Instructional Design Activity: Formative Evaluation

The objective of this activity is to plan for the formative evaluation of your instruction. As stated by Dick, Carey, and Carey (2001): "Formative evaluation is the process designers use to obtain data that can be used to revise their instruction to make it more efficient and effective. The emphasis in formative evlauation is on the collection and analysis of data and the revision of the instruction" (p. 284-285).

Using the lesson you have described in the IDA on lesson design complete the Formative Evaluation Planning Worksheet. Using the table below, describe:

  1. Who will do the ongoing evaluation,
  2. What is being evaluated,
  3. What the evaluation should occur, and
  4. How the evaluation will be conducted (i.e., tools you will use).

Be sure to refer to Dick, Carey, and Carey Chapter 10 for specific information that can be gathered from experts (e.g. subject-matter, learning, and learner) and learners in different formative evaluation situations (e.g. one-to-one, small-group, and field trials).

Formative Evaluation Planning Worksheet
Lesson Objective: Given the need to order a book, the SWBAT confidently and effectively search for books on Amazon.com and create an order for the desired book within 20 minutes.

Who

What

When

How

Experts

 

 

 

 

Will have the experts review the lesson on three levels:

  1. content
  2. technical accuracy
  3. quality of instruction.

The content review will help ensure that no mistakes were made in the information provided to the learners re: ordering from Amazon. The technical accuracy review will enable us to know if we have errors in directions for getting to Amazon, errors with screen capture, etc. Finally, the quality of instruction review will let us know if the instruction is as effective and efficient as possible.

Will be based on the experts’ time frame, but will hope to have the three reviews completed prior to small group evaluation by the learners

The review will be conducted through checklists and interviews with the experts. The checklists will be provided for the experts to guide their review. The interviews will take place after the review is completed to clarify any information.

Learners:

one-on-one

 

 

 

 

3 sample learners will be selected for the evaluation of the "learnability" of the instruction. The learners will be selected based on their level of prior knowledge regarding the subject: novice, average, experienced.

The one-on-one sessions will occur early in the process — after initial sketches are created of the instruction.

The designer will sit with each learner as they go through the instruction, marking areas in the instruction where it appears to be confusing, answering questions the learners pose as they complete the instruction. An interview will be conducted after each learner has gone through the instruction to answer any questions and to clarify any information.

Learners: small group

 

 

 

 

As with the one-on-one sessions, the small group of learners will be evaluating the learnability" of the instruction. A group of 5-6 learners most closely matching the target audience will be selected for this round of evaluation.

The small group session will occur after the prototypes of the instruction are created.

Several methods will be used to gather information. Assessments will be used as well as a post-instruction interview.

Learners:

field test

 

 

 

 

Again, the learners in the field test will be evaluating the "learnability" of the instruction. The learners in the field test will be the actual learners who will be using the instruction once it is completed.

The field test will occur after the design of the instruction is complete.

The evaluation will take place in the actual setting where the instruction will be used on a regular basis. As with the small group, assessments will be used as well as a post-instruction interview.