Instruction Design Essentials - ALA eCourse

Week 1.

Instructional Design - Initial Design

Step 1. SITUATIONAL FACTORS TO CONSIDER

Specific Context of the Teaching/Learning Situation

This Fall Semester, I’m teaching an online, 1-unit, 16-week credit course, Library 1A Introduction to Library Research, at Mt. San Antonio College (Mt. SAC), a two-year community college in California. The online course is deployed using Moodlerooms learning management system. My class currently has 23 students.

General Context of the Learning Situation

The purpose of the course is to help students become effective academic researcher who think critically about information sources and research strategies. Even though the information resources covered in this course are sometimes Mt. SAC Library specific, students, on a larger scale, are expected to be able to apply critical thinking and research skills beyond their college research assignments - later when they transfer to a four-year college or university, and in their own life-long learning experience.

Nature of the Subject

I think information literacy is primarily practical in subject with some concepts.

Characteristics of the Learners

The students in my class are with various backgrounds as one would typically find in community college classrooms. For most of them, this is their first online class. A couple of the students have tried the LIBR 1A in face-to-face format, but didn’t finish the course successfully. At the beginning of the semester, almost all of them said to get better in research was what brought them to the course.

Characteristics of the Teacher

I’m an instructor who reflects on my own instruction, actively seeks feedback from my colleagues and students, and always looks for ways to improve my teaching.

I’ve taught the 3-unit Library 1 Research Methods and Information Sources credit course in classroom setting for three semesters, but this is my first time teaching the 1-unit credit course and my first time teaching online. I’m familiar with some of the features of Moodlerooms, but I’m new to features typically used in online classes.

Step 2. QUESTIONS FOR FORMULATING SIGNIFICANT LEARNING GOALS

“A year (or more) after this course is over, I want and hope that students will be able to select appropriate research tools and resources, and find reliable sources for the type of information that they need.”

Foundational Knowledge

I would like my students to remember that not all information is created equal. They must remember to evaluate information sources and strategies to help they evaluate information for reliability.

Application Goals

Critical thinking skills are crucial skills for students to gain in this class so that they will be able to evaluate information, select reliable sources, analyze what they find, and make informed decisions or solve problems. Students also learn how to manage a research project following the steps in a research process and how to present creatively their research findings to their peers and their instructor.

Integration Goals

I hope my students recognize that using effective research strategies to identify and select credible information is what they should do in all their lives (school, personal, and/or work).

Human Dimensions Goals

From this online class, my students could have a chance to find out if they have the skills (time management, self-discipline, etc.) necessary to be successful in online learning.  I would like my students to learn that online learning doesn’t have to be lonely. Interacting with their peers through online discussions, seeking help from their instructors and librarians, and using other campus support services are all part of the learning process.

Caring Goals

I hope students will become interested in libraries, and in conducting research based on their own interests. They will learn to use research as basis to formulate their own opinions and check others’ claims on issues in life.

“Learning-How-to-Learn” Goals

I would like my students to learn time management skills by setting a specific time and day to work on the online class each week. I would also like them to know independent learning means self-motivation and self-discipline.