Instructional Design for Language Acquisition is an e-learning-based professional development program for Greek teachers at Holy Cross Greek School. It aims to enhance practical teaching skills and expand participants’ understanding of instructional design and second language acquisition strategies. The e-learning course is complemented by a workshop and a practical session featuring in-class practice and feedback from the trainer and peers. At the end of the training, participants are required to create a lesson plan that they can implement in their classroom, receive feedback from colleagues and the trainer, and observe other teachers in action.
THE PROBLEM
To understand the problem better, I interviewed the school administrator and several teachers, surveyed the teachers, and reviewed existing resources. After analyzing the data, I identified the following key areas in need of attention:
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Academic achievement gap
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Low retention rates
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Limited number of students pursuing the Certificate of Attainment in Greek
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Teacher performance gaps
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Deficiency in teaching and learning resources
Since teacher performance is closely linked to the school’s operational outcomes, I conducted a needs assessment to pinpoint specific discrepancies related to teacher performance.
To identify and prioritize needs related to teacher performance, I conducted in-class observations and administered a test to assess the teachers' knowledge of L2 acquisition theories and SIOP strategies. The need with the highest priority was teachers' low performance in lesson planning for L2 acquisition. Using the fishboning technique, I identified the causes, and finally, I proposed an action plan with solutions and alternative approaches for each identified need, along with the required human and physical resources, a timeline, and the necessary budget. I proposed a three-session seminar that incorporated elements from the Guided Language Acquisition Design model to strengthen teachers' knowledge of L2 teaching strategies and ability to create lesson plans.​ The seminar consisted of a self-paced session, a workshop, and in-class observations.
Because adult learners prefer learning at their own pace and have different learning styles, I developed two instructional strategies for the asynchronous learning session that the teachers could choose from: a project-based unit and an e-learning course. Read the Needs Assessment Report to learn more about the needs assessment process and the proposed solutions.
NEEDS ASSESSMENT
ANALYSIS
INSTRUCTIONAL ANALYSIS
To focus the training on tasks that offer a high probability of gains in job efficiency, effectiveness, and satisfaction, I ensured that the instructional goal aligned with the school's needs and analyzed it in the subordinate skills (see images above) focusing on the tasks and tools that the teachers perform in their everyday work. Then, I converted the instructional goal into the terminal objectives, and the subordinate skills into the subordinate objectives. Lastly, I analyzed the standards of the Initial TESOL P-K-12 Teacher Preparation Programs and identified the required knowledge.
LEARNER & CONTEXT ANALYSIS
In parallel with the instructional analysis, I collected information about the teachers, including demographics, educational status, professional background, general abilities, prior knowledge, and motivation for teacher professional development. Based on the data I gathered, I identified two learner personas (see sample image above), one experienced teacher and one whose main job is not teaching. Additionally, I gathered data about the physical and social aspects of the school, the tools, and the technologies that should be included in the training to maximize the transferability of the knowledge and skills to the performance environment.
DESIGN
LEARNING ASSESSMENT
To assess learning, I followed the portfolio assessment approach. The teachers were assessed in instructional analysis, lesson planning, and implementation of instruction through creating lesson plans, materials, and assessments for their courses.​ Specific assessment criteria and rubrics were included in the syllabus.​ The e-learning course provided learners with various opportunities to check their understanding and practice the instructional design tasks before the final assessment. For instance, scenario-based questions and additional practice tasks were included at the end of each lesson in the e-learning course.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES
The focus of the design was on developing hands-on experiences. Read the syllabus to learn about the learning strategies and the resources identified. The e-learning course contains five major learning components based on Gagne's theory about the events of instruction and strategies to catch the learners' attention, foster the relevance of the content to their job tasks, and enhance confidence and satisfaction.
Each lesson started off with a question that required the learners to reflect on their approach to instruction before jumping into the content. Self-assessment was an effective strategy that fostered engagement, as adult learners rely on their past experiences to learn new skills. However, instead of providing them with feedback through text, I used animation to show the results of effective and ineffective approaches. Additionally, I implemented multimedia learning principles to enhance attention and guide cognition.
Lastly, because adult learners differ in their learning needs, I differentiated instruction in many ways. The project-based session offered a variety of resources at different levels, and the e-learning course offered opportunities for enrichment that the learners could skip if they needed to.
DEVELOPMENT
After designing all the specifics, I developed the instructional products. The development phase included design critiques, tests, and iterations of the designs.
TEXT-BASED STORYBOARD & PROTOTYPE FOR THE E-LEARNING COURSE
I created a text-based storyboard to share my ideas about the visuals, content, and interaction in the e-learning course with the administrator. This way, we reached a consensus about the look and feel early. Then, I created a prototype of the e-learning course that I shared with the administrator and some colleagues to gather feedback, and tested it with two teachers. This way, I was able to integrate their feedback into the final product early in the development process.