Module 2: Identifying student needs and meeting them through flexible path and pace.

Objectives:

Learners will be able to define what a "need" is
Learners will be able to identify a students' needs
Learners will be able to understand how to conduct a needs assessment
Learners will be able to understand how to conduct a content analysis

Module 1 Refresh:

Remind yourself, and your classmates what flexible path and pace is! Please post a short clip of your definition of flexible path and pace (in your own words) to the following FlipGrid link! https://flipgrid.com/2fb04651 Please also include one example of what flexible path and pace could look like - if you get stuck, reference the scenarios provided in Module 1.

If you have any questions that you would like to pose to your classmates feel free to share them as well!

Jump into Module 2:

Think about the things that you need to be successful as a student. Post at least one need that you have in the classroom (as a student) and explain why you need it.

Use this Padlet!

Needs:

As teachers we have all heard, discussed, and considered what it is that our students need. What our students need, is the catalyst for our instruction, and informs how we design it. Needs can be; a problem, an issue, or an opportunity, therefore, the purpose of our instruction "is typically to meet an educational need, solve an educational problem, or address an instructional challenge” (Larson and Lockee, 2020, p. 26).

Prior to instructional needs though, students needs as human beings must first be met; a breakdown of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is at right. When a students basic needs are not met, that will interfere with their ability to learn.

Examples:

Educational Need: An educational need could be students needing special education services, or needing reading interventions.

Educational Problem: An educational problem could be students not having the appropriate knowledge when they transition from middle school to high school.

Instructional Challenge: An instructional challenge could be students having a lower cognitive ability, or teachers not having access to necessary technologies.

Needs Assessment:

A needs assessment is a critical aspect of instructional design. A needs assessment helps you to determine what you ultimately want to achieve. The needs assessment helps you to address where you are, and what needs to occur before you meet the end goal.

To speed up the needs analysis process one can ask; "Who, What, Where, When, Why, How, and How much” (Larson and Lockee, 2020, p. 33). In its entirety a needs assessment is as follows;

Identify stakeholders and establish expectations
Identify roles and responsibilities
Identify problem(s), causes, needs, and solutions
Gather and analyze data on needs, resources, and constraints
Draft goal statements
Summarize needs analysis information for stakeholders

We will break down the various steps of a needs assessment below!

Identify stakeholders and establish expectations:

A stakeholder is anyone who has a "stake" in the outcome of the instruction. Further stakeholders may have a certain expectation as to how instruction should be carried out. For example, a student is a stakeholder, but so is a superintendent. The needs of stakeholders ultimately inform the instruction.

Identify roles and responsibilities:

The roles and responsibilities can be that of an individual, or a team. For example, a teacher is responsible for planning instruction, and instructing students. Whereas a schools district office in responsible for the finances of a school.

Identify problem(s), causes, needs, and solutions:

Larson and Lockee (2020) summarized this section of a needs assessment best; “work with each group to identify the existing situation or problem (what is), the desired situation (what should be), and the resulting gap between the two, or the needs” (p. 31).

Gather and analyze data on needs, resources, and constraints:

Needs must be supported by data. Within the classroom, the data collected on students' needs can help to determine how instruction should be delivered, at what level, how rigorous it should be, etc. Further, the instruction is influenced by the recourses available to teachers and students, which at times can also be a constraint. The recourses available must be determined prior to planning instruction, and they can be both human and material.

Draft goal statements:

Larson and Lockee (2020) explain that draft goal statements; “Distinguish between real needs and perceived needs that have no basis in the data, identify those that can realistically be addressed, and distinguish between the needs that can be met with instruction and those that will require other solutions” (p. 42). Per Larson and Lockee (2020) instructional goals are based on the following;

The needs and characteristics of the target learners
Applicable learning standards
Certification requirements
The best practices of the field
Needs of society

Summarize needs analysis information for stakeholders:

This aspect of the needs assessment does not directly relate to students, but can be applicable information to convey to building principals, superintendents, etc.

Content Analysis:

A content analysis determines how you will build your instructional design. The content analysis identifies which knowledge, skills, and attitudes are necessary, and also determines what type of learning experiences students will go through to meet the ultimate instructional goals. The steps of a content analysis are as follows;

Review the instructional goal and existing content; what do students need to learn to achieve the goal at hand?
Determine the scope and sequence of the content; in what order will students learn, how difficult will it be?
Identify the essential content; what is need to know information, what is nice to know information?
Prioritize the content; what is the most important information, what needs to be taught first?
Classify the content; where does the information fit?
Consider the results of all analyses to determine the content treatment; what should I be teaching my students based on the data collected?

The way that the content is presented to students has a major impact on their understanding, but also their openness to learning said content. If content is not presented to students in ways that are approachable, but also appears to be accurate and well thought out, students will immediately be less willing to learn. For example, students are much more receptive to content that is "chunked," rather than giving them a textbook and telling them to read an entire chapter.

Apply it:

Later on in this course you will be creating your own "playlist." In order to do so, you will need to complete a modified version of a needs assessment, and a content analysis.

Begin thinking about what content you will be presenting students with via your playlist. While you do not have to define exactly what you will be covering your task is to answer the following questions to get you thinking!

Answer the following to the best of your ability:
Needs Assessment Questions:	Type your answers here:
Who are you teaching:
What are you teaching:
What are those students needs:
Where am I teaching:
When am I teaching:
Why am I teaching this:
Why do my students need _____:
Why am I teaching this:
How much will I need:

Answer the following to the best of your ability:
Content Analysis Questions:	Type your answers here!
What do students need to learn to achieve the goal at hand?
In what order will students learn, how difficult will it be?
What is need to know information, what is nice to know information?
What is the most important information, what needs to be taught first?
What should I be teaching my students based on the data collected?

Next: Module 3: Tools and strategies for implementing flexible path and pace.

Home Page: Shannon Gallagher's Mini-Course on Flexible Path and Pace in the Special Education Classroom

References:

Larson, M. B. and Lockee, B. B. (2020). Streamlined ID: A Practical Guide to Instructional Design (2nd edition). New York, NY: Routledge. (ISBN-13: 978-0815366706)