Integrated Model of Instruction
The design of a successful professional development workshop necessitates a significant degree of integration of knowledge from different disciplines. In most cases, the topic of such a workshop would require a sufficient understanding of the area it targets as well as at least one marginally related area to actualize the received knowledge and apply relevant skills (Entwistle, 2013).
Suitability
Interconnectedness
The integrated model of instruction provides the participants with better opportunities for understanding the content and emphasizes the interconnections between consecutive bits of information (Reigeluth, 2013).
Independence
The integrated model is also highly suitable for professional development purposes due to its emphasis on independent inquiry. A workshop format has certain time constraints that require the participants to interpret the content after the event and engage in independent research, both of which are encouraged by the integrated model (Kapp, Latham, & Ford-Latham, 2016).
Involvement
The model is known to facilitate better engagement of participants and, by extension, a higher level of retention.
Fusion
The model promotes the fusion of existing knowledge, participants’ experience, and the content of the workshop in the most meaningful way (Keengwe, 2014).
Environment Setup
A proper environment is essential for encouraging creativity and maximizing performance. Such an environment is set up in two stages.
Initial Promotion
Before the event, it would be necessary to raise awareness of its components among the intended audience. This can be done directly in a conversation through hand-out materials such as flyers and electronic means of communication (e.g., e-mail, social networks, and dedicated professional resources. The information must be disseminated several weeks before the event and should cover the main points of the workshop and the expected outcomes.
On-Site Efforts
A secure and friendly environment must be established during a workshop. This can be done through:
- Verbal and non-verbal encouragement of participants.
- Incorporating numerous points for hands-on activities.
- Supportive actions in response to learners’ efforts.
- Sustaining emotional contact with the audience.
Required Materials
The central tool of the workshop is a Powerpoint presentation. It offers several activities suitable for the integrated model of instruction:
- Feeds the content in a concise format.
- Requires minimal time and effort for the introduction.
- Opens up the possibility for discussion.
- Has enough flexibility to adjust the time devoted to each segment or activity.
- Provides a sufficient degree of interactivity.
- Helps to maintain contact with the audience (Melton, 2014).
(Technical equipment required for a presentation: laptop, projector, speakers)
Aside from the presentation, several secondary materials must be introduced.
- Videos related to the topic (3-6 min.): expected to provide context and additional motivation.
- Flipcharts and markers.
- Hand-out reference cards.
- Lined cards for taking notes throughout the event.
Objectives and Outcomes
At the end of the workshop, the participants should be able to:
- Define the elements of Web 2.0 applications suitable for implementation and utilization in teaching practice.
- Outline the advantages of Web 2.0 applications in the teaching process as well as the most common barriers to their integration into the curriculum.
- Identify approaches to utilizing digital means of education into classroom activities, including its didactic aspects.
- Select topics that allow for application utilization and identify the benefits of their integration in connection to each specific case.
- List effective approaches to maintaining a high level of quality and consider implications for the applicability of received knowledge for a real-life setting.
- Explain the connection between the interactive means of teaching and the improvement of academic performance and convincingly tie this connection to applications in question.
Evaluation
To determine whether the objectives of the workshop were met, it would be necessary to evaluate the instruction in question. This should be done in two steps
Ongoing evaluation (conducted during the workshop)
- Formulate expectations and derive meaningful milestones.
- Observe the performance of the participants.
- Match the observations with the expected level of comprehension and proficiency.
Reliability
Such an evaluation method is inaccurate and is suitable for obtaining the approximate picture of the workshop’s success.
Final evaluation (administered after the event)
- Surveys and forms are created in accordance with formulated expectations.
- Questions cover the content presented at the workshop.
- A separate section can be dedicated to the benefits perceived by the participants.
- Administered immediately after the event as well as after a designated time (e.g., three months) to adjust for long-term effects.
Reliability
Such an evaluation method is accurate and produces quantifiable results, but requires greater resources and time allocation.
References
Entwistle, N. J. (2013). Styles of learning and teaching: An integrated outline of educational psychology for students, teachers and lecturers. New York, NY: Routledge.
Kapp, K. M., Latham, W. F., & Ford-Latham, H. (2016). Integrated learning for ERP success: A learning requirements planning approach. Boca Raton, FL: CRC press.
Keengwe, J. (Ed.). (2014). Models for improving and optimizing online and blended learning in higher education. Hershey, PA: IGI Global.
Melton, R. (2014). Objectives, competencies and learning outcomes: Developing instructional materials in open and distance learning. New York, NY: Routledge.
Reigeluth, C. M. (Ed.). (2013). Instructional design theories and models: An overview of their current status. Hillsdale, NJ: Routledge.