learners that might take this training.

Entry Characteristics: Learners should be familiar with accessing basic online search

engines such as: Google.

Prior Experience: Learners have actually researched for peer reviewed and credible

articles before.

2. Contextual Analysis: Conducting Contextual Analysis includes the use of surveys,

observations, and interviews as tools for collecting data (Morrison et al., 2013).

Parrish (2009) emphasized that such analysis provides rich data for designing

realistic and authentic modules, scenarios, and examples as cited in (Morrison et al.,
 2013). Accordingly, we have decided to conduct our further analysis through

surveys and analytics (University library website).

The survey included the following:

Gender:

Age:

Major:

Please state which search engine do you use to find online articles:

Please respond by yes or no to the following questions:

1. I can find and print case articles.

2. I know that the University Library has a website to support my work.

3. I know that the library provides online guides to support research.

4. I am familiar with research databases for my major.

5. I know how to access database to search.

6. I can use terms and connectors (&, /p, /s, /n, +n, etc.) to pinpoint my research

with high accuracy.

7. I am familiar with Google Scholar and how to use Library Links settings to

connect to the library's holdings.

The analytic data will be compared before and after the training to measure the change of

behavior (positive or negative) among University Students accessing the Library Website.
Furthermore, to ensure that the instruction designed is directly correlated and reflects the

instructional environment, we have chosen to conduct an analysis of the Transfer Context,

after the latter phase of collecting the necessary data. The goal of this analysis is the

continuous application and usage of a specific skill or knowledge Based upon our objectives,

we have chosen the Transfer Context Analysis, because researching is a skill and retrieving

suitable and reliable online sources is an application of this learned skill in any major and of

any topic. Transfer Context Analysis “focusses on creating an environment that promotes the

application of the newly learned knowledge and skills to a diverse range of situations”

(Morrison, 2013, p. 63).

III. Task Analysis: Our content structure is procedural since the completion of the task

process breaks into the steps needed for learning (Morrison et al., 2013). The task

will be performed through a step by step guide presented as a flowchart, focusing

on specific observable tasks. Therefore, we will be going through a Procedural

Analysis.

IV. Instructional Objectives:

By the end of this training, the learners will be able to:

- Access and use the library website on and off campus.

- Retrieve relevant and peer-reviewed online resources using the available

databases.
 V. Instructional Approach:

The Successive Approximation Model (SAM) will be used for our module. This is because it is an

Agile Model that allows for constant change in order to enhance the module according to many

factors such as coming up with better ideas, feedback, formative evaluation and else (Sites &

Allen, 2012). This saves time as it does not wait for the module to be implemented for it to be

enhanced. The ADDIE linear approach has been redefined through SAM in order to be more

flexible for the Instructional Designers (Sites & Allen, 2012).

SAM Steps (Inc., 2019):

1. Preparation:

This stage entails gathering the information we need before designing. This is where we did

our learner analysis using a survey to assemble and analyze background information.

2. Iterative Design:

This process starts with “the Savvy start” where we brainstormed our ideas. Then we

designed our module via a storyboard, prototyped it and lastly reviewed. This process is an

ongoing process where the storyboard was constantly changing due reviewing (e.g.

formative evaluation) and in turn the prototype was constantly changing. We will pilot the

module on learners and make necessary changes according to their feedback and our

analysis.
3. Iterative Development:

This is where the development, implementation and evaluation will take place. The

storyboard will be given to the Graphic Designer and Developer in order to develop the

module. After the development, Implementation will take place. This is when Summative

evaluation will take place in order to make necessary changes.

Also, throughout the process, formative evaluation will take place suing surveys to make

enhancements before implementation. After implementation, there will also be a yearly

evaluation in order to change the module according to the learner needs and resources

since the learners will change with time. More recourses might also be available to be used

to enhance the module.

Moreover, the activities we designed in our module are based upon two main strategies: The

Situated Learning Theory and The Direct Instruction.

Situated Learning Theory reflects “the core premises of Constructivism that cognitive

processes are situated in physical and social contexts” ( Schunk, 2000, p. 233). That is, it draws

the emphasis on including context with instruction and ensures a relation between the person

and a situation, thereby creating meaning to the instruction and bridging “the gap between the

theoretical learning in the formal instruction of the classroom and the real-life application of

the knowledge in the work environment” (Herrington & Oliver, 1995, p. 1). To ensure so, the

context can be: the actual work setting, a very realistic or virtual substitute of the actual work
environment, or an anchoring context such as a video or multimedia program (Herrington &

Oliver, 1995).

Accordingly, we have included in our online training authentic activities that allows the learners

to implement the Research Skills and access the databases available on the University Website;

the same exact procedure they need to follow when conducting a research on their own. This

will also allow the learners to adapt and use these skills in different domains and topics.

Besides, we included case studies that would reflect authentic situations that the learners

might be subjected to or go through.

As for the Direct Instruction, it is an explicit instruction consisting of the SME scaffolding

instruction gradually to the learners (Moore, 2007). The first section of our training is a tutorial

video that introduces the learners to the research process and the affordances of the UOB

Library Website. Due to the online nature of our training, there isn’t a teacher or a mentor to

transfer knowledge and deliver instruction, the computer assisted instruction is the SME

scaffolding and guiding the learners throughout. The video is direct, straightforward, and moves

from simple to more complex where what is expected of the learners is demonstrated until

they reach the activity phase where they need to apply what they have learned independently.

