Jonassensisters Edid6505 Group Mini Project

EDID 6505: Systems Approach to Designing Instructional Materials
Assignment 2: Group Mini Project
by
Ruth John
Rhonda Grant
Sasha Goodridge
Kristle Gangadeen
A Paper Presented in Partial Fulfilment

Of the Requirements of
Trimester II, 2015
Email:
ruth.john2@my.open.uwi.edu
rhonda.grant@my.open.uwi.edu
sasha.goodridge3@my.open.uwi.edu
University:
eTutor:
Course Coordinator
kristle.gangadeen@my.open.uwi.edu
University of the West Indies Open Campus
Dr. LeRoy Hill
Dr. LeRoy Hill
Table of Contents
Executive Summary......................................................................3
Background.................................................................................. 4
Needs Assessment........................................................................ 5
Task Analysis................................................................................ 7
Procedural Analysis................................................................................................. 7
Hierarchical Analysis............................................................................................... 8
Objectives.................................................................................... 9
Terminal objective................................................................................................... 9
Enabling/ Performance Objectives............................................................................. 9
Rubrics......................................................................................10
Assessment................................................................................ 12
Learner and Contextual Analysis..................................................14
Instructional Strategies & Lessons...............................................15
Lesson 1: Business Email Basics........................................................................16
Lesson 2: Winning with Subject Lines................................................................16
Lesson 3: Amp up Your Signature......................................................................16
Review of the Process.................................................................20

References.................................................................................24
Appendices................................................................................26
Appendix A: Needs Assessment Plan.................................................................26
Appendix B: Task Selection Worksheet..............................................................29
Appendix C........................................................................................................ 31
Appendix D: Hierarchical Analysis 1..................................................................33
Appendix E: Hierarchical Analysis II...................................................................34
Appendix G: Evaluation Questionnaire.....................................................................37
Executive Summary
The administrators of Antigua & Barbudas Department of Labour engaged a
corporate communications training company to provide training for its staff on the topic
Email for Business. Based on the fact that the 41 members of staff to be trained are
all computer literate as well as cost-saving considerations, it was decided that the
course would be delivered entirely online via the Learning Management System,
Blackboard CourseSites. The overall objective of the course, entitled Email for
Business is for staff to be able to write effective emails. The course, which was
designed to take three hours to complete, comprises 3 lessons.
The first core lesson is Business Email Basics. Two smaller lessons zone in on
Winning with Subject Lines and Amping Up Your Signature. A multi-faceted
approach to instruction was used, based on the results of a learner and contextual
analysis, which indicated that the participants had various learning styles. Thus, a range
of instructional strategies were employed and delivered in accordance with Merrills First
Principles of Instruction. Some of the instructional strategies employed included
discussions, reflections, demonstrations, peer reviews, practice, graphic organisers and
analogies among others. Despite the fact that the course was delivered online, the
designers made an effort to design the course such that there were many opportunities
for interaction between students and for peer learning and feedback. Reflection and
integration were also carefully woven into each lesson. The three lessons each ended
with a business-relevant, scenario-based formative assessment in order for learners to
appreciate the context and value of the course. A final capstone assignment, using the
same scenario enabled students to fully apply all of their learning from the course and
assess whether they achieved the desired learning outcomes.
Background
For the past few years, the Labour Department in Antigua and Barbuda has been
the subject of much public scrutiny. A Caribarena.com article entitled Labour
Department gets Failing Grade, stated that three prominent Labour Specialists posited
that the Labour Departments operational procedures were poor. In response to this,
the Ministry of Information in conjunction with the Labour Departments administration
will effect changes to what prevails in electronic correspondence from the Department.
Although members of staff are computer literate and know how to use email
programmes, the quality of the staffs email correspondence does not meet acceptable
business standards and betray employees ignorance of business email etiquette. Many
employees for instance have added personal touches to their email signatures - one
employee even included a picture of herself in her signature!
Now that employees are all being given official email addresses and a new
enterprise server and software has been implemented, management has decided to
provide training for all staff on email etiquette. A corporate communication training
company has been hired to facilitate a course on Email for Business.
Due to the dispersion of staff across Antigua (39) and Barbuda (2), management
chose the option of having the course delivered fully online in order to save on
transportation and event hosting costs.
The Email for Business course will be facilitated through the learning
management system, Blackboard CourseSites found at www.coursesites.com.
Participants are required to dedicate a total of 3 hours over a 5 day period to complete
the course. The course is divided into 3 lessons; the core lesson, which is entitled
Business Email Basics and two special purpose lessons, Winning with Subject Lines
and Amp Up Your Signature.
Needs Assessment
A Needs Assessment was undertaken by the course designers to obtain the
information required to design effective lessons that would effectively equip participants
with the knowledge, skills and abilities to function optimally with emails in the corporate
environment.
The Selected Audience: There are thirty-nine (39) workers in the Ministry of Labour; in
addition, there are two (2) labour officers at the Barbuda Council. The descriptions are
outlined below:
Age Range: 23 years to 58 years
Job Titles: Labour Commissioner, Deputy Labour Commissioner, Senior

