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Practicum

Nishan Perera

S000255106

# 3107

Provincial Instructors Diploma

Vancouver Community College

Detailed Contents

Assignments Folder Reference

Assignment # 1 – Introduction

A Write up

Attachment 1.1 - Curriculum Vitae Attachment 1.2 - Past and Future

Assignment # 2/3 – Lesson Plan, Video Lesson and Critique

B Critique

Attachment 2.1 – Lesson Plan Attachment 2.2 – Board Plan Attachment 2.3 – Video Lesson

Assignment # 4 – Design of Instruction

C Essay Attachment 4.1 – DACUM Attachment 4.2 – Course Outline/Syllabus Attachment 4.3 – Experience on Curriculum Design

Assignment # 5 – Description of Learners Essay

D Essay Attachment 5.1 – Learning Style Inventory of the Students

Assignment # 6 – Use of Media

E Write up Attachment 6.1 – Copy of the presentation Attachment 6.2 – Handout

Assignment # 7 – Evaluation of Learning

F Essay Attachment 7.1 – Assessment Plan Attachment 7.2 – Examples of an Assessments

Assignment # 8 – Evaluation of Instruction

G Essay Attachment 8.1 – Sample Feedback Form Attachment 8.2 – Completed Student Feedback Forms Attachment 8.3 – Adjusted Feedback Form

ID 3107 – Practicum – Assignment # 1 – Nishan C. Perera – S000255106 1

Assignment # 1 – Introduction

1. Professional Background

Summary of my professional background is presented in the below table.

Education • Masters in Business Administration(Sri Lanka)

• Diploma in Marketing(UK)

• Certified Professional Marketer (Asia Pacific)

• Present Education – Completing the BC Provincial Instructors

Diploma – August 2008

• Future Education – Selected to read for a Masters in

Education in Curriculum Design and Instruction at Simon

Fraser University from September 2008.

Commercial

Experience

• Product Management, Marketing Management in Consumer

goods, Durable goods (over 7 years)

Academic

Administration

Experience

• Curriculum Design, Education Administration – in the capacity

of a Consultant, Director of Education (2 years)

• Examiner for Public Examinations (2 years)

• Authoring of Marketing Text Books – 13 titles

Training

Experience

• Delivered 71 training programs, covering 485 training hours,

training over 1435 participants in subject areas on Customer

Service, Marketing and Soft Skills Development (4 years)

Entrepreneurial

Experience

• Launched a company publishing marketing text books. (4

years)

Teaching

Experience

• Been teaching marketing and management subjects since

1998. Taught many subjects in many institutes in a variety

of formats.

Present Teaching Assignments

• Kwantlen Polytechnique University – Since January 2008

• Sprott Shaw Community College – December 2007, and

from April 2008 to date

Cumulative Work Experience – 12 years

The reader is requested to turn to

• Attachment 1.1 for a detailed curriculum vitae of the author

• Attachment 1.2 for a time line of events of professional experience of the author


2. Context of the Practicum

The practicum was based on a Marketing course that I was contracted to teach at the

Sprott Shaw Community College at the New Westminster Campus this summer. The

course was designed for Sprott Shaw Community College and the course name is read

as “Introduction to Marketing”

3. Number of Hours Instructed

The average weekly teaching hours between the two organisations are indicated in the

following table.

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Total Weekly Hours

Afternoon Sprott

Shaw

3 hours

Sprott

Shaw

3 hours

Sprott

Shaw

3 hours

Sprott

Shaw

3 hours

Sprott

Shaw

3 hours

15 hours

Night Kwantlen

4 hours

Kwantlen

4 hours

8 hours

Total 7 hours 3 hours 7 hours 3 hours 3 hours 23 hours

For a week an average of 23 hours are taught and another 2 hours of office time. On

average 100 hours are taught between the two institutions. At Kwantlen Polytechnic

University I teach only Marketing subjects but at Sprott Shaw, I teach Marketing as well

as Management related subjects.

4. Date of the Practicum Teaching (Started and Completed)

Based on the teaching schedule, the practicum teaching was done on the 30th of July

2008 from approximately 1.00 pm till about 2.00pm.

5. My Observation of the Practicum Experience

My record of teaching experience would indicate that I have been teaching for over 10

years. However after reviewing my teaching style for the first time on a video playback

in 3102, this practicum gave me an opportunity to analyse my teaching process under a

microscope.

The amount of preparation for the practicum was very detailed. Having received

approval to record the practicum teaching session from the Executive Director’s office at


Sprott Shaw Community College and the students, I had a few other logistics to

manage. Some students were camera shy and wanted to be out of the screen. It was a

challenge for me to manage the wide angle as well as managing the privacy issues of

these students.