Description of the Activities:

Activity 1: The learners will watch a tutorial video that would teach them, step by step, how to

navigate the library website of UOB and how to look for credible and peer reviewed articles
online. The video will include some tips by making use of the website’s affordances that would

help narrow down the research results and makes the research more specific and targeted.

Activity 2: for this activity, the learners will have to choose an avatar. The chosen avatar will be

part of an authentic case study. This case study proposes a research problem that the avatar

will face. To solve the case study, the learners will be provided with a flowchart that would

guide them and scaffold them gradually to take the right steps and decisions accordingly. This

activity will allow the learners to apply the skills and knowledge they have learned throughout

the tutorial video.

A follow up activity will proceed with 3 multiple choice questions. These questions will allow

the learners check the understanding of the learners, indirectly, and would help them

autocorrect themselves and check whether their research process was right or wrong. It also

shows them how using some of the affordances of the website, the tutorial has mentioned,

actually changes the research results and makes a difference to one’s research.

Activity 3: this activity is a wrap up activity and sums up the whole training. The students will

have to complete 2 questions, as a summative evaluation.

VI. Limitations:

 Minimal social interactions

 Lacks specific and differentiated feedback or guidance to the different

learners
  Difficulty of tracking students’ responses

 Requires increased learner motivation to complete the whole training

autonomously and effectively

VII. Instructional Materials:

 Flowchart

Story Board Slides:

 VIII. Formative and Summative Evaluation:

Learner Evaluation: this helps determine whether learning has occurred or not. In other words,

whether the learning objectives have been met. This might be evident through a change in the

learners’ knowledge, attitude, or a skill (Brown & Green, 2016). For this purpose, our learner

evaluation will be a performance assessment, because our instruction is meant to bring about a

change in the Learner’s research skills. Our skill evaluation process guided by the procedures

and guidelines Brown and Green (2015) have mentioned:

- both the process and the product will be evaluated

- the evaluation will include elements such as: we will make sure that the following elements

can be included: following a proper series of steps, using tools or instruments properly, or

completing the skill in a certain timeframe.

- the skill evaluation will occur under the most realistic conditions possible.

Therefore, the learner evaluation will be one common online activity for all the learners. The

learners will have to look for 2 articles about a specific topic, within a specific discipline. The

instructions of the activity will be in a form of a flowchart. The learners will have to describe the

1st result they have found, after they have researched; details about the article will have to be

provided. A multiple choice assessment will follow this activity, which will include questions

that would elucidate and explain how and why the learner has reached the article he had

specified. Also, the learners will keep track of the steps they have followed throughout the

process through taking screenshots.

The results of the multiple choice assessment will be analyzed for future references and for

long term decisions. This module is based upon the recent UOB library website and targeted

towards specific learners of certain characteristics and backgrounds. Therefore, for future

references, we will have to keep track of the library analytics and the library website, in case it

was updated or modified in a way that would have to reflect on the training that is going to be

conducted with new target groups and learners. Learner analysis will have to be a yearly

process, because different and new learners will bring about new characteristics, backgrounds,

needs, and gaps, and we have to adjust our modules accordingly.

Formative Assessment: Formative Assessment occurs throughout and during the instructional

process. It provides instant feedback that would allow the instructional designer to make

improvements to the instruction before it is completely developed (Brown & Green, 2016). This

would also ensure a high-quality developed instruction (Brown & Green, 2016). Our training

module will be a tutorial video that would include a series of questions to check for

understanding at different stages and parts of the video. Since the training is asynchronous and

self -paced, to a certain extent, we are aware that we won’t be able to know what the learners’

have answered for us to be able to modify or clarify until it becomes too late to do so.

Therefore, we will pilot our module with a certain number of learners. We will use

Observation/Anecdotal records approach (Morrison et al., 2013). This allows us to know the

learner’s attitude towards the training. Based on the results and feedback of the piloting phase,

we will modify and alter the instructional video.

Summative Assessment: Summative Evaluation occurs when the training ends. It’s main

purpose is to “gather data that allow for its effectiveness to be determined” (Brown & Green,

2016, p.170). Therefore, we will provide the learners with a feedback form at the end of the

training module. The feedback form will be open ended. This way the learners won’t be limited

with their answers and will have the chance to express freely and point out the necessary

changes that need to be done concerning any aspect of the training. This will allow us to collect

constructive feedback from the beneficiaries about the experience as a whole and will also help

shed the light on aspects, we might not have noticed as designers. The feedback will be taken

into account for future considerations and training modules.

References:

American Society for Training and Development., Sites, R., & Allen, M. (2012). Leaving ADDIE
for
SAM: An Agile Model for Developing the Best Learning Experiences. Association for
Talent Development.

Brown & Green (2016). The essentials of Instructional Design .Routledge, Taylor & Francis

Group: New York and London.

Herrington, J., & Oliver, R. (1995). Critical characteristics of situated learning: Implications for

the

instructional design of multimedia.

Inc., A. (2019). Agile eLearning Development with SAM | Allen Interactions. Retrieved from
https://www.alleninteractions.com/sam-process

Moore, D. W. (2007). Direct instruction: Targeted strategies for student success. Journal

National

Geographic School Publishing.

Morrison, G. R., Ross, S. M., Kalman, H. K., & Kemp, J. E. (2013). Designing effective

instruction. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

O'Sullivan, M. K., & Dallas, K. B. (2017). A collaborative approach to implementing 21st century

skills in a high school senior research class. Education Libraries, 33(1), 3-9.

Schunk, D. H. (2000). Learning theories: An educational perspective. Ohio: Meril, an Imprint

Prentice Hall.