Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Page #.
Executive Summary .. 4
1.1. Topic . 5
1.3.1. Optimals . 6
1.3.3. Feelings . 7
1.3.5. Solutions . 8
1.4. Justification . 8
2.1. Goal . 9
References . 23-24
Appendices . 25-37
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Executive Summary
In the age of technology, particularly with regard to the use of same in the teaching-
learning process, lecturers at the University of Guyana are frequently offered verbal
classroom to aid the teaching-learning process. In addition to this, lecturers are also encouraged
to offer, in part, courses online in some form or the other and access has openly been made
available to lecturers at the University to facilitate the training and use of the moodle platform.
This is with the intention to ensure that lecturers are provided with the information they need in
order to use the online forum and furthermore to better teach their classes and reach out to their
students.
However, it is evident that there are some limitations which have been demonstrated by
lecturers who display a preference to only utilize power point/video presentations during
instructional periods and perhaps furthermore limit the creativity of their students who undertake
same when instructed to carry out tutorial presentations. This surely demonstrates an inadequate
use of many other forms of media which can be implemented or practiced by lecturers to further
connect with their students in the face to face setting as well as to encourage meaningful and
engaged learning.
The two day workshop (7 hours per day from 9am-4pm, broken into sessions) provides
sessions of training with particular focus on enabling in a learner centered manner, the lecturers
to make practical and constructive use of new and innovative media with the intention of
applying their practice to the classroom. The application of Merrills first principles aided in
designing instruction in a systematic manner while considerations were given to factors such as
1.1. Topic
The topic is technology in teaching; the overall goal here is to enable lecturers to infuse the use
of technology in their teaching strategies. It will explore the use of both software (teaching tools,
instructional/ educational games and activities, online learning forums, and the like), as well as
The target audience of this needs assessment are seven (7) full time lecturers within the Faculty
of Education and Humanities, more specifically, within the Department of Foundation and
Education Management. It should be noted that this audience was particularly selected as they
are not only trained teachers but lecturers who specialize in teaching teachers (from nursery to
secondary levels) the essentials in the theory and practice of teaching. As a result, there is a high
expectancy that these trained professionals who range in ages from 38 to 65 years would have
both an individual and combined knowledge pool which allows them to set a precedence for the
highest standards of the teaching and learning practice; this should then be an example to the
wider university teaching community. It is also thoughtful to note, that each member of the target
audience all have (approximately) at least ten (10) years and at most forty (40) years of
exceptionally qualified backgrounds with no less than a Masters Degree in their field of
experience/expertise while two (2) others also possess certification at the Doctoral level.
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1.3. Format
The workshop session is completely face to face in nature, participants will first be exposed to
technology in a direct instruction manner which will provide them with some basic information
about the use of technological advancements in teaching, it should be noted that this aspect takes
a presentation format but also includes discussion within the method. Additionally, participants
will be exposed to a more constructivists approach to their learning by exploration and discovery
methods where they will have access to computers, and the internet to do their own search for
useful tools which can be incorporated into instruction and used in the classroom. Finally, much
corporative learning will be a part of their engagement as well as opportunities for the
1.3.1. Optimals
Demonstrate the ability to use at least two (2) of the said technological tools with
Demonstrate interest, understanding of the value and importance by being present and on
1.3.2. Actuals
Use at least one primary technology presentation method during teaching sessions (i.e.
classroom. (100%)
Have partially created and implemented the use of moodle to supplement their teaching
These actuals indicate that while limited, there is still some amount (however small) of
awareness that technology is available. However, there is still evidence of a gross lack in the use
1.3.3. Feelings
For the purpose of this needs analysis, it was important to gather the feelings of the lecturers
while considering the effects their teaching practices may have on their students. In this regard,
1. Lecturers over the age of forty (40) may have negative feelings about the use of
technology in general. This may cause resulting feelings of apprehension, anxiety and
discomfort when considering its use in public and the lack of ability to successfully
2. Lecturers over the age of forty (40) may also be subject to a number of years of teaching
experience which was not nourished and developed during the technological age and
therefore feel more comfortable with in-class practices which have become a natural and
3. Students (many of whom are under the age of 35) may feel unmotivated, improperly
occupied and frankly bored with the routine practices they are exposed to in the teaching-
learning environment.