The entire process of preparation from the curriculum design, preparation for the

teaching session, use of media was intense. I had to collaborate all this into a live

natural teaching program and it was quite an exciting experience.

Having gone through all the courses at PIDP, the practicum has given me a holistic

view. In fact I must say that this has been the single most experiential piece that has

helped me to bring the entire learning experiences of all the courses.

It was a challenging and stimulating experience. I would like to thank VCC for designing

and delivering the PIDP course which has equipped us with the tools in making our

students learning task an exciting journey.

ID 3107 – Practicum – Assignment # 2&3 – Nishan C. Perera – S000255106 1

Assignment # 2&3 – Video Lesson

1/2. See attachment 2.1 – for the completed lesson plan developed based on the

PIDP format

See attachment 2.2 – for the board plan to support the lesson plans. (A board

plan is a predetermined plan on how the instructor would use the space in the

white board in terms of content etc.

3/4. See attachment 2.3– for a copy of the video lesson – in DVD format

5/6. Critique

The lesson plan was developed taking the seven steps followed in the teaching

process. The seven steps and the lesson plan were integrated as follows.

Elements Seven Steps in Teaching Lesson Plan Steps

Beginning 1. Gain attention Bridge In

2. Inform learner of days objective Objectives

3. Assess for experience or knowledge

of days topic

Pre-Assessment

Body 4. Present new material Learning Tasks

5. Provide practice and feedback on

learning

End 6. Assess learning Post assessment

7. Close the session Summary/Closing


Comparison of plan with actual lesson

The time plan vs. usage is indicated in the following chart.

Plan (In minutes) Actual (In minutes)

Bridge In/Opening 1 minute 1 minute

Objective 2 minutes 1.3 minutes

Pre Assessment 2 minutes 1 minute

Learning Task # 1 15 minutes 16 minutes



Post assessment 4 minutes 4 minutes

Summary/Close 1 minute 30 seconds

Total 60 minutes 57 minutes

In terms of time usage the actual was very much in line with the plan. If any deviations,

learning task 3 was short by 4 minutes and learning task 1 and 2 was overshot by 3

minutes. These time differences are negligible.

In terms of the performance, please see below for a detailed analysis.

Step Plan Actual

Gain

attention

Was by asking a

question in relation to

eating at a restaurant

regarding menus.

The attention gathering process took place

quite well. Students responded to the attention

grabbing question very well and I was of the

opinion that it worked well.

Objectives To present the main

objectives and

learning tasks

Presented it well. I was able to clearly present

the day’s objective and the learning tasks

(stated as agenda items). However I did repeat

this which I could have avoided.

Pre

Assessment

Asking the students

about their familiarity

with the subject

matter

I was content with this section as well. Most

students knew the concept of segmentation

although they did not understand the depth of it.

I was supposed to distribute the handout at this

point but forgot.


Step Plan Actual

Learning

Task # 1

Describe approaches

to handing a market

Presented the concept half way and then

distributed the handout. Spent too much of time

doing this. I was content with how I introduced

the concept relating to my opening

(restaurants). This session was interactive. I

defined the segmentation after presenting the

process where it blended very well with the plan

that I had.

Learning

Task # 2

Identifying

segmentation

variables

I made this section very interactive. However

only two students were actively participating.

Many times I had to bring the discussion back

to track since I did not get some answers to the

questions that I was raising. I rephrased some

of their answers to keep the discussion on

track. This section was the most challenging

one since I had to keep the class engaged as

well as to make sure that I got the point across.

One student had a difficulty in differentiating

between two variables and I spent too much

time clarifying that. I felt that I could have been

clearer by bringing in more examples when

explaining variables at this point.

Learning

task # 3

Identify appropriate

variables (primary

variables)

The identification of the appropriate variables

exercise did come out adequately. However I

felt that I could have given more clear

instructions in briefing the exercise. This

learning task finished quicker than I thought.


Step Plan Actual

Post

assessment

Use a mind map and

fill the main points on

the board based on

student responses.

To a larger extent, the post assessment went

well. Although I had a board plan, I wasted

about a minute drawing and erasing the mind

map structure on the board.

Close Tag back to the

opening and close

I believed that I did this adequately.

Overall I believe that this was a text book example of doing a lesson. I was able

to follow the seven steps and my lesson was as planned. However

reflecting back, I feel that the lesson was too structured and I could have

kept more allowances to more discussions on practical examples than

teaching the segmentation process alone. Given the learner

characteristics, the approach taken by myself, did work since I believe

that it catered to their learning needs.