Communications and Labour Officer, Labour Support Officer, Senior Statistics
Officer, Prosecutions Officer, International Labour Organization [ILO] Desk
Officer, a Free Movement Officer, Conciliators, Secretaries, Labour Officers,
Inspectors, Clerks, Petty Officers, a Cashier and a Driver.
Skill Levels: Most workers are in possession of at least a secondary school

diploma. Approximately ten workers have at least a bachelors degree. One
employee has a Masters in Business Administration.
Background: The entire complement of staff is computer literate.
The Topic of Instruction: The Department of Labour in Antigua will facilitate an online
course on Email for Business for all members and levels of staff. It is the hope of the
Labour Commissioner to use this training period to improve the workers competencies
in sending and receiving electronic correspondence.
Optimals, Actuals, Feelings, Causes and Solutions

Optimals:
A workforce that is competent in using professional email procedures
Staff members who know the various components of an email and their proper
usage
Employees who are competent in writing effective emails
Actuals:
Some employees are currently unaware of proper email etiquette
Some employees do not know the components of an email and their purpose.
A percentage of the employees fail to write cogent emails.
The Labour Department has been accused of having poor operational

procedures by trade unionists.
Feelings:
Due to the complaints aired on the radio and print media, the administrators
desire that training be facilitated to bring meaningful change to the issue at hand.
Some staff members do not consider the training to be necessary since they are
already computer literate and accustomed to using email.
Causes:
A training session on effective email correspondence has never been facilitated

at the Labour Department.
There are no standard operating procedures to govern electronic

correspondence at the Labour Department
Some staff members seem apathetic to changing the current modus operandi
Solutions:
The facilitation of a systematic training session on Effective Email

Correspondence
Periodic follow ups to ensure compliance with the newly implemented

procedures.
For information on the sources of information as well as data collection methods on

the Optimals, Actuals, Causes, Feelings and Solutions, please see Appendix A.
Task Analysis
A task analysis was conducted to determine which areas were most critical for
training during the course. As a core topic, Email for Business comprises a number of
subtopics. Given the Labour Departments constrained resources, in order to decide
which topics would be most suitable for a three hour online programme, a task selection
analysis was prepared (See Appendix B). A number of topics for units were identified
including email etiquette, email writing and components of emails. The unit chosen for
delivery via the LMS was components of emails. This unit was chosen for the LMS
because it was believed to be the most appropriate unit as identified by the task
analysis. Components of Emails would be delivered via LMS and broken down into
three lessons: Basic Components of Emails (Business Email Basics), Email Signatures
(Amp up your Signature) and Subject lines (Winning with Subject Lines).
This decision was supported by the needs assessment, which indicated that the
labour department needs a workforce that is competent in using professional email
procedures as well as knowing the various components of an email and their proper
usage and who are competent in writing effective emails.
Procedural Analysis
The procedural analysis is used to analyze tasks by identifying the steps required
to complete them (Morrisson, Ross, & Kemp, 2004). The instructional designer was able
to use the procedural analysis to describe the steps in the process of developing the
topics in the different units. The course consisted of three units and each unit was
broken down into subjects that could be developed into lessons. For the instructional
designers, the procedural analysis assisted in helping to clarify what learners needed to
know about the topics in the units and the steps necessary to perform the tasks in the
different units (see appendix C).
Hierarchical Analysis
The hierarchical analysis was used by the instructional designers to determine
the prerequisite skills needed to facilitate the writing of an effective business email.
Appendix D illustrates the hierarchical analysis for the units chosen. The first
hierarchical analysis gives a macro level view of the units developed in the LMS. The
second hierarchical analysis, is entitled composing an effective email. The third
hierarchical analysis, entitled Components of an email was used as the basis for the
development of the course Email for Business in the LMS.
The hierarchical analysis mentioned previously breaks down the unit into tasks.
The simpler tasks are at the bottom, while the target task is at the top of the chart. At
the first level of analysis for the target objective of writing an effective business email,
there are prerequisite skills that learners need to know, these are defining terms such as
email, bcc and cc, salutation and subject line.
After outlining the simpler tasks, the degree of complexity of task increased, such
as using bcc and cc, or writing a subject line and a paragraph. Therefore the
hierarchical analysis displays a pattern of progressively complex, intellectual tasks until
the instructional objective is accomplished (Morrisson, Ross, & Kemp, 2004).
Objectives
Terminal objective
On completion of the course, participants would be able to write an effective business
email when required to communicate via email for business purposes.
Enabling/ Performance Objectives
On completion of lesson 1, participants would be able to:
Given an email, correctly identify 5 components without error.
Clearly explain the use of To: Cc: and Bcc: when addressing emails.
Given the nature of a provided email and the relationship between the sender
and the recipient, write an appropriate salutation without error.
Write an appropriate closing salutation without error, given the nature of the email
and the relationship between the sender and the recipient.
Given a topic or scenario, write the body of an email with a clear introduction,
body and close/call to action.
State the characteristics of a quality subject line.
Based on the contents of an email, write an appropriate subject line that has less
than eight words.
List the core components of a professional email signature.
Given a business card, develop an official company signature with all required
components.
Rubrics
Rubrics were developed from the enabling objectives associated with the
lessons, as seen in the 3 matrices below.
Rubric for Lesson 1
Criteria
Salutations
Body
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Appropriate
opening
salutation.
Acceptable
opening
salutation.
Unacceptable
opening
salutation.
Appropriate
complimentary
salutation.
Acceptable
complimentary
salutation.
Unacceptable
closing
salutation.
Body contains
introduction,
Body contains
introduction,
Body contains
introduction
No
salutations.
Body does
not contain a
middle (details)
and call to
action in
conclusion.
middle (Details)
and conclusion
but no clear call
to action.
and details but