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1.3.4. Causes
There are a number of factors which perceivably contribute to the deficient use of technology in
Lack of willingness and/or motivation on the part of the lecturers to take advantage of
technology.
1.3.5. Solutions
1.4. Justification
The information gathered through this needs analysis determined that the efficient use of media
is a key factor which affects the successful practice of the teaching and learning process. It is
crucial to ensure that the University presents quality in their programs and expose students to a
rounded, systematic and competitive educational experience which will allow them to excel and
become leaders in their respective fields. Therefore, the needs assessment addresses the
appropriate and effective use of technology in the classroom which will determined whether
what is currently done is sufficient and or if/how this can be improved if necessary.
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2.1. Goal
By the end of this training program, participants will be able to practically plan, design, develop
and demonstrate the integrative use of at least two (2) technological teaching tools (software
By the end of the training sessions, participants will be able to undertake these specific tasks:
- Clearly define the term educational technology and state its usefulness in the teaching act
- Critically examine and explain the impact of using technology in the classroom on
teaching-learning using a main idea along with supporting details (Analyze and
- Develop and Design a teaching plan for a session which utilizes at least two (2) forms of
- Demonstrate the use of at least two (2) different kinds of technology for the purpose of
assessment]
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Based on the tasks outlined in the task selection worksheet (See Appendix B), the task with the
highest priority (based on difficulty as well) was elected to carry out the procedural analysis.
This procedural analysis outlines in detail the task as well as any subtasks in objective,
observable and descriptive terms to give a clear idea of the steps involved in successfully
Level 1
Level 2
2.1. State the difference between hardware (facilities and devices) and software (programs)
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2.2. Write a list of as many types of educational technology you can remember
2.4. Compile a final list after discussion with colleagues adding any new forms of technology
previously missed
3.2. Select the most appropriate forms of technology based on the list
4.1. Speak with colleagues/participants about reasons why technology is the classroom is
4.2. Make notes of three (3) points for and against the use of technology in the classroom
5.1. Review the lesson plan for a lesson currently being taught in a module
5.2. Identify specific aspects of the lesson where technology can be used
5.3. Rewrite the current lesson plan, substituting aspects with the appropriate educational
technology
5.4. Review lesson plan once again to ensure consistency, accuracy and efficiency.
7.1. Present the lesson to colleagues in a small group setting using technology and including
Level 3
1.2.1. Find information on what is educational technology and types, including examples
5.1. Review the lesson plan for a lesson currently being taught in a module
5.4. Review lesson plan once again to ensure consistency, accuracy and efficiency
5.4.1. Identify content, techniques, activities and resources which have been introduced
5.4.3. Review objectives of the lesson to ensure these are being met
The prerequisite analysis is based on the task identified in the procedural analysis and will help
to bring clarity about lower level skills which are necessary to achieving the terminal objective.
In this regard, the terminal objective is the demonstrating of teaching based on the knowledge
and skills acquired concerning the practical integration of technology in the teaching practice
Participants possess the following conditions which have been taken into consideration for the
purposes of planning and implementation of the face to face instructional initiative to improve
their ability to incorporate technology in teaching. While these conditions are specifically
focused on the participant, a contextual analysis (See Appendix D) was completed to provide
- Ages range from 38 65 years, therefore, all participants are adult learners;
- 5 participants possess masters level qualification while 2 are qualified at doctoral level;
- All participants have been certified through the teachers training college
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- Teaching experience of participants at the tertiary level range from 10 to 40 years; this
signifies that all participants have at least 10 years of experience teaching at the
appropriate level.
