R/D6

Reading Chapter 14 covering the development and evolution of human performance involvement, there were a few parts that stood out to me as applicable to K-12 education:

p.135 “Worthy performance (P_w)” is defined by T.F. Gilbert as “the ratio of valued accomplishment (A_v) to costly behavior (B_c).”

In my school district, we use Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) testing created by the Northwest Evaluation Association and used nationwide. To apply Gilbert’s definition of performance to the evaluation of this product, I would have to answer question of whether or not the accuracy and usefulness of the assessment validate the cost in instructional time and monetary resources. Based on what I saw in comparing a sample of state test scores to the MAP scores from last year, I would say no. One question that needs to be answered then is “what systematic factors created a gap between desired performance and actual performance?” First of all, the concept of using adaptive computerized testing to accurately predict test scores and prescribe instructional interventions to improve test scores is not problematic; in fact, I believe it is a great idea. Part of the problem was that not all of the questions and not all of the interventions fell in line with the curriculum. As a result, for the upcoming year, the district plans to evaluate which prescribed interventions fall in line with the state curriculum and which ones should be ignored. It will also evaluate whether or not teachers are effectively using the data to design individualized instruction. So rather than redesigning the software, which the district couldn’t do anyways, they are looking at how to improve the process of implementation.

p.136 “The demonstrated ineffectiveness of single-solution, miracle interventions to improve performance has bred mistrust for the next ‘flavor of the month’”

This quote really stood out to me. Every year our district has a new instructional strategy that they try to push: Fish Philosophy, Larry Bell’s 12 Power Words, Thinking Maps, etc. They are exalted as the strategy that has lead to 100% success on state exams. However, they never seem to catch on long-term. Just like instructional media discussed in chapter three, while initial enthusiasm is high, interest eventually dies out and evaluations determine that it had no significant impact. Over time, many teachers tend to roll their eyes when informed about the next districtwide training event that has been planned. I believe that the failure of these training events is not so much due to a failure of the instructional strategy itself or due to an unwillingness of teachers to implement the strategy, but instead caused by the district’s failure to provide continuing reinforcement of these ideas. In other words, the lack of site visits by district staff to observe and support teachers is often the root cause of this failure. I believe that this is where the idea of human performance improvement is applied.

p. 139 “It now became evident that lifelong, continuous learning was a workplace necessity for both worker and organizational survival”

That idea is prevalent today in the education field. To maintain certification in Mississippi, teachers must complete 10 CEUs, outside of work hours, every five years. We also have seven days devoted to professional development activities in our contract.

p. 139 “When the instructional systems designers verified whether learning transferred to the job…they were frequently dismayed”

Relating this K-12 education, businesses and industries often claim that public education system needs to be redesigned because it fails to prepare them for the workplace. Rather than focus solely on the objectives outlined in the state curriculum framework, skills such as teamwork, critical thinking, technical writing, and analysis need to be integrated into the curriculum so that students possess the skills truly needed to be successful in their occupations.

p.141 “...many human performance problems could be solved via means other than training”

Results of state tests are used to indicate “human performance” problems in K-12 education and at schools across the district, test scores were low in the area of language arts. Rather than focusing exclusively on increasing the amount of school time devoted to language arts with solutions like after-school programs, administrators should also consider implementing non-instructional interventions. Some examples of non-instructional interventions would be providing students with incentives for mastering the concepts (e.g. a trip to the movies for those who scored proficient or advanced), improving the process of collecting and utilizing assessment data during the school year, and working with parents to help them provide a home environment that is more conducive to learning.

Podcasting

On the technology applications side of this week's coursework, I learned more about podcasting. I originally thought that a podcast was a type of media that was exclusive to Apple’s iPod. However, the Community, Journalism & Communication Research group at the University of Texas at Austin defines a podcast as “a digital audio or video file that is episodic; downloadable; program-driven, mainly with a host and/or theme; and convenient, usually via an automated feed with computer software.”

From what I’ve seen so far, I personally do not see podcasting as a breakthrough instructional medium, especially at the K-12 level. I do not see a substantial amount of advantages over other media such as streaming video and DVDs. The main advantage I can see is that it functions like an RSS feed. You can subscribe to multiple podcasts and have the media files automatically downloaded and aggregated in an application such as iTunes. However, from my experience, those often end up piling up and taking up space on my hard drive. I usually don’t have time to listen to them and simply end up deleting them. For me it’s just as easy to download media files as needed. It also may make the process of posting them on the Internet, through sites like PodoMatic and iTunes, easier; but again I do not see it as being computer imaginative. However, that’s just my opinion. Do you see any advantages unique to podcasting that have not been mentioned? Do you see it making a significant impact in education or do you think the enthusiasm about podcasting will fade away?