no conclusion
or call to
action.
Correct use of To
but incorrect use
of Cc and Bcc.
Incorrect use
of To and CC
and BCC
(Student
confuses
addressees).
Mailing
list/Address
ee
Appropriate use
of To, Cc and
Bcc.
Email
Component
s
Clearly states all Missing one

components of
component of an
an email.
email.
clear
introduction
or correct
details.
No
addressee.
Missing 2
components of
an email.
Miss more
than 2
components
of an email.
Rubric for Lesson 2
Criteria
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Rules for
Subject
line
State 7 rules
State 6 rules
State 5 rules
State less than

5 rules
Length of
Subject
line
5 words.
6-7 words.
8 words.
More than 8
words.
Relevance
&
Effectivene
ss
Subject
line is
specific to
email
topic.
Spelling
and
Grammar
Subject
line
generates
interest to
open
email.
No errors of
spelling and
grammar.
Subject
line is
related to
email
topic.
Subject
line is
somewhat
interesting.
No more than
one error in
spelling and
grammar.
Subject line
generally
relates to
email topic.
Subject line
does not
generate
interest in
opening
email.
No more than 2
errors in
spelling and
grammar.
Subject line
does not
relate to
email topic
and is very
vague.
More than 2
spelling and
grammar errors.
Rubric for Lesson 3
Criteria
Excellent
Good
Fair
Poor
Components
of an email
signature
All essential
components of
email signature
provided.
Missing 1
component of
email
signature.
Missing 2
components
of email
signature.
Missing more
than 2
components of
email signature.
Spelling and
grammar
No errors in
spelling or
Maximum 1
error in
spelling and
2 errors in
spelling and
More than 2
errors in
spelling and
grammar.
grammar.
grammar.
grammar.
3
Good
2
Fair
1
Poor
Subject is
unclear
and/or
contains more
than 8 words.
No
salutations
Rubric: Capstone Assignment

Criteria
4
Excellent
Subject line
Subject is
clear and
contains 6
words or less.
Subject is clear
and contains 7
words
Subject is
relatively clear
and contains 8
words.
Body
Appropriate
opening and
complimentary
salutations.
Suitable
opening and
complimentary
salutations.
Opening or
complimentary
salutation
missing or
inappropriate.
Body contains
3 clear,
succinct
paragraphs.
Body contains
3 paragraphs
but
paragraphs
may be
longwinded.
Body contains
3 clear,
succinct
paragraphs:
An opening,
middle and
end.
End contains
call to action.
No call to
action in the
concluding
paragraph.
Signature
Signature
meets all
requirements.
Signature
missing
maximum one
requirement
Mailing
List/Address
ee
Email was
correctly
addressed to
all relevant
parties
Grammar
and
Punctuation
No errors
Email was sent

to all parties
necessary but
was
inappropriately
done (to: cc:
bcc)
No more than
2 error
No clear call to
action in
concluding
paragraph
Signature
missing
maximum 2
requirements
Body does
not contain 3
clear
paragraphs.
0
No
submissi
on
No subject
No
submissio
n
No call to
action in last
paragraph.
Signature
missing more
than 2
requirements
Missing
signature
Email was sent

to only one
relevant party.
Email was
sent to no
relevant
parties.
No
submissio
n
No more than
3 errors
More than 3
errors in
email
No
submissio
n
Assessment
The assessment was derived from the enabling objectives associated with each
lesson. The assessments were scenario-based and helped to determine whether
participants developed the prerequisite higher order thinking skills inclusive of both
declarative knowledge (knowledge, comprehension, application) and procedural
knowledge (evaluation, synthesis), as demonstrated below.
Scenario: HR Manager, Ms. Fayola Smith has just been verbally informed
.
by her Permanent Secretary that the Minister of Security & Labour is

hosting a function with the Labour Union on Monday 7th September, 2015
and requires event support, including press kits, media invitations, room
setup, refreshments, sound system and MC. Ms. Smith decides to write to
the Communications Manager, Ms. Sariah Shaw, providing details of the
The
event and what is required of her.
following questions test the achievement of objectives in Lesson 1: Introduction &
Components of an Email
1. Based on the scenario above, which person(s) should the email be sent to and/or
copied?
2. Give an example of an appropriate opening salutation Ms. Smith could use in her
email.
The following questions test the achievement of objectives in Lesson 2: Crafting an

Effective Subject Line
1. Advise Ms. Smith on what factors/rules she should consider when developing her
subject line.
2. Ms. Smith has been called to another meeting and has asked you to write a
suitable subject line. What would you write?
3. Ms. Smith has asked you to submit via email the period of time you desire for
vacation. Circle the most appropriate subject line for your email response to your
supervisor from the options below:
a) VACATION TIME THE MONTH OF AUGUST
b) Vacation dates requested
c) Vacation time the month of AUGUST#
d) Vacation dates.
The following question tests the achievement of objectives in Lesson 3: Amp up your
signature.
8. The picture below is Ms. Smiths business card. Use the information to write an
appropriate signature.
The following questions, based on the original scenario, formed the capstone
assignment:
1. Compose a complete email, including all components, for Ms. Smith based on
the scenario.
2. State to whom you would send the email and if you would carbon copy or blind
carbon copy any other named persons.
Learner and Contextual Analysis

