Perspectives
Julie
- everyone has high expectations for her and the project that is getting underway
- no one seems to have a very good understanding of what instructional design entails
- Frustrated because:
- lack of direction - no teamwor
- Technology vs. audience focus
- Needs consensus.
- Needs to take a solid leadership role
Sam
- Passive participant, seems content to allow Julie to do her thing as long as she runs it by him for approval.
- Not too interested in a needs analysis (He has already decided what is needed.)
- Main priority is getting the information out there for people to utilize.
- He wants a larger target audience
- While not completely opposed to technology he, like Joe, isn't as HOT on
it as Billie.
Joe
- Joe believes that he knows the need of the community, "Everyone can learn a little something from my programs."
- Like Sam he wants a large target audience, he doesn't understand the idea of a target audience
- Joe thinks that Billie's IPM idea is a "way out idea."
-Sam influences Joe.
- cautious at the idea of working with TRLC on this project
Billie
- Billie is very technologically adept.
- She's very interested in integrating technology with her education classes.
- She doesn't think much of Sam and Joe's capabilities or knowledge of technology.
- While her motivation may be questionable she gives Julie lots of advice and
suggestions.
- Pushing IPM as the content area for the project places her in prominent position to be involved
with the project, especially if the project involves the use of lots of technology.
- She hopes that the Ag School will gain some attention through this project and result in added attention from IPM experts. If it helps the FAYAP group all the better....
Stewart
- Stewart is focused on producing Hi-tech products.
- He seems disappointed when Julie brings him a closer to reality with
her observations and evidence of possibilities and limitations of the project.
- He's eager to please everyone
- He, just like Billie hopes to get additional funding through this project.
Jorge
- Jorge is upset that the project he proposed previously is now getting underway and no one bothered to let him in on it.
- He wants his kids to receive the training they need.
- He just hopes that the students will find the time to complete the project that Julie is working on for them.
- Committed to working for the good of FAYAP
Professional Issues
The major issues relate to the focus and purpose of the instruction,
the delivery method, the target audience, and the roles of the various
stakeholders. The last is the most critical. In conjunction with the
development of the instruction, Julie must educate the team in the
instructional design process. The purpose of the entire project has yet
to be defined. The relationship between the major institutions and
players is unclear.The needs of the students may not be correctly identified,
as Julie did not meet with the students without Jorge. The needs may be
filtered through Jorge. In order to meet the various needs of the target
audience and the team, the instruction must be self-paced and allow for
interaction between the students and experts. While a different target
audience could be identified, the audience chosen is the best based on
support, need, and size.
Target Audience:
The target audience may not be sold on the idea. They expressed concern
about the time they have to give to the project. While library and FAYAP
have some PCs, access may still be an issue due to scheduling Computer
skills and confidence of the teens may vary greatly Not all the participants
agree on the target audience, several feel it should be the whole community
Julie did not meet alone with the target audience. Jorge facilitated the
meeting. Jorge, while he certainly supports the FAYAP teens, appeared
to gloss over some of their concerns and needs.
Stakeholders
The relationship between the stakeholders, both institutional and
individual, are not clear. While various university and community
participants have been included in the project, not all the stakeholders
have been included: farmers in the area/ farm managers/ farming parents
of the target audience, teachers at the HS who have an interest in farm
management.
Needs
Needs of target audience are not clear. In the interview the teens focus on
need for technical communication and human relations. In order to retain
the support of the team, the instructional case will be a farm management
case with issues related to IPM. The stakeholders have diverse needs:
funding, recognition, help for the teens, sharing information with the
community.
Project Management
Roles of various members are not clear, ex: Julies role Participants do not
understand the ID process. Julie needs to explain the process to the project
group. In doing this she can work with the team to define individual roles
and responsibilities.
Method of Instruction
Instructional method must be flexible and allow self-paced learning by the
students. The method and material must hold the interest of the participants.
PROJECT DESIGN
CASE STUDY
To accomplish the goals defined by Julie in her overhead and needs analysis,
the design team (Julie, Billie, Sam, Joe, and selected local farmers) will
create an on-line farm management training program. The instructional
material will be a case study (on the web) that is designed to let the
students learn the skills and knowledge that are needed to become
successful farm managers. This type of self-directed learning fits in well
with the theme This Land Is Your Land.
The case will present a challenge that the student (as farm manager) must
solve. The central theme or focus of the case will be to give the students an
understanding of IPM. The challenge in this case will be to save a farm from
an attack of crop killing bugs. The student, equipped with a certain amount
of money, workers, time, equipment and pesticide, will try to save the farm.
Resources will be available on the web for the students to use, such as
professional opinions provided by selected local farmers and articles
(written by the Ag School Faculty), and web links to other relevant web
sites if students would like to learn more about a certain farming topic
that interests them. The resource materials produced by TRLC will include
the current technical language used in the industry. Students, if unfamiliar
with this terminology, will be able to click on the technical term and a
definition would appear so that the student can get a better understanding
before moving on. Billie will pair some of her graduate students to be
mentors for the FAYAP youths and communicate via e-mail for technical
information or Julie if they need more information about the case.
After analyzing the case, students will use the computer to write-up an
action plan. This response will be submitted to the Design Team and local
farmers for review. Finally, after the responses have been reviewed, there
will be a party for the students. During this time, students will be able to
meet their mentors, members of the Ag School, and other members of the
farming community. This will allow them to establish contacts with the
college and the Agriculture School professionals.
Roles
Julie
- Project design leader and manager
- WEB designer and technical support
Billie
- Technical Support
- Content expert
- Mentorship program administrator
- Ag School liason
- Case development and review
Sam and Joe
- Liason between farming community, FAYAP, and the Ag School
- Content experts
- Case development and review
Stewart
- Tech, administrative, and finacial support
Jorge
- Facilitator for FAYAP youth
- Facilitator for instruction
Farming Community
- Expert opinions and support
- Case review
Short and Long Term Goals
The short term goal for this project is to design a project that meets the
needs of the Hispanic youth of the FAYAP center. Admittedly, all members
of the design team may not see these youth as a viable target audience for
the project, but it is up to Julie to convince them that these teenagers have
a need that can be met through through instructional design. Designing a
project that meets the needs of the entire farming community would be a
daunting task that would require greater resources than are presently
available. Julie must validate that the FAYAP group would make an excellent
test group, upon which future projects could be built. The design team can
better serve the needs of their target audience as small as possible by
keeping the target audience as small as possible. Trying to address a larger,
diverse group could weaken the focus of the project to the point that no one
is helped by it.
Once the project has been implemented, the FAYAP group can serve as an example for future projects based on other target audiences. Also, a successful project would serve as an example when attempting to secure financial grants.
