Chapter 29 Content and Context

Content is the most important part of a potential resource. Without content you simply have a delivery method. It is important to recognize that content can be delivered in multiple ways. Each instructor and instructional designer has a role in providing input, making revisions, and designing a course of instruction for the content that would maximize the learning for the student.

Context is important to keep in mind when considering a resource. A learner's contextual understanding will influence how they receive the content so we must consider the following:

1) language, images, and scenarios should be examined to see if cultural references or understandings are understood or should be removed

2) references to external resources should be examined

3) provide links to resources and text

4) translation is an important to consider

Chapter 29: Interoperability

Interoperability is ability for software to share and understand data. Another description is cross-platform compatibility, the ability for a resource to be used on different operating systems, with different browsers and different software configurations. An example of this is a web based gradebook. As long as you have access to the web, it does not matter what type of computer or what operating system it is running, the web based gradebook will work. This is important because the more flexible a resource is, the more likely it will be used.

Chapter 29: Rights and Permission

Resources fall under several categories of protection from misuse and infringement. Intellectual property rights include patents, trade or service marks, and copyright. The biggest concern when determining if a resource can be reused is copyright. Obtaining permission to use a resource from an item under copyright is often the most difficult part of obtaining permission to use a resource. Using or obtaining a license for work is a way that many people are using as a way to allow a work to be reusable or to gain permission to reuse a resource. By doing this, a resource becomes available and more likely to be used over and over again.

Chapter 29: What is Metadata?

When I was reading Chapter 29 I saw the term Metadata (then I asked myself what the hell is metadata?) I remembered the term metacognition (thinking about thinking) so I mis-interpreted the term as thinking about data. Actually it is information about a resource, like looking up a brief encyclopedia about a topic and getting a brief synopsis in return.

Basic descriptive metadata: title, author, description, identifier, subject, keywords, basically what you would find in a online catalog.

Contextual Metadata: information about learning, objectives, intended audience, level of difficulty, and other instructionally oriented information.

Rights metadata: copyright information, terms of use, and cotact information for obtaining permission.

Technical metadata: format, platform requirements, software requirements, and structural information.

Simply put the more an instructional designer acquires metadata the easier it is to determine if the resource can be used for a specific application.

Chapter 29: Reusability Requirements

If I am walking through the magical land of Resource Happy Town and I stumble across a used bookstore filled with magical, exciting resources, what do I do?

A) Ask can I find it?
B) May I use it?
C) Will it work?
D) Can I use it in a way that works for me?
E) All of the Above
F) Wonder why I am in Resource Happy Town?

If you answered E, then you are asking the key questions in reusability requirements. These are inherent questions that educators ask when encountering a resource. If you are able to give affirmative answers to the questions, then you have encountered a reusable resource.

Chapter 29 What is reusability?

Simply put, according to the text, "reusability is defined as the ability to use the same resource multiple times in multiple ways and in multiple contexts" (Page 302). Reuse happens in a variety of situations and contexts:

1) when content is being designed and developed
2) when content is being used by instructors and learners
3) making changes to a source
4) using an existing resource "as is"


Why is reuse important?

1) SAVES TIME AND MONEY!!!!! (This is a huge deal, especially in a public school setting)
2) rather than reinventing the wheel, existing resources can be adapted to accomodate new sets of learners
3) learners benefit by having more learning resources available


In a public school setting this is a necessity for day to day survival for a new teacher, and a time-saver and a way to collaborate with other groups of teachers for an experienced teacher.

Chapter 29 Reusability and Reusable Design

Considering that my local trash hauler was able to reduce landfill deposits by 50% over the next 5 years by recycling all green and gray waste and I was able to use only 700 gallons of water in an entire month in my desert house in Arizona, I bring to everyone my thoughts on reusability and reusable design!!!

Chapter 21: Trends and Issues in P-12 Educational Change

Hello All.........here are my thoughts on a topic near and dear to my heart. Change in the K-12 Educational setting. Enjoy!

In the Preschool through 12th grade setting there has been periodic pressure for change in the system. Each time there is a push for change it is because of a perceived shortcoming in our public education system to meet te educational needs and realities of our society.

1) Sputnik in the 1950s through the 1960s
2) Nation at Risk Report, 1983
3) No Child Left Behind Act, 2001

There has been an increase in political and social pressure to improve our public school system.