Strengths of the Lesson

The following were some of the strengths of the lesson based on my analysis

• The lesson was structured

• Students were taken through step by step referring back and forth to the learning

tasks

• A high level of interaction

• The learning tasks were concise and presented to the point

• Multiple use of media

• Allowing students to practice

• Summarised when moving from one section to another

• Showed the picture to students using diagrams, summaries etc.

• Related adequately to the handouts, recommended book

• Use of examples

• Allowing group discussions


Areas for improvement

• The repetition of certain words frequently

• The use of the word “right” as an acknowledgement was too much and it would have

distracted the students.

• I felt that I was not allowing the students to finish their sentences. I did repeat what

they said several times taking the centre of control.

• I was not clear on certain areas

• I could have used more examples in explaining the concepts

• Wasting too much time on a certain section

• Pronunciation of certain words needs improvement.

• I believe that I could reduce the pace of speaking to slow down and allow the points

to sink in

• I was moving rapidly within the classroom which I may need to reduce

• Was speaking facing the white board

• Did not provide too much of opportunities for students to clarify at the end

• To some extent, the discussion was more instructor led

What I plan to improve in future

Planning of the lesson

• Would try to incorporate more practical examples

• Would try to be more clear and concise in my instruction on tasks

• I would not structure my lesson too much and would allow for some free discussion

making the interaction more practical and allowing more time for reflection

• Would plan to use multiple instructional techniques from learning task to make it

more interesting and relevant.

• Plan more student activities to make it look less directional and more participatory


Delivery of the lesson

• I will pay more attention to some of the words that I repeat

• I would work more on my pronunciation of certain words

• I will not repeat certain words that students say

• Give students more time to speak

• Would not move rapidly in the class

• Not speak facing the white board

• Encourage all students to participate rather than allowing few dominators to thrive.


Assignment # 4 - Report on Design of Instruction

1. Course Profile

Please see attachment 4.1 for the course profile chart (DACUM) that was developed to

design the course “Introduction to marketing”

2. Course Outline/Syllabus

Please see attachment 4.2 for the course outline/syllabus developed for the above

DACUM. Please note that this was developed according to the format provided in 3101.

Course Profile and the Course Content of the Practicum

A1 Define the marketing process ¾ hrs C

A2 Identify the concepts that relate to the marketing process ¾ hrs C

A3 Describe concepts that relate to the marketing process 1 ½ hrs C

B1 Describe the marketing research process 1 hr C

B2 Describe the consumer buying behaviour process 1 hr C

B3 Identify the elements in the marketing environment 1 hr C

C1 Describe the market segmentation process 1 hr C

C2 Identify different target marketing strategies 1 hr C

C3 Describe the market positioning process 1 hr C

D1 Identify levels of a product ½ hr C

D2 Identify the components of the product mix 1 hr C

D3 Describe the branding process 1 ½ hrs C

E1 Identify the approaches to pricing ½ hr C

E2 Describe the pricing strategies 1 hr C

E3 Identify the relationship between pricing and profitability 1 ½ hrs C

F1 Identify the promotional mix tools 1 hr C

F2 Describe the pull and push strategies related to promotions 1 ¼ hrs C

F3 Describe the integrated marketing communication process ¾ hr C

G1 Describe channel options available for a marketer 1 hr C

G2 Describe functions carried out by channel members 1 ¼ hrs C

G3 Describe the components of physical distribution ¾ hr C

H1 Identify steps in the marketing planning process ½ hr C

H2 Describe how the planning process fits the marketing process 1 ½ hrs C

H3 Describe how the planning process fits organisational levels 1 hr C

I1 Identify ethical issues that affect marketing 1 hr C

I2 Identify technological trends that affect marketing 1 hr C

I3 Identify global trends that affect marketing 1 hr C

A Describe the marketing process 3 hrs

• B Explain the market place and customer related characteristics 3 hrs C Describe the overall customer driven marketing strategy 3 hrs

D Describe product strategies that relates to the marketing mix 3 hrs

E Describe pricing strategies that relates to the marketing mix 3 hrs

F Describe promotional mix strategies that relates to the marketing mix 3 hrs G Describe place strategies that relates to the marketing mix 3 hrs

H Describe the marketing planning process related to organisations 3 hrs

I Describe contemporary issues that relates to marketing 3hrs

# 3

Goal C Describe the overall customer driven marketing strategy

PO C1 In relation to the STP model, the student will be

able to describe the market segmentation

process for consumer markets

Learning Tasks

1. Describe the Approaches to handling the market

2. Identifying the variables in segmenting a market

3. Identify appropriate variables (primary variables)

Lesson Plan – please see attachment 2.1

See Practicum Lesson - DVD

See media that presents the course content – See assignment 6


3/4. Course Syllabus/Out Line relation to Videoed Lesson

The video lesson is one of the learning objectives highlighted under the third main goal

set for the course which was to “Describe the Overall Customer Driven Marketing

Strategy”. (See DACUM section C for the goal and C1 for the objective which is

“Describe the Market Segmentation Process”.

