Content Description/Analysis

Content Description

• Outline (most common form)

• Narrative

• Flow Chart

Content Description Stages

• 1 - outline the major topics

• 2 - more details; not necessarily sequenced

• 3 - analyze stage 2; arrange material in accordance with learning hierarchy (Content Analysis or Task Analysis)

Content Analysis

• Concerned only with the order of instruction

• Most difficult aspect is specifying the learned capabilities

• What is the best order of material for your learners?

Content Analysis Methods

• Task analysis – Walks through steps of process (may be with

Subject-matter expert)

• Gagne’s prerequisite method– Facts to concepts to rules to problem solving

Content Analysis Methods

• Posner and Strike’s related content theories– Learning related sequencing– World-related sequencing– Concept-related sequencing

• Elaboration theory sequencing– Content expertise– Task expertise

Content Analysis Methods

• Task analysis– What does the learner do?

• Identify action in each step

• Actions may be physical or mental

– What does learner need to know to do this step?• Knowledge needed

• Location or orientation of any equipment or supplies used (Any cues to alert learner of a problem/remedy?)

Content Analysis Methods

• Posner and Strike– Scheme considers difficulty of material– Appeal or interest to learner– Prerequisite information needed– Learner’s cognitive development

Learning-Related Sequencing

• Identify prerequisites learner must master before new instruction (addition of whole numbers before fraction addition)

• Teach about the familiar before the unknown (use inches and feet before metrics)

Learning-Related Sequencing

• Difficulty– Determined by amount of fine motor

discrimination or cognitive processing (Simple income tax return before itemized)

• Interest– Let learner play around on the piano before

structured chord progressions

• Development theories (Bruner, Piaget, etc.)

World-Related Sequencing

• Sequence content by the natural order learner will experience– Power up computer– Log-in– Open web browser– Double click SIRS database– Click on advanced search tab

World-Related Sequencing

• Consistent with real world experiences– Spatial

• Left to right, top to bottom, north to south

– Temporal• Historical; first, second, third, etc.• Fast to slow

– Physical• Roundness, hardness, large to small, color,

smoothness

Concept-Related Sequencing

• Class relations– Computer

• General concepts first– Input, output, central processor

• Then more specific concepts– Mainframe, mini, PC

– Propositional relations• Show examples of metal expansion (bridges, cookie

sheets, etc.), then explain how heated metal expands

Concept-Related Sequencing

• Sophistication– Concrete or simple facts or concepts to more

abstract or complex• Independent and dependent variables are explained

before standard deviation

• Logical prerequisite– Concepts of mean, mode, and median before

analysis of variance

Elaboration Theory Sequencing

• Conceptual Sequence (Content Expertise)– Arranges concepts according to their

superordinate, coordinate, and subordinate realtionships

• Statistics– Superordinate – Measures of central tendency

– Coordinate – Mean, mode, and median

– Subordinate – Scores and sum

Elaboration Theory Sequencing

• Task Expertise Sequencing– Uses simplifying conditions method

• Research Database example– Basic keyword search

– Subject heading search

– Topic browse

– Advanced search (multiple search terms/before and after dates)

Concept-Related Sequencing

• Example:– Pest management in agriculture

• Definition of pests (class relations)

• Examples of different types of pests (class members)

• Simplest, concrete pests (weeds)

• Complex/abstract types (viruses, bacteria)

• Relationship between weather and developmental stages of insects

Content Analysis Exercise

• __ Screws provide a more secure joint than nails.

• __ Given a building assignment, the learner can determine when to use screws, nails, or bolts.

• __ Can identify screws, nails, and bolts, and tell the difference in each.

Content Analysis Exercise

• 2 Screws provide a more secure joint than nails.

• 3 Given a building assignment, the learner can determine when to use screws, nails, or bolts.

• 1 Can identify screws, nails, and bolts, and tell the difference in each.

• __Using only a physical features map of the U.S., write a description of the climates of Los Angeles and Phoenix.

• __ Define climate and weather.

• __ Given a list of major cities in the world, determine their climate by placing these cities under heading of “cold” or “warm.”

• __ Given a list of descriptions of climate and weather, classify the the descriptions by placing a “w” by examples of weather, and a “c” by an example of climate.

Preinstructional Strategies

• Pretests– Alert student to what is expected– Learner should have some experience with

material

• Behavioral objectives– Precisely inform student of expectations

Overviews

• Written at the same level of abstraction as the unit of instruction

• Serves to introduce learners to central theme

• Approaches:– Provide a summary of content– Pose a problem that unit will help solve– Describe how content may help learner

Advance Organizers

• Provides a conceptual framework to increase meaningfulness of the content

• Makes it easier for learner to grasp new content– Comparative organizer – compares new and

known content– Expository organizer – (unfamiliar)

incorporates known relevant information

Advance Organizer Guidelines

• State ideas in general terms

• Ideas should be inclusive of the content covered

• If learner unfamiliar with content, use an expository organizer

• If learner somewhat familiar with content, use comparative organizer

Pictures and graphics

• Illustrations are conductive to learning related text information

• Helpful to demonstrate spatial relationships– i.e. The position of the moon to the earth and

the sun

• Also beneficial to illustrate abstract material

Pictures and graphics

• Beware of decorations– Serve no concrete purpose to the topic

• Organizational graphics– i.e. instructional manuals

• Interpretation– i.e. scientific laws

Pictures and graphics

• Using them in instruction?– Should enhance learning– Appropriate pictures are available– What is the cost involved?

From Designing Effective Instruction 4th Ed., Morrison, Ross, & Kemp, 2004.