tactile/kinesthetic, it is greatly appreciated that the learners in this context are not only adult
learners who carry differences and similarities for consideration. It is important to note that adult
learners are expected to engage in self-directed learner and possess the capacity and motivation
for independent thinking and need for development, particularly with regard to matters that
Evidently, while the participants have mainly been conducting their teaching sessions to
appeal primarily to the visual learner, considerations have been made to incorporate an
instructional approach which reaches out to the varying needs of the participants; these include
but are not limited to active, intuitive, visual, verbal and sequential learners. It is important to
note that emphasis for the development of instructional strategies and assessments have been
4.1. Problem
The instructional strategies have been developed based on Merrills First principles which has
empirically supported evidence for how learning takes place. Each principle is supported by
practical learning strategies which will promote and facilitate successful completion.
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The problem for the purposes of this module of instruction is the lack of use of various forms of
technology in the classroom by lecturers. The notion of this engagement being problem oriented
is more appropriate since participants are all adult learners who learn best in a problem oriented
Presentation an interactive power point presentation will be used to introduce the topic, this
presentation will serve to highlight the significance and prevalence of technology in teaching.
This strategy is deemed to be activation based in nature because its purpose is to illustrate to the
participants their primary current teaching style while drawing on what can be added (See
Appendix E).
Analogy participants will be asked to take part in an activity which requires them to use
analogies; the activity requires them to name and claim an animal which represents them and use
Role play based on the descriptions provided by each participant using their animals,
participants will take turns role playing the in class practices of their colleagues. This ideally will
be done in a professional and non-judgmental manner to give participants a better vantage point
to assess themselves, reflect on their practices (perceived practices) and its effectiveness.
Webquest a major part of the learning experience relies of constructivism, the participants are
expected as adult learner to make meaning of new information and will therefore play a
constructively active role. The webquest is designed to allow participants an opportunity to find
as many ideas for software/hardware (including games) which may be helpful to promote
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learning in the classroom. They also are required to focus on two (2) particularly useful media
and share same in a collaborative manner through discussion with at least 1 other colleague.
Independent and Guided practice participants will be allowed to interact with and manipulate
online software based on their findings in order to help them learn how to use same more
effectively. This will occur primarily through a trial and error basis with room for participants to
also ask questions or seek assistance when necessary from the facilitator.
Simulation this type of learning will be used not only to continue guided practice but also to
provide feedback for participants as they seek to familiarize themselves with the software and
strive towards mastery. Participant will be asked to simulate the use of their software in practice
while their colleagues choose when to start and stop the simulation to provide comments
throughout.
objective is to have the participants demonstrate the use of technology in a fluid and
preconceived manner which will be reflected in the delivery of a topic determined upon by the
participant. Participants will be asked to create a lesson plan and implement/deliver said plan to
their colleagues using the integrated media to aid their teaching experience.
weaknesses and possible improvements in their teaching practice. This will be done in an effort
to assess their teaching strategies with the inclusion of technology and evaluate/appraise whether
Creation apart from the creation of a lesson plan for teaching with the intention that future
lesson plans will also include diversity in the selection of appropriate media to aid the method
and delivery of teaching; participants are also expected to create a lesson that is fully geared to
the use of a new tool. For example: if they have chosen to utilize a new presentation software
such as prezi then they will be required to create a topic based on a module they are teaching
Demonstrate the use of at least two (2) different kinds of technology for the purpose of teaching
This written assessment will be provided for completion by the participants at the very beginning
Written Assessment
Time: 10mins
Instructions:
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The following are four (4) multiple choice questions. Please provide the most appropriate answer
Example:
A. Bird
B. Cat
Chair
D. Fish
Questions:
A. student engagement
B. passive learning
D. positive wellbeing
2. All of the following are examples of appropriate software which can be used in the
A. Educational games
C. Simulations
D. Blackboard Collaborate
A. A paradigm which involves the study of the appropriate practice for using
technology.
