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Great job on the exam! Overall, scores were great and the work was on par.

Assignments

Your grade will be determined by your performance on three projects and your participation in the course.

Descriptions

Assignment 1:  A Design Document for Instructional Problem of Choice

You will select a problem that you feel instruction will address. You will have the opportunity to act as the subject-matter expert and instructional designer and create a design document that outlines the steps you would take to address the problem you selected. This task will take most of the course to create and will constitute a major portion of your grade.

Note that this differs somewhat from EDTEC 540, which focused on using a job aid to address a performance problem. While performance problems may be addressed as part of your instruction, they are likely to be only part of what you design your instruction for in this course. Similarly, job aids will support your instruction but will not be all you design in this course. Your document will include:

Analysis Report. A report on the Needs Analysis for the instructional problem you are addressing. This includes three elements: An analysis of the task learners will complete, the environment in which they will complete the task, and the functions they serve.

Your report should accomplish the following criteria:

1. Move from a broad and general view of the situation to actionable specifics 
2. Include data gathered from real sources
3. Show off your analysis skills, particularly demonstrating that you can:
4. Break down a task into small, appropriate steps
5. Describe the audience and broad needs
6. Examine the drivers/barriers of the problem,
7. Describe a solution system with an appropriate focus on instruction
8. Use your analysis to identify tentative goals and objectives
9. Provide a rationale for all decisions, including data as support where appropriate

Content Map. Create a flowchart or some other visual aid that demonstrates the scope and sequence of your instruction. As appropriate, indicate on the map prerequisite knowledge and vocabulary that will need to be included in the design of the instruction.

Objectives and Test Items. Objectives need to be well written and worthwhile, and accurately aligned with the assessment items that measure them. You will be evaluated on your ability to write objectives and test items according to the following criteria:

1. Test items and objectives are clear, unambiguous, and well-written
2. Objectives reflect observable behaviors
3. Objectives are worthwhile

Instructional Strategies through Module 1 / Lesson 1. Complete the design document up through the first module / lesson from your entire content map. This includes:

1. Analysis Report
2. Complete content map
3. Test items and objectives that are clear, unambiguous, and well-written
4. Instructional strategies that are appropriate for the given instructional content and knowledge domain
5. A brief but clear description (1 – 2 paragraphs) of the selected strategy and the flow of the activity
6. Include an indication of any job aids, informational resources, or other support materials that you envision creating to support the instruction. Note that you do not need to design the materials, but rather say “I would create a job aid for this strategy that contain X, Y, and Z and describes blah blah blah"

Assignment 2:  An In-Class / Take-Home Exam

Yes, you’ve read this correctly. There will be an exam that is completed partially in class, and partially at home. The content covered by the exam will include the concepts covered during any of the classes prior to the exam. You may converse with others in your cohort about the exam and discuss any of the questions that are not given in-class.

Assignment 3:  Formative Evaluation

You will act as an expert reviewer of several people’s work. This assignment is a joint assignment with EDTEC 572. You will t@horoughly review and examine the work completed in the instructional packages of three other students and report on their work via Moodle.

For 544, you will receive a grade for this joint project based on your thorough review, comments and recommendations on the following:

1. The descriptions given in the analysis report
2. The flow of the content map
3. The test items and objectives
4. Instructional strategies – check that they are appropriate for the given instructional content and knowledge domain
5. The design document in it’s entirety

NOTE: In 572 you will be reviewing the same documents but answering / addressing different issues.

Grading

Grades will be posted in Moodle. This is a secure, password-protected system. At the end of the course, letter grades will be assigned according to the standard grading scale.

A (94%+): Outstanding achievement; available only for the highest accomplishment

A- (90-93%): Excellent performance; clearly exceeds course requirements

B+(87-89%): High achievement; clearly and substantially meets course requirements and criteria

B (84-86%):Praiseworthy performance; definitely above average

B-(81-83%):Acceptable performance in a graduate course; meets most course requirements

C+ (78-80%):Average; awarded for satisfactory performance; marginal performance in a graduate course

In general, we award A grades to acknowledge achievements that go beyond specified requirements and criteria. A's are reserved for special efforts that exceed expectations, that demonstrate exceptional creativity, boldness, commitment, ingenuity or elegance. For example, students whose projects demonstrate that they are actively perusing the theoretical and experimental literature and attempting to extend their awareness of interface design tools and strategies beyond those presented in class could be considered for A grades.

Late Assignments

Assignments will be accepted late for up to one week past the due date. At the end of that week, they will no longer be accepted or graded. Points may be deducted for lateness, at the instructor's discretion (typically 5% of the total value per day late). Don't fall behind -- it is too difficult to catch up again.
Group Work:

Yes, there will be group work. Working in an online team can be challenging, but important. Online work/collaboration is becoming more and more prevalent. This course has been structured so that everyone will do some teamwork and individual work. You are free to work solo (team of one). In a group work, not everyone in a group will get the same grade. The group projects will have individual components.

Incomplete policy

Don't find yourself in a situation in which you need an incomplete! Instructional design and development is a continuous and a systematic effort. Meeting a production deadline is an essential factor in keeping costs under control. Therefore, it is extremely important for you to complete your projects by the end of the course.