week three context

Tessmer and Richey (as cited in Morrison et al., 2013) describe three types of contexts that require analyzing when designing instruction, the orienting context, the instructional context, and the transfer context.

In your learning journal, using their work which is the basis of Morrison et al.'s pp. 61-70 and Morrison et al.'s Chapters 1 and 2 as a guide:

• Identify the context for your curriculum design process.
• Based on last week's session, identify what model is best suited to your content and context.
• Create a visual design representation of a model for discussion and your application to individual curriculum. Include circles as needed to accommodate the context and the intent of the curriculum.

Post your "visual design representation" in the Session 3: Design Model discussion folder. Read and comment upon the postings made by your co-learners.

Orienting context: Knowledge, skills and attitudes the learner brings to the instruction. Knowing the learner provides the designer the opportunity to produce instructional materials that are relevant to the audience. Using the assessment survey as a tool to aid in determining the context from which the learners are situated in. Teaching educators may have special considerations for establishing credibility.

Instructional context: what types of environmental factors will enhance the instruction? The room should be interactive, have media and wifi capabilities and perhaps computers. The usual computer labs would not work well as they are traditional spaces with everyone facing front. The best spaces would be a learning studio type of room where furniture can be moved and group work would be facilitated.

Transfer context: providing an environment where the learning can be applied in a diverse number of situations. Creating scenarios that will be relevant to the learners and then using their new knowledge will help the learner to find immediate value in the learning.

Designing instruction with all three contexts in mind will provide the best result. My focus is on the orienting context and the transfer of relevant knowledge. If the information is not seen as "useful" then the learners will not readily engage.

cc Carolyn Vandersluis 2014