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B. The study of the appropriate use of resources and media to facilitate learning and
C. A discipline which views the importance of the use of media in the teaching and
learning for the purposes of meetings the needs of students in the 21st century.
A. students learn
In this small group work shop session, participants are expected at the end of the session to
demonstrate their learning by presenting a topic to be covered in one of their modules using what
they have learned about integrating technology/media in their teaching practice so as to add
variety to their methods of teaching and keep students engaged. They will therefore be asked to
analyze, design, develop, implement and evaluate (or in this case reflect) on a lesson which will
They will each be allowed 40mins to complete the presentation of their lesson, each participant
Reflection
Generally speaking, the use of the instructional systems design process was incredible
helpful in aiding my understanding of not just what and how to do what I usually do every day
but in fact provided great purpose to the practice. This was evident as I was for the first time able
to gather meaningful information in an objective manner about my audience and the issues which
were to be addressed. The various forms of analysis such as the needs assessment, pre-requisite,
procedural and learner & contextual analysis were particularly helpful in allowing me to more
effectively and efficiently plan for the workshop sessions and undoubted created stability and
One particular aspect of this project which was quite important to me concerned the
creation and development of goals and objectives for the training workshop. As a result, specific
emphasis was placed on creating SMART goals although I am still not sure I have done that
effectively) which is often taken for granted. In fact, it is the objectives that help to determine
what will be done and how the workshop will take place as the focus is on ensuring that at the
end of the workshop, these objectives have been met/fulfilled. I am ultimately, please with the
overall program which has been put together and can say that the topic was very appropriate and
well received.
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However, a major flaw which could have been avoided going into this topic was not
limiting the amount of information available. Evidently, one great misconception I had
concerned the general willingness of participants to learn and take in new information; in
practice, the participants were excited to see the range of technological options available to them
and were open to the opportunity for training. It therefore indicated to me, that the lack of
training was perhaps the most significant cause behind the problem.
It was my intention to ensure that the workshop was conducted in an open and
collaborative manner, for this reason, I wanted it to be practical and opted to include activities
participants the opportunity to practice through hands on learning, manipulation (working with
the technology) was very important to the overall outcome/success of the program and was
therefore a built in feature which is one of the reasons the workshop was so intensive. The use of
analogies I thought was quite appropriate as it allowed the participants have a relatable idea for
consideration before thinking about how we can build on their current teaching practices.
While the webquest was extremely helpful in the exposure it allowed the participants to
have, it was extremely time consuming; for this reason, more needed to be done to gear this
activity to be more focused from the onset instead of being a general search, as there are quite a
number of teaching tools which can be found online. On the other hand, our discussion and
demonstration sessions were quite useful, particularly the simulation session (as this prepared
them for their assessed presentations) which gathered invaluable feedback from participants.
Unfortunately, an under developed aspect of this project regarded the use of the peer and
group feedback, it is evident that many of my colleagues became increasingly busy as the
semester progressed and this resulted in the neglect of feedback for which I am also guilty.
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However, I am happy to indicate that the group was to some extent helpful in our whatsapp
discussions on the project; it was also instrumental to my learning to be able to view the posts of
my peers. This is perhaps the first time that I can recall learning in this manner, I was able to
review the work of my colleagues and learn from this in an effort to understand, what to do and
how to do it effectively. As this is the first time many of us are engaging in a project of this
nature and particularly in this systematic way, there was a lot of hesitation to say with certainty
what has been done well and what could be improved. However, without the assistance of my
important to mention here as well that the formative feedback received from the tutor was key in
ensuring areas of weakness or lack are tightened up and a more critical thinking process is
practiced.
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References
Gross, R. (2010) Psychology: The Science of Mind and Behaviour. (6thed) Hodder Education
Publishers.