The following learning tasks have been developed for the identified objective.

1. Describe the approaches to handling the market 2. Identifying the variables in segmenting a market 3. Identify appropriate variables (primary variables)

See the above in the following visual diagram.

Course Goals (See in Course Outline)

Describe the marketing process Explain the market place and customer related characteristics Describe the overall customer driven marketing strategy Describe product strategies that relates to the marketing mix

Describe pricing strategies that relate to the marketing mix Describe promotional mix strategies that relate to the marketing mix Describe place strategies that relates to the marketing mix Describe the marketing planning process related to organisations Describe contemporary issues of of marketing

Learning Objectives

C1 Describe the market segmentation process 1 hr

C2 Identify different target marketing strategies 1 hr

C3 Describe the market positioning process 1 hr

# 3

Goal C Describe the overall customer driven marketing strategy

PO C1 In relation to the STP model, the student

will be able to describe the market

segmentation process for consumer

markets

Learning Tasks

1. Describe the Approaches to handling the market

2. Identifying the variables in segmenting a market

3. Identify appropriate variables (primary variables)

See Video Lesson


5. Essay on Curriculum Development

Prior Experience with Curriculum Development

I have been developing course outlines for all the courses that I teach. However my

greatest experience in curriculum development was when I was hired by the Sri Lanka

Institute of Marketing as a Consultant to review and develop several programs in

Marketing. The following were the programmes that I reviewed and developed.

• Diploma in Marketing – 12 course units

• Graduate/Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing - 17 course units

• Preliminary Certificate in Marketing

• Diploma in Pharmaceutical Marketing

• Specialised Short Courses in Marketing – Retail Marketing, International

Marketing, Services Marketing etc

Please see attachment 4.3 for a detail record of work experience in this area.

Curriculum Tools used before PIDP

The needs assessment process as learnt in the PIDP was carried out in detail. Please

see figure 1 as shown below for the process that was followed for the needs

assessment.

The concept of the DACUM was a new one. In Asia, the concept of DACUM is non

existent

.

I developed learning outcomes rather than course goals and objectives. The learning

outcomes were broken down into learning sections which was transferred to content.

Needs Assessment

DACUM ?

Learning Outcomes


Figure # 1

STEP 01 – Appointing a

Steering Committee Members of the committee, co-ordinator of the

committee, time plan, budgetary requirements

STEP 02 – Ten Year

Performance Review of the

Program

Prepare a report on registrations, number of students

who completed the program, entry level employment,

growth etc.

STEP 03 – Competitor

Program Review A review of all competing programs with the SLIM

diploma, their structures, success rates of

employment, etc

STEP 04 – Perspectives of

the SLIM Diploma Employer perspectives about

the program

Graduate perspectives about

the program

Instructor perspectives about

the program

Prospective students/public

perspectives of the program

STEP 05 – Review of the data

and report the findings Review data collected from step 02, 03 and 04 and

developing a comprehensive report from the findings.

STEP 06 – Presenting findings

to the curriculum/program

development committee

The findings were presented to the

curriculum/program development committee to assess

the need to restructure the program and then to take

over from this point of view.

Quadruple

perspective

about the

SLIM Diploma

in Marketing


Impact of PIDP on my practices in curriculum development

The biggest learning for me was the DACUM chart where the verbs were used in the

three learning domains and how they were translated from the course goal and to the

objectives and then to the learning tasks. The systematic process followed in the

curriculum process helped me to identify the missing links. In my prior experience, I

realised that I had not given thought to the intensity of the verbs as identified by Blooms

Taxonomy and in turn there were inconsistencies of the use in different verbs at

different levels.

The interconnectedness of the needs assessment, the DACUM, the learning tasks, and

then how they are translated to lesson plans fascinated me. Since I took the 3101

course, I have followed this process for all the courses that I have taught and I am

getting a good sense of the process.

Areas for continued growth in Curriculum Development

My fascination for curriculum development was sharpened after doing the 3101 course.

To further pursue in this area, I applied and got selected for a Masters in Education in

Curriculum Design and Instruction in the fall of 2008. I am really excited about this

opportunity to further improve my knowledge base in this area. To take a step further I

want to carry out research into this area and want to contribute to the body of

knowledge in doing a Doctoral program in this area of education.

