DEVELOPING AN INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGY

The following are notes from chapter 8 of The Systematic Design Instruction, sixth edition by Dick, Carey & Carey.

Developing an instructional strategy basically deals with the way the designer will present the instruction to the learners and the ways he will use to engage them.

There is a huge variety of teaching and learning activities that can be used in terms of instructional strategy, such as group discussions, case studies, computer simulations, lectures, etc.

Instructional strategy can be divided into pieces as follows:

SELECTION OF A DELIVERY SYSTEM

The designer can select from a variety of delivery systems, such as the traditional system of an instructor with a group of learners in a classroom, telecourse by broadcast or videotape, computer-based instruction, web-based instruction, etc. The designer will first consider the learner characteristics, learning objectives and assessment requirements before selecting the best delivery system.

CONTENT SEQUENCING AND CLUSTERING

The first step in developing an instructional design is identifying a sequence of the content to be presented. Usually the designer should begin with the lower-level skills and then progressing to the higher-level ones. For younger children, it is advisable to keep the content and instructions in small clusters. More mature learners can handle larger clusters of content.

LEARNER COMPONENTS OF INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

Five major components should be part of an overall instructional strategy: preinstructional activities, content presentation, learner participation, assessment and follow-up activities.

Preinstructional activities consist of motivating the learners, informing them of what they will learn and ensuring they have the prerequisite knowledge to begin the instruction. Motivation includes gaining and sustaining the attention of the learner, presenting material that is relevant, something that the learners can feel confident that they can master after the instruction, and presenting it in a way that they can derive satisfaction from the learning experience.

Content presentation should represent the totality of what is to be learned along with relevant examples, such as illustrations, demonstrations, case studies, etc.

Learner participation takes place by providing the learners with opportunities to practice what you want them to be able to do, such as trying out what they are learning at the time they are learning it. Learners should also be provided feedback on their performance.

Assessment consists of entry-behavior tests, pretests, practice tests and posttests.

Follow-up activities should take into consideration the use of memory aids to help learners recall from memory as well as how the performance context will be different from the learning context.

Although instruction may be designed for an intellectual skill, verbal information, a motor skill, or an attitude, the basic learning components of an instructional strategy should be the same.

SELCTION OF MEDIA

Media should be selected for each component. Cost-effectiveness should be taken into consideration, along with choosing the best possible interactive media (human instructor, computer-based instructions, etc.) in order to obtain responsive feedback. In practice, the selection of media is based on logistical considerations.

Once your instructional strategy is completed, you can begin developing your instructions.