Hergenhahn, B. R. & Olson, M. H. (2005). An Introduction to Theories of Learning (7th Ed.) NJ:
Knowles, M.S. (1975). Self-Directed Learning. A Guide for Learners and Teachers. Chicago:
Follett.
Knowles, M. S., et al. (1984). Andragogy in action: Applying modern principles of adult
Knowles, Malcolm; Holton, E. F., III; Swanson, R. A. (2005). The adult learner: The definitive
MA:Elsevier.
Morrison, G., Ross, S., & Kemp, J. (2004). Designing effective instruction. Hoboken, NJ: J.
Pervin, L. A., Cervone, D., and John, O. P. (2004). Personality: Theory and Research (9th Ed.).
Rathus, S. A. (2004). Psychology: Concepts and Connections (7th Ed.) Belmont, CA: Thomas
Learning Inc.
Santrock, J. (2006). Lifespan Development (10th Ed.). New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies
Inc.
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Appendix A
1.5. Source
For the purposes of this needs assessment, information will be directly gathered from the primary
source which is the target audience. This will be done as the relevant and appropriate information
about the feelings, knowledge and skill/ability of the lecturers can be considered in a timely and
efficient manner on a personal level which will be correlated to find any patterns or similarities.
This section covers how (through what process) the information will be obtained from the target
audience.
1.6.1. Techniques
- Telephone Interviews
The use of the telephone interview is deemed appropriate in this case as it will allow a one on
one conversation with each member of the target audience to ask standardized and specific
questions about their personal experiences and background with the use of technology in general
and its implemented use in the classroom. This will also allow a large amount of privacy and is
quite practical because of the small number of members in the target audience.
- Focus Group
The focus group will be used to allow the members of the target audience to act as a unit sharing
their experiences with the use of technology, in addition to ideas and feelings about the
implemented use of same in and out of the classroom. Additionally, this form of data collection
is appropriate as it will provide the type of information which is needed in a neutral and
The qualitative information gathered through the use of telephone interviews and the focus group
will be used to generalize about any similarities and differences in responses that participants in
the target audience may have; this will then allow the appropriate assessment of needs which will
determine the most effective solution(s) to be implemented in the short work shop session.
Appendix B
Criteria for Task Selection Worksheet Criticality Universality Frequency Standardization Difficulty Total Notes Priority
TASKS #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8
Orienting Context
Learner Factors
90% of the participants are above 40 years of age and demonstrate apprehension about working with
technology -2 -1 +1 +2
Participants work in a collaborative department which promotes ease of communication among its
members -2 -1 +1 +2
Organizational Factors
Participants are aware of the benefits to the development of their skills and how its impacts their
Participants are aware of the usefulness of the workshop for the purposes of both personal,
Organizational support is expressly lacking with regard to the procurement of software and/or
Instructional Context
Learner Factors
Learners possess varying learning/learner styles which may not be adequately represented
As adult learner, participants will be encouraged to be responsible for the success of their learning
experiences -2 -1 +1 +2
Leaners will be working in a familiar learning environment as the venue for the workshop will be on
Reliability of the internet/broadband connection is not always dependable on campus which may
The physical environment provides a conducive nature for open discussion as well as individual task
completion -2 -1 +1 +2
Organizational Factors
Participants will have a procedural input about the effectiveness of their learning experience
-2 -1 +1 +2
The university administration is open to allowing the undertaking of this workshop at requested
venue -2 -1 +1 +2
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Transfer Context
Learner Factors
Independent and collaborative learning is useful for adult learners to make the learning material
More mature participants may tend to cling to their customary ways without consistent
The familiarity of the working/learning environment allows for practical training and the
Organizational Factors
Successful implementation of the program is expected to lead to more dynamic teaching methods
The use of multiple media in the teaching/learning dynamic will allow the university to advance
Program can be adapted to target lecturers in other faculties and department to consider teaching