2. Background
Creating an instructional strategy involves taking all of the information you have
accumulated to this point and generating an effective plan for presenting your
instruction to your learners. Creating a strategy is not the same as actually
developing your instructional materials. The purpose of creating the strategy
before developing the materials themselves is to outline how the instructional
activities will relate to the accomplishment of the objectives (Gagne, 1988).
Selection of Media and Delivery Systems is the fourth and final element of an
instructional strategy. Once decisions have been made about content
sequencing and clustering, and the learning components have been planned,
it’s time to turn your attention to selecting a delivery system for your overall
instructional system, along with the media you will use to present the
information in your instruction. The selection of a delivery system indicates a
general preference for emphasizing certain instruments to accomplish
instructional events. Within this general preference, specific agents or media
can be assigned, event-by-event, objective-by-objective to accomplish the
intended goal.
3. Objectives
Describe considerations in selecting an
instructional delivery
Media Selection for Domains of Learning
Other Considerations in Choosing Media
Conditions of Learning
Consolidate media selections and confirm or
select a delivery systems
4. Selection Of A Delivery System
Instruction is the methodology that is used for
managing and delivering the teaching and learning
activities
This general methodology is called the delivery system
Delivery system and instructional strategies are not
synonymous
5. Delivery System Defined
Traditional model
Large-group lecture with small group
Computer based instruction
Site based internship and mentoring
Telecommunication course
Video conferencing course
6. The overall delivery system includes everything necessary
to allow a particular instructional system to operate as it was
intended and where it was intended.
Some examples of delivery systems include:
Classroom delivery
Lecture
Correspondence
Videotape
Videoconference
Computer-based
Web-based
7. In an idealistic instructional design process, you would
first consider the goal, learner characteristics, learning,
and performance context, objectives, and assessment
requirements, and then work through the following
considerations and decisions to achieve the selection
of the best delivery system
8. Once you have chosen a delivery system, various media
can then be chosen to deliver the information and events of
your instruction. Media constitutes the physical elements in
the learning environment with which learners interact in
order to learn something. The choice of media is done as
part of the instructional strategy.
For example, in a distance-delivered program, the decision
was made at the beginning to use a web-based delivery
system. Within the program, however, various media can be
chosen to deliver the instruction, as long as they are
compatible with the original delivery system.
9. The choice of a delivery system is generally made at the
course or curriculum level. For most teachers, the
delivery system is usually already chosen, a classroom
for example. However, the ideal way would be to base
the decision on your goal, learner characteristics,
learner and performance contexts, objectives, and
assessment requirements. With this in mind, though,
we should turn our attention to selecting media to
deliver the instruction.
10. Media Selection for Domains of Learning
Different types of media should be chosen based on
the type of learning your objectives fall in to. Verbal
information requires less elaborative feedback, so there
is less need for interactive media. With intellectual skills
elaborative feedback is more important, so some form
of interactive media would make a better choice.
Examples include direct instructor feedback, tutors, or
interactive computer.
.
11. Media Selection for Domains of Learning
(cont’d)
Motor skills eventually require a performance of some
sort from the learners, so the instruction should include
the actual physical environment or the actual
equipment that will be used for the assessment. When
teaching attitudes it is best to have a model of some
kind who chooses to exhibit the desired attitude. In this
case visual media, such as a video, can be used. Keep
in mind that a single lesson or course may involve
instruction in several domains, so you may end up
selecting several different forms of media.
12. Other Considerations in Choosing Media
When deciding on media to use you should of course make sure that the media you
select will be available in the learning environment. If you design your instruction to
require a certain type of media then it’s up to you to make sure that it will be available
when the time comes. If you can’t do this then you should limit your selections to those
which can reasonably be expected to be available. You need to make sure that learners
will be able to access the materials in the medium you select.
Will the materials be needed at home? If so, can you give them out?
Will students need to access a computer lab or learning center to get at the materials? If
so, what hours will it be accessible?
Finally, if you select a particular medium to present your information, you should make
sure that you are able to produce materials for that medium, or that you have access to
people who can.
For example, many designers would like to create instructional materials that feature
Final Cut movies because Final Cut allows you to combine audio and visual elements in
unique and exciting ways. However, the reality is that this can be a difficult and time-consuming
process if you are not skilled in using Final Cut. You will likely want to limit
your selections of this type of media to those you can create materials for, or set aside
time to learn the required products.
13. Selection Of Media And Delivery
Media selection for domains of learning
Intellectual skills
Verbal Information
Psychomotor Skills
Attitudes
Media selection for certain learner characteristics
Media selection for certain task requirements found in
objectives
Media selection for replacing the need for instruction
Practical considerations in choosing media and delivery
systems
14. Conditions of Learning
Gagne believes that the purpose of all instruction is to provide the events of
instruction mentioned earlier. These events can be performed by teachers or
by the materials themselves, as long as they are successfully performed. The
nine events of instruction are applicable to all domains of learning outcomes.