I would be interested to learn other tools that could help develop curriculum and also to

understand how to develop effective curriculum which would work best under different

cultural circumstances. Doing cross country projects in identifying how other countries

develop curriculum would be of an area of interest that I would like to pursue in future.


Some challenges in defining and describing course content in marketing and management study disciplines.

While the curriculum development process remains the same in many disciplines, in

subject streams such as marketing and management which requires a balance between

scientific thinking skills and skills of art in execution, the development of a specific set of

verbs that could address both these areas would be a future challenge. While there are

many models which describes different verbs, the lack of any model that could be

directly related to business subject matter addressing these two paradigms, poses a

problem in selecting the correct verb to describe the cognitive and the affective domains

in different degrees of complexity. This is a constant battle that I have been facing and

would like to research further into this area.


Assignment # 5 – Learner Characteristics

The total number of students registered for this course is six. Sprott Shaw Community

College follows a philosophy of having smaller classes to give more attention to

students. The largest class they would accommodate would be 12 students.

1/4. Learner Characteristics

Age/Maturity

differences

in ages

The age break down of the students are as follows

25 to 35 years 3 students

36 to 45 years 2 students

46 to 55 years

55 and above 1 student

In terms of age distribution, 3 students are young adults while the others

are older adults. One student is a senior who has returned back to

school after an injury. All the students in the class are matured, bringing

different life experiences to the class. Although there is a difference

between the ages between students, they respect each other and tend

to appreciate each others contribution.

Education The three students between the ages 25 to 35 are immigrant students

who have business degrees from their own country. They are here to

get a Canadian qualification seeking to enter the Canadian Job market.

However the concepts that they have been exposed to seem not to be

very current and take a very strong interest in re-learning new concepts

in class. The other three have no education at post secondary level.

They have completed high school and are returning back to school due

to injury/to upgrade there skills.


Experience

with the

subject

All the students have had some element of exposure to business. The

three older students are not exposed to any conceptual aspects related

to the subject on a formal basis. However, they have been reading

marketing and business related literature, magazines over a period of

time and are familiar with many concepts that are under discussion.

Also prior to taking this course they all under went another course

(Customer Service) which exposed them to some of the elementary

concepts in brief. They seem to identify with the concepts quickly. The

lesson presented in the video tape is the third in a row and they are also

drawing on some of the base concepts presented in early lessons.

Work

related

experience

The three older students have been doing marketing related jobs. They

are exposed to the practical side of the business very well. However

they lack the understanding of the theoretical framework although they

are somewhat familiar with the concepts. The younger students have

been working mostly in front line jobs and tend to identify the concepts.

However, their application of them is very different.

Motivation All the students in the class are highly motivated to learn. They are

paying for the course through student loans or through government

assisted programmes. Their primary requirement is to upgrade their

skills to get back to work.

Language

proficiency

The immigrant students’ first language not being English has deprived

them of contributing aggressively in class. Two students out of the three

hardly speak. But if prompted, they would. Out of the older students,

two of them contribute in class very well. All of them present their written

work well.

Learning

disability

There are no learning disabilities among this group of students.

Physical

limitations

Two students in class have physical limitations due to injury. However,

this does not directly affect their learning other than coping with work.


Learning

styles

The readers are requested to turn to attachment 5.1 for a summary of

the learning styles (as identified by Kolb) carried out for all the students

in the class. The students showed a variety of learning styles but the

following were the predominant ones

Abstract Conceptualization – This learning style was predominant

among the group. All students surpassed the 18 point mark. This style

indicates that students prefer structured, sequential and a logical

approach to learning. These students tend to like the big picture, strive

for the conceptual view and looks at logical reasoning. My experience

with this group confirms this. Teaching them with interactive discussion

type lectures by clearly breaking down the learning tasks works well with

them in many situations.

Concrete Experience - This learning style was predominant with the

three older students who had quite a lot of experience. They related well

when practical examples and real life scenarios were presented.

Other styles – Were quite scattered although a few had very strong

orientations towards some of the styles.

2. How the learner’s characteristics influence decisions about what to teach

When analysing the learners, the class could be categorised into two distinct groups.

The younger students, who have some basic understanding of the concepts, are looking

to describe them from the local context. The older students having experience in the

industry are looking at more conceptual skills. For both student categories the content of

this course has been limited to basic knowledge in Marketing. The course has been

designed at the lowest levels of Blooms Taxonomy so that they could grasp simple

theoretical concepts and describe them from a more local perspective.

