Program Description: Case Study in IDE 631

Zhiyun Zhang

Syracuse University

March 16, 2013

Submitted to:

Karen E. Kirkhart

Course Instructor

SWK-775 Program Evaluation

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Nature and operation

Type:

Case study in IDE 631 Instructional Design and Development I is an educational

program. IDE 631 is a core course for master and PhD students in the program of

instructional design, development and evaluation (IDD&E) in Syracuse University.

Case study is one of the learning activities in IDE 631. IDE 631 provides an in-depth

review of the instructional systems design process (IDE 631 Syllabus, 2013). Other

activities include lecture, reading, in-class activities, and assignments (course project,

self- reflection and instructional design model). IDE 631 is the first of two courses

that comprise the design and development sequence in the IDD&E graduate core

curriculum; the second is IDE 632 Instructional Design and Development II, which

focuses on the development (or building of instruction) side of instructional systems

design. These courses do not need to be taken in any specific order, however is it

recommended to take this course with IDE 621 (IDE 631 Syllabus, 2013).

Mission:

Case study is aimed to provide a simulated learning environment for students to act as

instructional designers to solve instructional design (ID) problems. Making students

learn how to apply theories to the real ID activities, and strengthening students’

consciousness of the role of design in the process of dealing with instructional

problems.

The goal of IDE 631 is to review the major aspects of instructional systems design in

the context of typical instructional design problems and situations, integrating theory

with practice (IDE 631 Syllabus, 2013).

Size:

Case study is provided by the instructor of IDE 631, Tiffany A. Koszalka, Ph.D.

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The consumer population is composed of 13 students. Most of them are masters, only

one PHD student. Most of them are in the IDD&E program. One of them is in the

instructional technology program. One of them doesn’t have a major. There are three

student athletes and three teachers. The population is quite diverse. Students are from

North America, Asia, and Africa (Koszalka, T. A., personal communication,

September 20, 2013).

Most of the students are new comers of ID. Most of them are also enrolled in IDE 621

Principles of instruction and learning.

Basically, this is the intended consumer population. Only one thing is different.

Generally, this course expects there are 30% students who come from K-12, 30% high

education, and 30% business. This semester, the percentage of business background is

much lower (Koszalka, T. A., personal communication, September 20, 2013).

Case study in IDE 631 has two case scenarios from different backgrounds. It helps to

meet the diversity of consumer population.

Program components and functions

Case study in IDE 631 provides case scenarios to analyze potential problems.

Students’ responsibility is to collect information from multiple sources and use

knowledge of instructional design and past experience to identify the problems in the

course and propose solutions to fix them (IDE 631 course website, 2013).

Case study includes two components. One is online component, which consists of

tutorial, worksheet and survey. Online component provides students the flexibility to

their self-study. Another one is face-to-face component, which consists of instruction

and discussion. Such format provides the opportunity for both students and the

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instructor to communicate with each other.

Tutorial: The first part of the online component is tutorial. It provides all the

information needed for the students to learn the case and solve the ID problem.

Worksheet: The second is worksheet with some focus questions, which helps

students’ critical thinking.

Survey: The third part is survey, which gives students an opportunity to reflect their

achievements and evaluate case study.

Instruction: Before the online component is started, there is an instruction explains the

requirements and objectives of case study.

Discussion: After the online component is finished, there is a half hour in-class

discussion in the next course session. Students share their experiences and reflections

with others and exchange ideas with the instructor.

Delivery system

Case study is one of the learning activities in the third session of IDE 631 course.

The online component is delivered by the course website in the Blackboard learning

management system. Student log into Blackboard with their SU Net ID and work on

the online component of case study in the order of tutorial, worksheet and survey.

Each of the tutorial should take about 45 minutes. The links of tutorials is listed

below:

http://mcbicenter.syr.edu/case1/case1.htm

http://mcbicenter.syr.edu/case2/story.html

The face-to-face component of the case study is delivered in classroom by the

instructor. Instruction is integrated in the lecture and the discussion is one of the in-

class activities.

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Support system

The resources that enable the delivery of case study in IDE 631 include both material

and non-material supports.

Material resources involves Blackboard learning management system, computers and

the Internet, classroom space, faculty salaries. Non-material supports involves the

oversight, administrative support and technical service from the department of

IDD&E as well as School of education.

All these resources support the operation of case study in IDE 631, ensure students

experiences of the program.

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Program Theory

Diagram

Figure 1 Logic Model of Case Study in IDE 631

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ID is the abbreviation for instructional design.