A learner and contextual analysis was conducted to ensure that the instruction
developed was suitable to the learners and the environment that the lesson would be
delivered in for maximum impact.
Orienting Context:
The result of the learner and contextual analysis indicated that learners are
different ages (23-58), have different levels of work experience (entry level to decades),
learners have different learning styles, and different levels of motivation and attitudes to
the training. The instructional designers took these into consideration during the design
process.
Instructional Context:
Learners are computer literate although some are more techie than others. The
LMS used by the instructional design team has a simple, intuitive user interface with
clear instructions that each participant should be able to successfully navigate.
Transfer Context:
Since the Administrators and management team are championing the training, it
is hoped that they would lead by example and implement and monitor policies to ensure
compliance. Please see Appendix F for Learner and Contextual Analysis Worksheet
Instructional Strategies & Lessons
As noted earlier, the course will be delivered wholly online via the learning
management system, CourseSites by Blackboard. Participants would be issued an
email inviting them to join the course and complete the three lessons over a 5-day
period. Although the course would be available for five days, the combined 3 lessons
should not take longer than 3 total hours.
The three lessons were designed using Merrills First Principles of Instruction and
instructional activities were designed to address participants higher order thinking
inclusive of both declarative knowledge and procedural knowledge. Thus, the
instructional activities addressed knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis,
synthesis and evaluation levels of higher-order thinking.
The complete course may be accessed using the following credentials:
LMS: CourseSites by Blackboard

Website: www.coursesites.com
Students
were
the
Username: edid6505
Password: 12345678
oriented into
course with a
quiz on email etiquette. This quiz was intended to help students quantify their
competency levels on the topic. They were also asked to retake the quiz at the end of
the course so they could see how their competencies had improved following the
course.
Lesson 1: Business Email Basics

Activation: Participants were asked questions to link the topic to what they already
know.
Demonstration: Video, an interactive PowerPoint lesson and articles were used to
teach the topic. Additional resource articles for further edification were also provided.
Application: Individual practice activities and scenario-based formative assessment
Integration: Discussion with peers and peer feedback.
Lesson 2: Winning with Subject Lines

Activation: The video was used to gain attention. Participants were asked questions
about subject lines before the rules of the subject lines were given.
Demonstration: Video and PowerPoint lesson
Application: Individual completion of worksheet, discussion with peers, scenario-based
formative assessment
Integration: Discussion with peers providing critical feedback.
Lesson 3: Amp up Your Signature

Activation: Discussion to link previous knowledge on signatures to prepare participants
to learn how to create a business appropriate email signature.
Demonstration: PowerPoint presentation, video.
Application: Practical activity involving participants creating their own signatures and a
formative assignment and a scenario based formative assessment.
Integration: Discussion with peers providing critical feedback.
To conclude the course, there is a capstone assignment and a final reflective (integration) activity. The capstone
assignment is intended to integrate everything that the students learned in the three lessons and to assess participants
achievement of the terminal objective. Feedback would be provided within 24 hours of participant submission of his/her
response.
Participants would also be asked to write an email to a colleague, sharing what they learnt, whether and how it was
expected to be beneficial in their work environment and whether they would recommend the course to the colleague. The
table below elaborates on the instructional strategies and tactics used in the course.
Strategy
Location
Citation
Rationale for Use
Graphic
Organizer
Lesson 2: Activity 1
Darch,Carnine
and Kameenuii
(1986)
Helps students simplify information

and thereby help to guide learners
thinking
Olsen,Gross and
Schulten (2013)
Helps to develop a deeper

understanding of the concept subject
line since analogies are used to
explain complex ideas by likening
them to something familiar.
Lesson 3: PowerPoint Slide 3
Analogies
Formative
Assessment
Lesson 1: Assignment 1
Moore (2005)
Assists learning during the learning

process and enables students to
receive feedback that can improve
their performance. Also enables the
teacher to evaluate students progress
and increases student engagement.
Summative
Assessment
Final Assessment: Capstone

Assignment at end of 3 lessons
McMillan (2011)
Assists with evaluating student

learning at the end of the instructional
unit to determine whether learning
objectives and outcomes were
achieved.
Questions
Lesson 1: Thinking about it
Moore( 2005)
Used to activate students prior

knowledge and make connections.
.
Lesson 1: Discussion Forum
Lesson 2: PowerPoint Intro
Examples
East Carolina
Helps to clarify complex ideas, to

expose relationships and patterns
Feedback
Lesson 1: 10 Ways to say Thank You

in an Email
University (2014)
among even dissimilar concepts, and

to organize new information into
meaningful constructs.
Lesson 1: Discussion, after activity 1

and following formative assessment
Bellon, Bellon and

Blank (1991)
Feedback can improve a student's

confidence, self-awareness and
enthusiasm for learning.
Moore (2005)
Means by which to communicate

information in a short period of time.
Errington (2005)
Involves learners in realistic situations

that require the use of skills and
knowledge being learned, so it is
practical and useful.
Lesson 2: Discussion, after activity 1