The course profile chart will indicate that the course covers a very basic context of

subject matter presented in a lower level.


3. How characteristics of learners that influences decisions about how to instruct

The learning styles inventory in this classroom indicated a very strong bias towards

abstract conceptualisation and concrete experience styles. The lesson plan was

designed taking these two predominant learning styles into consideration. The abstract

conceptualisation would support more direct instruction while the concrete experience

styles would require more participation style. Therefore to facilitate both learning styles

an interactive lecture method of delivery with participative contribution was designed.

There were short pockets of direct instruction with other interactive activities planned for

the lesson

At the beginning of the session, to show the big picture, the topic, step by step learning

tasks were presented and the video lesson would indicate that I did emphasis on these

more than once. Also once a particular section was completed, I kept referring back to

the learning tasks since the class appreciate more sequentially and logically presented

information. I spent an adequate amount of time in direct instruction to facilitate this.

The video lesson would also indicate that I kept on drawing conceptual maps of the

subject section to show the relationships so that this would appeal to students who were

dominant with abstract conceptualisation style.

To facilitate the more concrete experience learner category, the video lesson would

indicate that in many times, I accommodated input from the audience and restructured

that into the discussion. My discussion was more questions based in order to create

participation but the questions were based on a clear logical sequence to support the

step by step delivery of the subject matter.

At the end of every section, I summarised that section before moving on to the other,

and made it a point to relate each section to the other.

When I was covering the section of variables to segment a market, the first set of

variable (demographic variables), I was leading a discussion where the students were

contributing with their ideas while I was writing them down the board. The second set, I

gave them to work as groups and then carried out a board discussion. I did this to


facilitate both student groups, where for one more direct approach was appealing while

for the other more participatory approach was appealing better.

Also the use of an empty shell handout for the students to fill in the content throughout

the discussion facilitated by both parties. The older students were returning back to

education after a while and their note taking skills had to be supported with. The

younger students were not used to a participatory learning environment. They were

exposed to more direct instruction techniques. However their intention was to

understand the concepts in a more local context. The interactive handouts served both

groups of students in achieving their objectives.

5. Measures used in response to characteristics identified in #2 and #3.

In closing, course preparation and the delivery had all to do with the student’s learner

characteristics of the class. I delivered the same course during last fall and the content

and the delivery style was quite different since the class was made out of Canadian

educated students who had no industry or subject exposure. Understanding the

learners and adopting curriculum and the delivery method is so fundamental if we as

instructors continue to do our job in “Teaching People than Teaching Subjects”


Assignment # 06 – Media

Five types of media were used and an accompanying description for all media used is

presented as follows.

Media Type # 1 - Flip Charts


Flip Charts

Reasons for the use

of particular medium

The purpose of this medium was to introduce the topic, the

learning objective and the agenda (Learning tasks).

Impact on learning

when used

It is permanent throughout the lesson. A powerful medium to

introduce short points. In this case to introduce the objective

and inform students what to expect from this class. The visual

nature of the medium would make a strong impression on

students.

Strengths of the

medium

• It could be kept permanently through out the discussion

• Could be used to introduce the topic, contents

• The instructor could keep referring to it as the discussion

progress, as a medium of carrying out a post assessment

• The instructor could add, check, highlight points as the

discussion progresses.

• Some students did take digital photos of the flip charts and

used it as notes

Weakness of the

medium

• The amount of information that could be presented in one flip chart is limited

• The mobility of the medium is limited

• For instructors like me who has not so good hand writing, presenting information clearly would be a problem.

Plan for future use • I would use this for student group work. Will get the students

to discuss a topic and present information in the form of a

flip chart.

• To present components of a bigger picture, I would use flip

charts. For example I am planning to teach the components

of a business plan for one of my classes. I will assign a

group for each component of the plan, get them to develop a

visual presentation for that section and assemble all the flip

charts and put them up on the wall showing students the

entire contents of a business plan visually.

• I would use this to emphasis key points in the discussion

• I would use this as a brainstorming tool and to gather

information

• I would also use this as a medium to do a post assessment


Media Type # 2 - Multimedia on the White Board

Multimedia on the White Board

Reasons for the use


The main medium to initiate the discussion. On the projector I

will project empty shell copies from the handout on PDF files.

The shell will include the overall/big picture of the learning task.

Part of the shell will be empty. Part could be completed.

Impact on learning

when used

Multimedia projected to the white board and writing on it as the

discussion continues is a very powerful medium to keep the

students engaging, show the big picture, and drive down

content. Ideal when the students are given a handout with

empty shell copies so that they could fill it along with the

instructor. The instructor could use visuals, colour, sound and

movement to appeal to different learner categories.