Types of Change in Education:

There are two types of change: piecemeal, changing or adjusting one or two parts of a system, and systemic change, which redesigns or transforms the entire system.

I have currently been a part of the latter for the past seven years, as I have witnessed a systemic change in my school district (Los Angeles Unified). We have moved from a "teach whatever you want" district to a focused, standards-based instructional method. This change has taken time but students are showing clear improvement from the primary centers to the high school level.

There are several types of systemic change:

1) Statewide policy systemic change: policy makers typically think of this as systemic change.
2) Districtwide systemic change: how my district has changed over the past few years.
3) Schoolwide systemic change: the creation of Small Learning Communities, or reconstituting Professional Development time or foci.
4) Ecological systemic change: how one change affects the communities around it (interrelationships and interdependencies).

Product vs. Process Approaches to Change

The product of the change process is the redesigned or transformed educational system. The process is how a school, district, or system is transformed.

The Guidance System for Transforming Education (GSTE)

It was designed to provide guidelines to a facilitator engaging in a districtwide systemic change effort.

THE GSTE is made up of the following:

1)A set of core values about the change process.
2) A chronological series of activities for engaging in systemic change.
3) Activities that must be addressed continuously through much of the change process.

The events in the GSTE are listed below:

1) Initiate Systemic Change Effort: assess readiness for change.
2) Develop Starter Team: hold a retreat to develop team dynamic, assess community and district capacity for change, develop an agreement between team and district.
3) Develop District- Wide Framework and Capacity for Change: starter team expands into leadership team, indentifies current and recent change efforts, identifying changes in the community's educational needs, develop a mission, vision, and core values for an ideal school system.
4) Create Ideal Designs for a New Educational System: create building level desins, monitors the design team, creates a design for ideal district administrative and governance systems.

There is a lot to this design process, one that my district has been stuck in for many years. It is a very top down approach that focuses on district change, but does not take into account disparate communities and local schools willing or unwilling to adopt this change.

Step up to Excellence (SUTE)

Is a process designed to help change leaders in districts create and sustain whole district improvement. It is powered by the efforts of several teams, informal learning networks, and a special leadership role.

Strategic Leadership Team (SLT):
Provides leadership for the district and implements the SUTE.

Cluster Improvement Teams:
Clusters of feeder schools and supporting workers are units of change.

Site Improvement Teams:
Focuses on improvement within a department or school site. A common step when a school enters PI status in NCLB.

Organization Learning Networks:
Study groups, lesson study (formal and informal), critical friends groups.

On-Track Seminars:
Responsible for providing training and knowledge to share knowledge throughout the school system.

These are the main roles with a SUTE team. Overall, both approaches follow a planned design to intiate change within a school site or district. In order to be successful all stakeholders must buy into the process to achieve the desired results.

Chapter 14 Human Performance Technology

Application #1) Examine the three major sections of the HPT model presented in figure 14.2 and answer the following questions:
A) What seems to be the major purpose of the performance analysis phase of the process?
The first phase seems to be a chance to examine what the goals are within an organization and the possible performance expectations, and see what is limiting that potential. It allows the employer or employee to examine what needs to be addressed or modified to raise the employee to meet the desired level of performance.

B) Why is the cause analysis phase of this model crucial?

The cause analysis section is important because this is where the employer or employee identifies what is limiting the worker from meeting the level of performance. For example, an employee may be struggling because their is little skills when operating a new piece of hardware. The cause analysis section will allow an employer to identify what is lacking to correct the problem and improve performance.


#2) In the case of the employee several aspects of the employee's training, support, and motivation are missing.
Problem #1- The office manager never told me exactly what I was expected to do in this job, never gives me any help or tells whether I'm doing good work.
Cause Analysis- Lack of incentives or rewards, lack of feedback, lack of environmental support and resources.
Possible Solution- Have a clear appraisal system of work performance, adequate compensation and coaching related to work responsibilities, and leadership rewards for assignments well done.

Problem #2- She also has me answering phones that I think should be answered by our office receptionist.
Cause Analysis- Lack of clear environmental support.
Possible Solution- Have clear organizational design, so each employee understands their responsibilities.

I merely took a sample of the problems from question #2. On a whole, performance technology strikes me as applying instructional design to workplace management. Many companies use variations of this format, Raytheon and many aerospace use the Six Sigma concept that uses this analysis model to ensure quality client and employee satisfaction and performance. I would love to see this concept applied to the public school setting, however many management officials in districts are trained in curriculum, rather than in workplace management. I see the benefit of using this model in the workplace, and the concept and formal terminology is new to me.