and following formative assessment
Lesson 3: Discussion, and following
formative assessment
Following capstone assessment
Expository
teaching
Lesson 2: PowerPoint
Lesson 3: PowerPoint
Scenario
based
learning
Final Assessment: Capstone
Independent
Practice
Lesson 3: Discussion Board
(Huitt, Monetti
and Hummel,
p.85)
Independent practice allows students

more time to engage with newly
acquired information and skills.
Reflection
Reflective email to friend after the

three lessons and summative
assessment are completed.
Reigeluth &
Keller, 2009.
Helps the learner to derive deeper and

broader understanding of an
experience. Reflection may also
promote self-evaluation through an
analysis of individual change as a
result of the learning experience.
Deductive
sequencing
General lesson organisation. Students

are given an overview in lesson 1 and
then lessons 2 and 3 drill down to
specifics about 2 different email
components
Reigeluth &
Keller, 2009
By going from general to specific,

students get a broad understanding of
the topic first before drilling down or
expanding on the finer details.
Procedural
sequencing
Lesson 3: Power Point Slides 3 - 4
Reigeluth &
Keller, 2009
By breaking tasks down into simple,

sequential steps, it is easier for
learners to grasp.
Multimedia
Demonstratio
n
Discussion
Lesson:1, 2 & 3
videos
Umestu (2011)
Helps reinforce the concept being

taught.
Lesson 3: Video - How to create a

signature in Outlook
Moore (2015)
Enables concepts and processes to be

observed directly, which in turn makes
learning easier and it shows the
detailed steps in a creating a
signature line in outlook
Moore (2015)
Creates opportunities for learners to

practice and sharpen a number of
skills, including the ability to articulate
and defend positions, to share ideas,
to consider different points of view,
and enlist and evaluate evidence and
to share ideas..
Lesson 2: Discussion Form

Review of the Process

The approach used to formatively evaluate the lesson was a field test. A field test
normally entails using the material in the real setting, however, due to time constraints
we allowed the pilot users to go through the material within a two-day period ensuring
that they stuck to the time limit of the lesson. As the course was developed for persons
in the Labour Department of Antigua and Barbuda, it was only fitting to ask three
individuals from that department to participate in the course. This was facilitated by
Rhonda Grant.
After the field test the individuals were given a questionnaire to fill out, see
appendix G. The questionnaire was in a twopart format with the first part taking the
form of a Likert Scale. Participants were asked to express how much they agreed or
disagreed with 19 statements. The scale was rated in the following format: Strongly
agree = 5 points, Agree = 4 points, Neutral = 3 points, Disagree = 2 points and Strongly
disagree = 1 point. In this way a quantitative element was applied to the evaluation.
The statements were classified into three categories: learning material and
content, instructional design, and course technology and accessibility. A table was used
to record the data, and it was arranged in such a way that a total and percentage could
be calculated for each category of the evaluation as well as an overall total. A higher
score would indicate a good evaluation and a lower score a poor evaluation.
The second part of the questionnaire formed the qualitative aspect of the
evaluation where the participants were basically asked to give an overall rating on the
course, describe what worked or didnt work in the course and to offer any suggestions
of improvement. All three participants rated the course as good overall and this
impression was supported by analysis of the qualitative data as shown in the table
below.
Earned
Category
Learning material
and content
Instructional
design
Course
technology and
accessibility
Total
Possibl
e
30
30
Percent
%
Pilo
t
use
r1
27
Pilo
t
use
r2
26
Pilot user
3
27
Avg. %
(overall
per
category
)
25
Pilo
t
use
r1
90
Pilo
t
use
r2
87
Pilo
t
use
r3
83
87
21
22
90
70
73
78
25
24
21
71
69
60
67
79
71
68
83
75
72
77
Avg. %
(individua
l pilot
user)
87
79
76
35
95
The analysis of data further showed that the area needing the most improvement
was the course technology and accessibility. In fact, one question that scored
consistently on the low scale was question 15 which asked whether there were
opportunities for orientation to the learning management system (LMS). This definitely is
something to be considered when designing online courses. When participants actually
start doing the lessons it should not involve them having to figure out an LMS. This
factor was actually evident when one participant was not quite sure how to participate in
the discussion forum. It was acknowledged that some instruction was lacking, so this
was addressed for the final submission of the online course.
Another participant commented on the fact that sometimes they didnt know
when aspects of the lesson were actually links to activate. We took this into
consideration and decided to give the links a different colour from the rest of the content
on the learning page.
The data analysis also showed that the learning material and content, and the
instructional design categories scored relatively high points. The following comment
from a participant further illustrates these findings: What I like best about this course
was that it was easy to navigate, the content was easy to understand and it used
several different learning tools. It was also interactive.
Design Process
Our evolving design process was based on the Dick and Carey design model
which has ten stages (Tennyson & Dijkstra, 1997). The first three stages involve
identifying the instructional goals, conducting an instructional analysis and analyzing
learners and contexts. In carrying out a needs assessment and completing task analysis
(procedural, hierarchical, contextual), these three stages were accomplished.
Performance objectives were also written which is stage four of the model. Assessment
instruments, instructional strategies and instructional materials were then developed
which parallels stages 5, 6 and 7 of the model respectively. The next stages involved
designing and conducting formative and summative evaluations.
The evaluation process is one thing that would be improved giving the
opportunity to revise or start a new project. Although formative assessment was done, it
was only done towards the ending of the project and only one method, carrying out a
field test, was utilised. There are actually three other methods that should be used
before the actual field test, namely expert review, one- to one and small group
evaluations.
When conducting an expert review, the content of the lesson can be evaluated
for accuracy and completeness. This can be accomplished by a subject master expert
(SME). The content for this course was mainly based on our own research but it was
not verified with an SME to ensure that the concepts were covered effectively.
The one-to-one evaluation method involves the evaluator "walking" through the
material with a trial learner in hopes of identifying concepts such as clarity of instruction
and directions, completeness of instruction, simplicity or complexity of the lesson among
others.
The small group evaluation focuses mainly on the delivery of instruction. At this
stage areas that are effective as well as in need of improvement can be identified. At
this stage concepts such as time sufficiency, appropriateness and quality of
assessments, or any collaborative concerns could be assessed.
By doing a full formative evaluation using these four methods, most
inconsistencies could have been identified and rectified leading to a better quality
course design.
References
Bellon, J.J., Bellon, E.C., & Blank, M.A. (1991) Teaching from a Research Knowledge
Base: a Development and Renewal Process. Facsimile edition. Prentice Hall, New
Jersey, USA
Carniege Mellow University. (n.d.). Discussions. Retrieved
fromhttps://www.cmu.edu/teaching/designteach/design/instructionalstrategies/discu
ssions.html
Darch, C., Carnine, D., & Kameenuii, E. (1986). The role of graphic organizers and
social structure in content area instruction. Journal of Reading Behaviour. 28(4),
275-295.
East Carolina University ( 2014 ). Concept learning: examples and nonexamples,
compare and contrast:Procedural knowledge level. Retrieved
https://www.ecu.edu/cs-educ/TQP/upload/ISLES-S-Concept-ProceduralAug2014.pdf
Errington, E. (2005) Creating Learning Scenarios, Palmerston North, New Zealand:
Cool Books.
Huitt, W., Monetti, D., & Hummel, J. (2009). Designing direct instruction. In C. Reigeluth
and A. Carr-Chellman, Instructional-design theories and models: Volume III,
Building a common knowledge base. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Kovi, H. & Spiro, K. (2013).How to Engage Learners with Scenario-based Learning.