Strengths of the

medium

• The ability to project colour, visuals, big picture, movement,

sounds

• The ability to animate

• The ability add points as the discussion progresses

• The ability to make the discussion interactive.

Weakness of the

medium

• Can distract the student when many variations are used.

• If not interactive discussions are carried out, student engagement could be minimised.

• When an empty shell is presented, students may be pre occupied in copying down notes than to participate in the discussion.

Plan for future use • I will continue to use the multimedia as an interactive discussion medium

• The media will be projected to the white board so that empty shell diagrams could be filled or additions could be made

• A few animated pictures, videos, short slide presentations will also be used to drive different points and to introduce variety

See attachment 6.1 for the contents of the presentation used for this medium.

Media Type # 3 - White Board


White Board

Reasons for the use


Used as a medium to drive down content points. Also used to

explain specific points in the form of a diagram.

Impact on learning

when used

Used as a progressive medium. It helps students to focus when

key points are highlighted. In teaching the section on “Approach

to the market place” , I used the white board predominantly with

a structured template.

Strengths of the

medium

• Very easy to use

• Non technical

• Could create visual diagrams

• Could use colour

• Could use as a brain storming devise

• The large space allows showing the big picture

Weakness of the

medium

• Hand writing of the instructor plays a vital role in the clarity of the presentation

• Students may get distracted in taking down notes while the discussion is continuing

• Is a non permanent medium –the board needs to be erased Plan for future use • I use mind mapping for many of my teaching sessions. The

white board is a fantastic medium for this.

Media Type # 4 - Recommend Book


Recommended Book Reasons for the use


To give students an opportunity to do self reference. This would also act as the medium to which content could be drawn for a discussion.

Impact on learning

when used

Assigning reading of a recommended book and getting students to pre-read the chapter before coming to the class would make it very effective. Also this could be used during the discussion for students to refer to exercises, case studies. It could also be used as a medium to assign home work etc.

Strengths of the

medium

• Permanent nature of the medium

• Students could use it before, after, outside the class room

• Used as a self study medium

• Illustrations, examples, cases, would help students to understand the concepts in detail.

• This is a must have medium for most discussions

Weakness of the

medium

• The bulky nature of books make them very unpopular among students

• Getting students to pre-read is always a challenge

• To much content will always distract students

Plan for future use • What I would like to do is to assign chapters for pre-reading and then getting students to present me a one page summary for each chapter. I would allow them to bring this for their quizzes and for their mid term if they submit on the due date. This would motivate many students to pre-read the chapter and write the summary.

Media Type # 5 - Handout


Hand Outs

Reasons for the use


I give them handouts for all of my sessions for many reasons.

The first important reason would be to get them to be engaged

during the discussion. The second would be for them to use the

handout as a summary of the content of the discussion,

recommended text etc. The third would be to use it as physical

evidence of the subject matter that they did. Since teaching and

learning is intangible, the only tangible clue would be the

recommended book and the handouts. This would allow

students to refer to them at a later date as well.

Impact on learning

when used

To keep them engaged, provide a medium to refer and

summarise.

Strengths of the

medium

• Permanent nature of the medium

• A medium to engage the students

• Provide a summary of the material

• Gives the instructors a structured opportunity to deliver the

lesson

• Could be used to cover additional material

• The versatility of the medium

Weakness of the

medium

• Cumbersome to prepare

• If give piece by piece, may confuse students with load of

material

• Costs of presenting handouts

Plan for future use • I would use handouts as learning journals in future. I will give

empty shell copies of important sections of the chapter. Get

them to fill them and create a learning journal out of it.

See attachment 6.2 for a copy of the handout given for this class


The class room with all the media listed above.


Assignment # 8 – Evaluation of Instruction

1. See attachment 8.1 – for a sample of the format used for student feedback

2. See attachment 8.2 – for the completed student feedback forms

3. Essay on the feedback

Summary of the Feedback Received from Students

#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 Average Instructor 1. The course outline was followed. 4 4 4 4 4 4 4.0

2. The learning objectives were stated

each day.

4 4 4 4 3 4 3.8

3. Several techniques were used to deliver

the lesson.

4 4 3 4 3 4 3.6

4. The graded assessments were returned

as agreed.

4 4 4 4 4 4 4.0

5. The class was conducted as scheduled. 4 4 4 4 4 4 4.0

6. The instructor was available during the

stated office hours.

4 4 4 4 4 4 4.0

7. I would recommend this Instructor to

other students.

4 4 4 4 4 4 4.0

Course 8. The learning objectives were useful to

carry out my work.