Chapter 12 "Building Productive Teams"

This is the true challenge in a K-12 school setting. How is it one school can be collaborative, productive, and goal oriented, while a school down the road be the opposite? A productive team will lead to the former, while a dysfunctional setting will promote discord and a lack of harmony on projects and instruction.

The text outlines key factors in team development:

"Commitment"-committed to group goals above and beyond personal goals
"Trust"-faith in each other, behaving in a consistent and predictable fashion
"Purpose"-understanding how they fit into the organization
"Communication"-style and extent of interactions with team and others
"Involvement"-sense of partnership with each other
"Process Orientation"-clearly established processes for getting things done

(Trends and Issues in Instructional Design, pp 119)

Consistent monitoring and motivation, along with timely communication and support will lead to a successful project outcome.

Members of the Project Design Team

Creative Team Members:

"One of the most interesting challenges for an instructional project manager is working with creative people." (Trends and Issues in Instructional Design, pp 116). The text goes on to list phrases like: weird, disruptive, disorganized, and eccentric. Tempering the need to produce the project and allow creative members to think freely is a difficult balance. I have never been in a situation where I had to balance team members at such extremes, but I feel that creative members bring energy and excitement to a project and are necessary for a truly successful one.

Instructional Designers:
All teachers take on this role during the school day, week, month, and year. Working together with team members that all fill this role (and subject matter experts) can be challenging, because we all feel our position or idea is the correct one. It is hard to let go and not be a "doer" (Trends and Issues in Instructional Design, pp 117) and allow other views and approaches take hold. Stepping back and taking on the role of manager first and designer second will allow other ideas to be considered for the project.

Subject Matter Experts:

As a subject matter expert, designer, and manager all in one, it can be hard to simply look at the subject, when one is supposed to manage as well. Many of our teachers struggle with this concept, that all of us have multiple roles and it is critical to recognize when to wear each "hat".

Communication/Team Communication

The quotation that stood out the most was "...do not assume people know what you are thinking. Make it crystal clear--regardless of how many people you are communicating with." (Trends and Issues in Instructional Design, pp 115). One of the most difficult aspects of effective management is not losing a message in translation. I have been in situations where I felt my point or message was clear and understood, only to hear later it was the opposite. It is critical to communicate effectively in order to facilitate productivity with members of a design project.

Most communication will be to assess progress and identify needs within the project. Effective timely communication will lead to a successful project.

Management and Leadership

I feel this component of effective project management is the most important. If I was unable to manage a project or lead teachers throughout the school year we would not be able to accomplish anything.

According to Hersey (2001) (Trends and Issues in Instructional Design, pp 114) leadership involves cognitive, behavioral, and process skills. Being able to assess situations, communicate goals, and match actions with needed skills while listening to suggestions and concerns are trademarks of an effective leader.

A different leadersip model is called Situational Leadership. It is based on three factors:

1) the amount of guidance and direction a leader gives
2) the amount of socio-emotional support a leader provides
3) the readiness level followers exhibit in performing a specific task, function, or objective.

This model moves through different phases as members of the project team move to different levels of completion. The phases move from a directive, detailed leader to more of a monitor by the end of the final phase.

In my current role, I feel my team members are currently in the second phase (gain confidence but still learning). I spend less time with more supervisory duties and am moving toward the role of a supporter of my collegial projects. I meet with teachers, explain processes within our curriculum, and answer their questions as they move through the learning curve of a new teacher.

Chapter 12: Instructional Project Management

As a current Language Arts Department Chairperson, effective project management is critical to our success in teaching our students. I need to serve as a resource, guide, and leader to our ELA teachers (many are new to teaching) in order to forge a successful and productive department. This is why I chose Chapter 12 to comment on.


In Instructional Design, project management is a critical component. Each time a lesson or project is undertaken, the project must be guided through the planning, implementation, and evaluation stages. Critical components of sucessful project management are leadership skills, learning to communicate with your team, and developing effective teams (Trends and Issues in Instructional Design, pp 113).

Hello Outside World

Hello Outside World. I'm online. I've been online for years, but now I'm posting my thoughts online. This is very different than simply posting content or information about homework for students to read. A little bit about myself. I'm Gabe Medina, a teacher, a gadget person, and now a blogger. Welcome to my little world.