Retrieved from http://www.learningsolutionsmag.com/articles/1108/how-to-engagelearners-with-scenario-based-learning-.
McMillan, J. (2011). Classroom assessment: principles and practice for effective
standards-based instruction 5th edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc
Merrill, M.D. (2002). First Principles of Instruction. Educational Technology Research
and Development, 50(3), 43-59
Moore,K. (2005). Effective Instructional strategies: From theory to practice. California,
UA: Sage Publications.
Morrison, G.R., Ross, S.M., Kemp, J.E., & Kalman, H. (2010). Designing Effective
Instruction. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons
Olsen, J., Gross. S., & Schulten, K. (2013).Understanding and making analogies.
Retrieved from http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/04/skills-practiceunderstanding-and-making-analogies/?_r=0
Reigeluth, C.M. & Carr-Chellman, A.A. (2009). Instructional-Design Theories & Models
Volume III: Building a Common Knowledge Base. New York: Routledge
Reigeluth, C. & Keller, J. (2009). Understanding Instructional Theory. In C. Reigeluth
and A. Carr-Chellman, Instructional-design theories and models: Volume III,
Building a common knowledge base. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Tennyson, R. & Dijkstra, S. (1997). Instructional design: International perspectives.
Mahwah, N.J: L. Erlbaum Associates.
Umetsu, J. (2011). Using video as a teaching strategy. Retrieved from

http://etec.hawaii.edu/proceedings/masters/2011/etec_Umetsu.pdf
Appendices
Appendix A: Needs Assessment Plan
In gathering information for the below stated headings, the following persons
were consulted:
OPTIMALS: The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and the Labour
Commissioner
ACTUALS: The staff members of the Ministry of Labour in addition to the two Labour
Officers at the Barbuda Council.
CAUSES: The Trainers at the Government of Antigua and Barbudas Training Division
as well as the Senior Staff at the Ministry of Labour.
FEELINGS: The Staff members at the Ministry of Labour and the two Labour Officers at
the Barbuda Council.
SOLUTIONS: The Trainers at the Government of Antigua and Barbudas Training
Division as well as the Senior Staff at the Ministry of Labour.
The group considered it prudent to use two methods to garner information:

personal interviews and questionnaires. Both methods are elaborated upon
below:
Personal Interview
Information Sought: Optimals, Causes and Solutions

Group Size: One interviewer (most likely a senior staff member from the Ministry of
Labour) and one interviewee (from the Training Division). In the search for causes one
senior staff member from the Ministry of Labour will be interviewed.
Anonymity / Confidentiality: None
Development Cost/ Ease: Low - Transportation between Ministries for the Interviewer
Probable Response Rate: Very high Especially since we are not dealing with
confidential/ sensitive information
Risks: In this case, nil
Diversity of Opinions Sought: Since the information to be taught is objective, there need
not be too many interviewees.
Advantages: The Interviewer will gain relevant information on optimals, causes and the
solutions to outlined problems
Disadvantages: There may be interruptions during the interview.
Questionnaire
Information Sought: Actuals and Feelings

