EDTEC 540 On-Campus
- Registration:
- Students should pre-register for this class in the WebPortal on your scheduled registration date.
- Add codes will be provided at the instructor's discretion on the first night of class only. No add codes will be (1) distributed by email, (2) distributed in advance of the first class meeting, or (3) provided to students who do not attend the first meeting.
- Open University students may add this course during the first class meeting if space is available, at the instructor's discretion: Students who want to add the course through Open University must attend the first class meeting.
- Review course objectives and assignments below and confirm your interest in EDTEC 540.
- Course Website: This course will use the department's Moodle course service. Officially registered students will receive access on the first night of class.
- Update your email address: Visit https://sunspot.sdsu.edu/portal/. Enter your username (typically your Red ID number) and PIN to access the system. Now, make certain your email address is on file – and is correct.
- Course texts: Aztec Shops, the campus bookstore, has current information regarding course texts. This information is updated by the bookstore each semester and will reflect the most accurate list of required course texts. Once available, you can access the booklist by visiting the bookstore here. Click "Online Textbooks" to access the list. Note that you can aquire your books through any source you wish.
Course Competencies
Participants will be able to:
- define educational, instructional, and performance technology; define education, training, information and knowledge management; describe emergent technologies and their implications for school and organizational reform (Professional & Career);
- describe the implications of cognitive and behavioral psychology, adult learning theory, systems, and communications technologies for education and training (Principles, Theories & Models);
- describe a systematic approach to the design of instruction presented in the ADDIE model (Principles, Theories & Models, Processes, Systems);
- compare systematic approaches to the design of instruction to other ways of approaching the tasks of education and training (Processes, Systems);
- state reasons for using a systematic approach to the design of instruction; describe how a systematic approach might change the way you provide instruction (Proceses, Systems);
- describe analyses and ways of approaching given needs and challenges (Principles, Theories & Models, Processes, Cognitive);
- use performance analysis and goal analysis to approach given needs and challenges (Principles, Theories & Models, Processes, Cognitive, Data-based Decision Making);
- define differences between performance analysis, needs assessment, goal, task, audience and subject matter analysis and ways you might use them to launch projects (Cognitive, Processes, Systems);
- from given missions and challenges, conduct lean analysis and design stages of ISD (Processes, Systems);
- identify the characteristics of a "well-formed" instructional objective, rewrite objectives that are ill-formed, generate well-formed objectives from given goals (Principles, Theories & Models, Communication);
- compare and contrast criterion-referenced and norm-referenced testing (Technical, Processes);
- determine whether a given test item matches a given instructional objective (Technical, Processes);
- describe Gagne's Nine Events of Instruction and their implications for design of instruction (Principles, Theories & Models);
- differentiate between instruction and information (job aids), describe conditions that make job aids an effective way to improve performance, comment on information and instructional combinations with potential for improving performance (Principles, Theories & Models, Data-based Decision Making);
- design and develop a job aid that focuses on the needs of an audience, write a brief report detailing the audience, need, format, and rationale (Communication, Cognitive);
- list the features of the ARCS model of motivational design and describe how you would use this model to enhance strategy (Principles, Theories & Models);
- identify the personal and professional attributes that contribute to success in the field, assess yourself in light of these characteristics and establish goals for future development that take emergent career opportunities into account (Self-awareness, Professional & Career);
- use professional resources to establish professional habits (Self-awareness, Professional & Career); and
- describe how EDTEC 540 has influenced you (Self-awareness, Professional & Career).
Course Expectations
- Students in EDTEC 540 are expected to:
- Make use of the our online course materials website via SDSU’s Blackboard service http://courses.sdsu.edu/). Access to these materials is available once you have registered in the class.
- Attend and participate in classes and related events. Please be on time for class — latecomers distract us, as do students who leave class early. Participation points will reflect attendance and participation (via the weekly online learning reflection).
- Complete readings and assignments by the dates indicated on the syllabus. Instructional designers work in a world where deadlines are a fact of life. In order to simulate real-world conditions, late assignments will result in a grade penalty.