Narrative

Figure 1 portrays the logic model of case study in IDE 631. It shows the connections

between the activities and the outcomes in the case study and the logic underlying the

program.

The diagram can be read from top to bottom. At the top, there are two components of

the case study. One is online component, which consists of three activities - tutorial,

worksheet and survey. All of them provide students the flexibility to their self-study.

Another component is face-to-face component, which consists of two activities -

instruction and discussion. Both provide the opportunity for students and the

instructor to communicate with each other in class.

Under the components and activities, there are three levels of outcomes, which shows

what the program is trying to accomplish from immediate outcomes to intermediate

outcomes, to long-term outcomes.

On the left side, there are two immediate outcomes of tutorial. One is students receive

information about the ID case and another is students reflect on the ID problem. Both

lead to an intermediate outcome that students gain a general idea about design’s role

in ID, which helps the long-term outcome that students gain strengthened

understanding of design and its role in instructional systems design process, and

readiness to proceed with the rest of IDE 631.

The immediate outcome of worksheet is that students gain strengthened thoughts on

the ID problem. This helps students practice knowledge and skills of ID problem

solving, which can help students gain a general idea about design’s role in ID and

interest in ID. Also, it helps to increase students’ confidence in ID problem solving.

And such confidence also plays an important role in the long-term outcome.

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The immediate outcome of survey is that students reflect on the achievement in ID

knowledge and skills, which leads to the increase of confidence in ID problem solving

and interest in ID. Both helps the achievement of long-term outcomes.

On the right side, the instruction helps students confirm requirements and objectives

of the case study, which brings about the increase of interest in the case study and

thus the interest in ID. The discussion leads to students learn different views from the

instructor and others about the case study and ID problem solving, which helps

students understand ID from multi-angle and thus have comprehensive thoughts on

ID. Both of the intermediate outcomes of instruction and discuss helps the long-term

outcomes.

In the center of the diagram, there is an immediate outcome that the instructor get

feedback from students. It is from three different activities, worksheet, survey and

discussion. It also helps the immediate outcomes of discussion that students learn

different views from the instructor and others about the case study and ID problem

solving.

This diagram of logic model of case study in IDE 631 uses lines and arrows to show

the relationships and presumed connections of the elements in the case study. It also

employs different colors and shapes for each level to make the logic clear and easy to

read.

Critical Reflection

What is communicated in the display?

I think the display of the logic model is basically from my own perspectives.

Although I have communicated with the instructor and several students of IDE 631, I

still hold the view that the logic model is represented as what I think it is. Because I

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make the logic model with my experience and background culture, which

undoubtedly have impact on my thoughts. Besides, it is kind of special that I was a

student of IDE 631 last year and now I am the evaluator of one of the activities in the

course. I tried to be objective and only rely on the information I collected from other

sources, but can I do this without the influence of my experience?

One of the assumptions underlie this portrayal is that when student finish the activities

in the two components, they can gain the outcomes form immediate level to

intermediate level to long-term level.

What aspects of your program’s logic are not represented in the display?

One aspect of my program’s logic which is not represented in the display is that the

levels inside each activities. It seems that the activities in my model is quite simple.

But in fact, there are different parts and levels in them. If I have portrayed them with

more details, the balance of the activities and outcomes would be better and the reader

would understand the logic of case study clearer.

Reflect on the modeling process itself

I got inspirations from both my instructor and classmate during the modeling process.

I really appreciate this. For example, my instructor mentioned that there might be

problem-solving in the outcomes, which made me think that the role of design can be

ID problem-solving. Another example, one of my classmate suggested that I consider

the intermediate levels of outcomes from the instructor’s view and how the

instructor’s achievement can help the long-term students’ outcomes. Other’s points

may not be taken into my model, but all give me the opportunity to think about my

model from different angle.

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The modeling process itself brought me a deeper understanding of the program and it

brought some revisions in the program description as well. For example, how to

define the delivery and support system.

I have learned a lot from this modeling process and gain a better understanding of the

program.

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References

Kaplan, S. A., & Garrett, K. E. (2005). The use of logic models by community-based

initiatives. Evaluation and Program Planning, 28(2), 167-172.

Posavac, E. (2011). Program evaluation: Methods and case studies (8th ed.). Upper

Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

IDE 631 course website, 2013. https://blackboard.syr.edu

IDE 631 Syllabus, 2013

Case study 1 - Undergraduate educational technology scenario http://mcbicenter.syr.edu/case1/case1.htmCase study 2 - Medical education scenario http://mcbicenter.syr.edu/case2/story.html

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