Group Size: All staff members at the Department of Labour (Antigua) and the two
Labour Officers at the Barbuda Council.
Anonymity/ Confidentiality: High
Administrative Cost/ Ease: Cost of paper and ink for the printing of questionnaires
Scoring/ Analysis Cost/ Ease: Low per staff member:
Risks: Low response staff members may be indifferent to the initiative
Results/ Product: Information may be summarized in table or chart form
Objectivity of Data: With the use of close ended questions, the information gained will
be objective.
Advantages: A good training and development tool; facilitates broad sampling
Disadvantages: In depth discussion may not be facilitated; low response rates and the
inaccurate interpretation of data.
Appendix B: Task Selection Worksheet
TASK SELECTION WORKSHEET FOR Writing effective emails.
Criteria for
Criticalit
Universalit
Frequenc
Standardizatio
Difficult
Task
Total Notes
Priorit
y
100
Selection
40 pts
10 pts
10 pts
10 pts
30 pts
pts
TASKS
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
Components of
25
10
10
10
15
70
This should be
Worksheet
an email page
familiar to all
staff. This is
the basic
foundation for
writing
effective
emails
Characteristics
35
10
10
10
25
90
This is the
of an email
foundation of
page
writing
effective
emails
Winning with
emails
40
10
10
10
25
95
This is major
support to
writing an
authentic
assessment.
Email etiquette
40
10
10
10
20
90
Appendix C
Procedural Analysis
The procedural analysis is divided into three different units. The unit topics
as follows:
Unit1:Emailetiquette
Unit2:Componentsofanemailmessage(BusinessEmailBasics)
Unit3:Winningwithemails
UNIT 1: EMAIL
ETIQUETTE
1.1.Definewhatetiquetteis
1.2Statetheimportanceofemailetiquette
1.3.Identifyatleast10componentsofemailetiquette
1.4Identifythedontsofemailcommunication
1.5Identifywhentouseemailsforbusinesscommunication/Identifysituationsinwhichemailcommunicationis
effective/identifywhentouseemailforbusinesscommunication.
UNIT 2: COMPONENTS
OF AN EMAIL MESSAGE
BCCandCC
2.1StatewhatisBCCandCC
2.2DifferentiatebetweenBCCandCC
2.3StatewhenyouuseBCCandCC

2.4CreateaBCCandCCline
Subjectline
2.5Definethetermsubjectline
2.6Locatethesubjectlineinanemail
2.7Identifytherulesofcreatingeffectivesubjectlines
2.8Writeanattentiongettingappropriatesubjectline
Salutation
2.9Describethecomponentsofagoodsalutation
2.10Identifythecomponentsofaprofessionalsalutation
2.11Writeasalutationfordifferentbusinesssituations
Body
2.12Identifythecomponentsofagoodemailbody
2.13Identifythepurposeofasubjectlineofaparagraph
2.14.Identifythecontentsofagoodparagraph
2.15Writeasubjectline
2.16Writeaneffectiveparagraphforanemail
Closing
2.17Identifythepurposeofaprofessionalclosing

2.18Statethewordsorphrasesthatareappropriateforaprofessionalemailending
2.19Identifyappropriateclosingsfordifferentbusinesscommunicationsviaemail
2.20Writeaprofessionalendingtoanemail
2.19Createasignatureline
2.20Insertasignaturelineinanemail
Unit 3: Winning with emails

Writing
Level3.1.Statetherulesofeffectivewriting
Level3.2Usepersuasivelanguageinanemail
Layout
Level3.3Choosingfontsize
Level3.4Designemaillayout
Level3.5Useofcolourinemails
Level 3.6 Creating images for emails
Appendix D: Hierarchical Analysis 1
Appendix E: Hierarchical Analysis II
Appendix F: Contextual Analysis Worksheet
Contextual Analysis Worksheet

-2
-1
+1
+2
Orienting Context
Learner Factors
Greatly impedes
Slightly impedes
Slightly facilitates
Greatly facilitates
Workers are computer literate
-2 -1 +1 +2
Employees are change resistant
-2 -1 +1 +2
Immediate Environment Factors

Stakeholders desire greater professionalism among the workers at
Labour Department
-2 -1 +1 +2
Organizational Factors
Bonuses are extended to workers in cases of job enrichment -2 -1 +1 +2
Training for the general staff is sporadic
-2 -1 +1 +2
Instructional Context
Learner Factors
Some workers perceive the training to be unnecessary
-2 -1 +1 +2

Training will occur wherever the learners have Internet access
-2 -1 +1 +2
Staff from the Ministry of Information will be uploading course
Material
-2 -1 +1 +2
Instructors have been trained to affirm desirable behaviours -2 -1 +1 +2

Facilitators are trained in the Learning Management System -2 -1 +1 +2
Instructors have been briefed on basic principles of
Instructional Technology
-2 -1 +1 +2
Transfer Context
Learner Factors
Lack of follow up procedures to ensure use of the new software-2 -1 +1 +2
Learners complain that the software has not been uploaded to
their computers at work
-2 -1 +1 +2
Learners posit that most staff will return from the training
period and not use their new found knowledge
-2 -1 +1 +2

Stakeholders are desirous of greater levels of professionalism
among the staff at the Labour Department
-2 -1 +1 +2
Minimal bonuses are given to staff upon job enrichment
-2 -1 +1 +2
Appendix G: Evaluation Questionnaire