However, the details of how they are presented imply different sets of
conditions for learning. The conditions of learning are a set of factors that
influence learning that must be taken into account during the design of
instruction. Gagne distinguishes between two types of conditions, internal and
external.
Internal conditions of learning refer to the learner’s internal states and
cognitive processes. These internal states consist of prior knowledge,
motivation, attitudes, etc. Cognitive processes refer to the ways in which the
learner interacts with their environment.
External conditions refer to the things taking place in the learning
environment, and include the arrangement and timing of stimulus events.
Gagne’s theory proposes that learning takes place at all times, because
learners are constantly engaged with their environments.
15. Internal conditions
Internal conditions of learning refer to the learner’s
internal states and cognitive processes. These internal
states consist of prior knowledge, motivation, attitudes,
etc. Cognitive processes refer to the ways in which the
learner interacts with their environment.
16. External conditions
External conditions refer to the things taking place in
the learning environment, and include the arrangement
and timing of stimulus events. Gagne’s theory proposes
that learning takes place at all times, because learners
are constantly engaged with their environments.
17. We cannot directly control the internal conditions.
However, Gagne's theory has led to a set of strategies
for providing external support for learners as they
attempt to achieve a goal. These strategies differ
depending on the domain of learning.
The following slides will help you decide on effective
strategies for each domain:
18. Verbal Information
Provide a meaningful context for effective encoding of information.
Draw attention to distinctive features by variations in print or speech.
Use terms or definitions in a sentence.
Present information so that it can be made into chunks.
Relate the information (term or definition) to preexisting knowledge.
Present all terms clearly using the fewest number of words to convey the
meaning. If more than five terms or units of information are to be
presented in one lesson, group related terms or units into five or fewer
clearly defined categories.
Use a variety of concrete (observable) examples when possible,
emphasizing the clear and well defined features that relate directly to the
information.
Explain clearly how learners will be expected to recall the information
while it is initially presented.
Make information readily accessible to learners, and provide
opportunities for them to explore "nice-to-know" information associated
with the knowledge.
Practice with immediate feedback!
Provide cues for effective recall and generalization of information.
19. Intellectual Skills
Encourage learners to recall previously learned information or examples that
illustrate concepts or rules being presented.
Clearly communicate the definition of defined concepts, using the fewest number of
words.
Call attention to distinctive features.
Stay within the limits of working memory.
Present verbal cues to the ordering or combination of component skills.
Break down the process of performing or applying rules into steps, and clearly
communicate these steps to the students.
Demonstrate an application of the rule for the students.
Present varied examples or instances of concepts and rule applications, calling
attention to the distinctive features of examples, definitions, and procedures.
Present nonexamples or non-instances of the concept if they will help to clarify the
concept.
Schedule occasions for practice and spaced review.
Provide learners with opportunities to "play" with concepts and rules within
simulated or "real" environments, identifying and selecting their own examples and
nonexamples of concepts and rule applications if possible.
Present a variety of contexts or experiences that allow the students to practice
applying the rules or identifying/describing concepts (transfer), providing guidance
throughout early stages of practice.
20. Cognitive Strategies
Recall relevant rules and
concepts.
Describe or demonstrate the
strategy.
Provide a variety of
occasions for practice using
the strategy.
Provide information feedback
as to the creativity or
originality of the strategy or
outcome.
21. Attitudes
Establish an expectancy of success associated with the
desired attitude.
Assure student identification with an admired human
model.
Make students aware of the personal benefits gained by
making choices based on attitudes (preferably by someone
the students admire).
Clearly identify examples of choices made by people who
possess the desired attitude (credible and attractive-similarity,
familiarity, appearance).
Clearly identify instances in the students’ lives in which
making choices are based on the attitude being presented.
Allow students the opportunity to practice making choices
associated with the desired attitude (role-playing, group
discussion, etc.) and give them feedback.
Arrange for communication or demonstration of choice of
personal action.
Positive feedback for successful performance; or allow
observation of feedback in the human model.
22. Motor Skills
Verbally guide learners
through routine.
Visually present example of
routine execution.
Encourage the use of mental
practice.
Arrange repeated practice.
Furnish immediate feedback
as to the accuracy of
performance.
23. Summary
The selecting of a delivery system is an important part
of the instructional design process. It is at this point that
the designer must be able to combine knowledge of
learning and design theory with his experience of
learners and objectives. Perhaps it is this component of
creativity that separates the art of instructional design
from the science of instructional design.