- Begin preparation for exams and assignments in advance of the due dates.
- Successfully prepare for, and complete, course examinations. The final exam will be comprehensive and rely upon a variety of item formats reflecting course competencies.
Course Assignment: Background and Considerations
Assignment Background:
Your two semester assignments will focus on a problem or opportunity for some population to which you have access. You will conduct an analysis surrounding your chosen problem and, eventually, you will develop a job aid that must contribute to solving the problem or advancing the opportunity. Students who are also enrolled in EDTEC 541 are encouraged to select a topic that complements the assignments of both classes.
Assignment Considerations:
Your selection of a topic and audience is important since you will concentrate in this area for the remainder of the semester. In addition, your selected problem’s complexity will influence the grade received on each assignment.
First, identify a challenge of some type, think about the various people impacted by the problem, and consider what you think will influence resolution of the identified challenge. Now, answer these questions: Do you know these people, at least a little? Can you get some of them to talk to you, to allow you to visit them in their setting? Will managers, teachers, parents, or whoever is involved provide access? Do you know the subject matter on which you will focus? Will your effort matter to somebody or some organization? In other words, is the problem worth solving? Note that now is not the time to foray into a totally new arena.
Some examples of good choices:
- A middle school teacher notices that sixth-graders come to campus in the Fall confused and alienated by their new environment. She might analyze what causes their confusion and address the challenge of orienting new students to her school.
- A Navy Chief who manages a department in a hospital notices an unusually high error rate associated with one of the new computer programs that was supposed to make the job easier. He might conduct an analysis to determine why the new software’s promise has gone unfulfilled.
- Your elderly father and his associates are not taking medications in a timely manner at their senior center. You might analyze what is causing this problem and identify potential solutions.
- A sales manager is faced with getting her sales folks “up to speed” on a new and complicated product. You might look into the best approach to “reach” these people and support assimilation and successful sales of the new product.
Course Assignments: Descriptions
Assignment #1 — Performance Analysis Report: You will conduct a Performance Analysis, and then write a three-page performance analysis report. Your report is assessed using a rubric.
Once you've selected your topic, you will be expected to conduct a performance analysis. In other words, you will: describe your audience, select sources of information that will give you fresh perspectives, ask questions regarding broad needs and purposes and drivers/causes/barriers, and eventually, articulate the entire solutions system necessary to solve the identified performance problem. You will conclude your report by identifying the portion you will 'handle' through information support (job aids) and tentative goals and objectives.
Your well-written, three-page performance analysis report should:
- Move from a broad and general view of the situation to actionable specifics.
- Reflect data gathered from real sources.
- Show off your analysis skills, particularly demonstrating that you can do performance analysis, involving description of the audience and broad needs, examination of drivers/barriers, description of the solution system, and the carving out of an appropriate focus for your job aid effort.
- Use your analysis to identify tentative goals and objectives achievable through information support (job aids).
- Enable you to focus subsequent job aid work on the 'right' portion of the topic.
- Provide a rationale for all decisions.
Assignment #2 — Job Aid and Job Aid Report: This assignment has you working systematically, as you use the results of your performance analysis to enlighten the development of a job aid. Please note, your job aid need not solve the identified performance problem in its entirety. Rather, it will be one component of a solution system that, when completely implemented, will solve the identified challenge. Of course, you will want to define the entire solution system in your report.
After reading A Handbook of Job Aids, keep in mind your analysis findings and develop a job aid targeted to your population and specific performance objective(s). You will also write a three-page report to accompany your job aid. To be successful, complete the following tasks:
- Write a short summary that reminds us of your performance analysis results and the focus of your job aid, explain why you chose to concentrate as you did.
- Present the appropriate detailed analyses that support your job aid development and refined objectives.
- Develop a job aid appropriate to the challenge, users and setting.
- Pilot test the job aid and detail the results. Most importantly, did you meet your stated objective?
- Limit yourself to a three-page report.