COURSE EVALUATION FORM
Please take a few moments to complete the following Course Evaluation Form.
Circle the number to indicate your level of agreement/disagreement with each of the
aspects of course design, then answer the questions at the end of the table.
Strongl Agre Neutra Disagre Strongl
y agree
e
l
e
y
5
Disagre
4
3
2
e
1
LEARNING MATERIAL AND CONTENT
1
The learning objectives for each topic
5
4
3
2
1
were identified
2
All the objectives were addressed
5
4
3
2
1
3
There was enough content provided to
5
4
3
2
1
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
achieve the objectives

The material and content was
5
4
3
appropriate for my level
I will be able to apply the knowledge
5
4
3
learned
The course content met my needs
5
4
3
INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN
The time allocated for the lessons was
5
4
3
sufficient
The content covered the topic in the
5
4
3
best way
Enough examples were provided
5
4
3
A variety of instructional delivery
5
4
3
methods, accommodating multiple
learning styles were available
throughout the course.
The number of practice exercises were
5
4
3
adequate
The practice exercises were helpful
5
4
3
COURSE TECHNOLOGY AND ACCESSIBILITY
The user interface was engaging
5
4
3
The Learning management system
5
4
3
(LMS) was easy to navigate
Opportunities for LMS orientationwere
5
4
3
provided.
Instructions given were clear
5
4
3
The content was arranged in a clear,
5
4
3
logical and orderly manner
The video files loaded and played
5
4
3
properly
The text material was readable (size
5
4
3
and colour)
2
2
1
1
2
2
1
1
2
2
1
1
COURSE EVALUATION CONTINUED

20. What did you like best about this course?
21. What did you like least about this course?

22. Do you have any suggestions about how this course can be improved?
23. Any other comments?

24. How do you rate the course overall?
Excellent
Good
Average
Poor
Very poor
Table used to calculate a quantitative final score for this course.

Earned
Possib
le
Category
Learning
material and
content
Instructional
design
Course
technology and
accessibility
Total
Pilot
user
1
Pilot
user
2
Pilot
user 3
30
30
35
95
Avg. %
(individual pilot user)
Percent
%
Pilo
t
use
r1
Pilo
t
use
r2
Pilo
t
use
r3
Avg. %
(overal
l per
catego
ry)

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EDID 6505: Systems Approach to Designing Instructional Materials

Assignment 2: Group Mini Project

A Paper Presented in Partial Fulfilment

EDID 6505: Systems Approach to Designing Instructional Materials

Review of the Process.................................................................20

EDID 6505: Systems Approach to Designing Instructional Materials

EDID 6505: Systems Approach to Designing Instructional Materials

EDID 6505: Systems Approach to Designing Instructional Materials

Age Range: 23 years to 58 years

Job Titles: Labour Commissioner, Deputy Labour Commissioner, Senior

EDID 6505: Systems Approach to Designing Instructional Materials

Skill Levels: Most workers are in possession of at least a secondary school

Background: The entire complement of staff is computer literate.

Optimals, Actuals, Feelings, Causes and Solutions

A workforce that is competent in using professional email procedures

Employees who are competent in writing effective emails

Some employees are currently unaware of proper email etiquette

A percentage of the employees fail to write cogent emails.

EDID 6505: Systems Approach to Designing Instructional Materials

The Labour Department has been accused of having poor operational

A training session on effective email correspondence has never been facilitated

There are no standard operating procedures to govern electronic

The facilitation of a systematic training session on Effective Email

Periodic follow ups to ensure compliance with the newly implemented

For information on the sources of information as well as data collection methods on

EDID 6505: Systems Approach to Designing Instructional Materials

EDID 6505: Systems Approach to Designing Instructional Materials

EDID 6505: Systems Approach to Designing Instructional Materials

Given an email, correctly identify 5 components without error.

On completion of lesson 2, participants would be able to:

State the characteristics of a quality subject line.

EDID 6505: Systems Approach to Designing Instructional Materials

On completion of lesson 3, participants would be able to:

List the core components of a professional email signature.

EDID 6505: Systems Approach to Designing Instructional Materials

and details but

Clearly states all Missing one

Rubric for Lesson 2

State less than

EDID 6505: Systems Approach to Designing Instructional Materials

Rubric for Lesson 3

EDID 6505: Systems Approach to Designing Instructional Materials

Rubric: Capstone Assignment

Email was sent

Email was sent

EDID 6505: Systems Approach to Designing Instructional Materials

by her Permanent Secretary that the Minister of Security & Labour is

EDID 6505: Systems Approach to Designing Instructional Materials

The following questions test the achievement of objectives in Lesson 2: Crafting an

EDID 6505: Systems Approach to Designing Instructional Materials

Learner and Contextual Analysis

EDID 6505: Systems Approach to Designing Instructional Materials

Instructional Strategies & Lessons

EDID 6505: Systems Approach to Designing Instructional Materials

LMS: CourseSites by Blackboard

Lesson 1: Business Email Basics

Lesson 2: Winning with Subject Lines

EDID 6505: Systems Approach to Designing Instructional Materials

Integration: Discussion with peers providing critical feedback.

Lesson 3: Amp up Your Signature

EDID 6505: Systems Approach to Designing Instructional Materials

Rationale for Use