Design Document

Learner Analysis

 

Entry Behaviors - The learners are 10 teachers who are members of the district Technology Cadre. All learners have previously received training on the basics on the iPad and all have active Apple ID's. As a means to fulfill the goal of providing ongoing professional development to all teachers the Instructional Technology department has transitioned to provide training in an online format where teachers will have access to the trainings at any time and on any day. 

To be successful in the digital badge program learners must:
•        Be able to open an Internet browser.
•        Be able to navigate the Internet.

•        Know the URL to the digital badge website.
•        Be integrating at least one tool into their classroom instruction.

•        Provide a description of the lesson or a link to a student project. 

Prior Knowledge of Topic Area – The learners use a variety of technology resources including iPads, computers, iOS apps, websites and district provided software. The iPads and iOS apps that the learners use are not currently being documented to track the progression of implementation growth. The Instructional Technology Coach documents the trainings that the teachers participate in but the learners do not currently have a standard set of instructional technology goals to meet per school year that documents their progress of technology implementation in teaching and learning. 

Attitudes toward Content and Potential Delivery System – The Apple app store is an application that learners are familiar with in the downloading of iOS apps. The limited experience is in applying the use of iOS app into teaching and students' learning. A rubric and training videos on the implemenation of iOS app will make the process easier for teachers to implement technology in their classrooms. The teachers currently share how they are using technology with each other during their Professional Learning Communities' time, they also search on YouTube of which those videos do not always provide an educational use. An all inclusive website as the delvery system was accepted by the learners because of the ease of use in claiming a badge or requesting training. The website will provide educational emphasis for the applicaiton of the technology. 

Academic Motivation (ARCS) - The learners are motivated by the incentive of documenting their progress. The teachers will have a plaque outside of their door which will host their digital badges demonstrating the use of the technology resources being used in the classroom. A greater excitement ensued as they learned they would receive additional technology hardware and software for claiming badges. 

Educational and Ability Levels – All learners are able to claim two introductory badges, Word and Gmail, because they are apps that are used daily and no additional training is required.  The learners began developing an iTunes U course as a method of publishing their lesson plans at the beginning of the school year. That badge is another one that can be claimed by all technology cadre members. All cadre members are at the intermediate and advanced levels of technology integration.

General Learning Preferences – The learners are comfortable with using online resources. There are no first year teachers in this particular group which identifies them all as having participated in the iPad basics training in previous school years. 

Attitudes toward the Training Organization – The learners are part of a core PLC or grade level PLC within their campuses. They have previously expressed interest in wanting to know how other teachers are implementing technology and what their lessons look like. The organization of this training has become a motivational factor for them because they are eager to begin claiming badges, they are interested in seeing what badges other teachers will claim. This process will open communicational venues for them to share feedback on how to move their content towards redefinition. 

Group Characteristics – The learners are divided among three campuses. Their teaching content areas vary and they are all supportive of each other. The PLC time allows the learners to communicate with each other on concerns, suggestions or new resources they find. 

The age range of the audience is 27 to 58 years of age. The instructional activity that is being designed will integrate all of the resources withing the site and the users will not be taken outside of the website. 

Estimate Statement
The learners are motivated to implement the use of the digital badges because the instructional resource is not constricting them to a specific resource. The instructional site is allowing for the flexibility of technolog implementation.