4 4 4 4 3 4 3.8

9. The learning materials were supported

with examples.

3 4 4 4 4 4 3.8

10. The course work load was evenly

spread.

3 4 4 3 3 3 3.3

11. The assignments helped me to

understand the content.

4 4 4 3 4 4 3.8

12. The assessments were within the

course syllabus.

4 4 4 4 3 3 3.6

13. The assessments reflected what I

learnt.

3 3 4 4 3 3 3.3

14. I would recommend this course to other

students.

4 4 4 4 3 4 3.8


When feedback was collected

Feedback was collected after the video lesson was completed. The feedback instrument

was a summative and students evaluated the course on an overall basis. Some of the

assessments were not completed but their comments were based on the assessments

that had been completed so far in the course.

Learning’s from students that confirmed good practices

The feedback instrument had two main sections. They were comments about the

instructor and comments about the course.

Comments about the Instructor

Based on the tabulation of the scores the following areas received full averages.

• The course outline was followed

• The graded assessments were returned as agreed.

• The class was conducted as scheduled.

• The instructor was available during the stated office hours.

• I would recommend this Instructor to other students.

These mostly reflect on the human side of teaching. This reinforces my philosophy

towards teaching. That is “teaching people and not subjects”. I am happy that this

philosophy is reflected in the evaluation

In relation to the techniques of teaching, the averages were high but not full averages.In

the written feedback section some of the positive comments made were

• Relating to the content of the text book

• Use of realistic examples

• Referring to the handouts

• Enjoyed the discussion

• Group discussions

• Allowing students to participate

• Showing the overall picture through diagrams

• Making the discussion interactive

• Summarising after every section


The above comments seem to suggest that the students have appreciated the

structured nature of the discussion, opportunity to participate, use of media, showing the

overall picture and direction of the subject matter.

Comments about the course

The averages were high but they seem to suggest a few areas for improvement and

they will be discussed in the next section. Students seem to appreciate the assignments

since it had helped them to understand the subject better. Also on an overall level the

students were content with the course.

Areas for improvement

Comments about the Instructor

Based on the comments, he learning objectives although were stated during the course

and each day, the clarity of it could be improved further. Another notable comment

would be the use of different instructional techniques. The lesson conducted was mostly

carried through an interactive discussion. Students seem to be looking for variety in

terms of instructional techniques.

Comments about the course

The most important area for improvement seems to be the spread of the course work

load. The discussions, the course work, assessments seem to be loaded and this seem

to have affected the student activities. The main areas of other concerns were the

assessments, its applicability and the rate of difficultly. More attention needs to be paid

on these areas in future courses.

In terms of written comments, only two students have completed this section. Some of

the pertinent comments were based on course work load. Another student had made a

valuable comment on numbering the handouts. I have indicated the chapter numbers

but the chapters in the book were not covered serially. This is a good comment that I

could incorporate into my future lessons.

How this feedback will be used for future courses

Based on student comments, notable areas for improvement will be in helping students

to manage the course load and the assessment areas. Although I adjusted my delivery

of the course based on learner characteristics, the course load and assessments does

not seem to correspond with this. I would pay more attention to this area. Also I would


organise my course material in a way that they are presented in a sequence that is easy

to manage. In terms of positive comments, I would continue with my teaching

philosophy of being student oriented where students seem to acknowledge.

4. Critique of Feedback Instrument Used

The questions used are presented below and comments and adjustments are made

Instructor 1. The course outline was followed.

2. The learning objectives were stated each day.

3. Several techniques were used to deliver the lesson.

4. The graded assessments were returned as agreed.

5. The class was conducted as scheduled.

6. The instructor was available during the stated office hours.

7. I would recommend this Instructor to other students.

Course

8. The learning objectives were useful to carry out my work.

9. The learning materials were supported with examples.

10. The course work load was evenly spread.

11. The assignments helped me to understand the content.

12. The assessments were within the course syllabus.

13. The assessments reflected what I learnt.

14. I would recommend this course to other students.

Items that worked well

Questions 1 to 7, 11, 12 and 14 was very clear and it reflected very well on the

performance of the course and on instruction.

Questions that the instructor was not satisfied and steps taken to improve them.

Question 08

I would rephrase this question as follows.

– The learning objectives were useful to meet my course objectives.


The basic assumption of this question was how useful the course for their career. But all

students may not have objectives purely to support work. It could revolve around other

areas. So including a broader framework by asking whether the course met the

student’s individual objectives would make more sense from a student’s perspective.

Question 09

This question is more about instruction. Therefore I would rephrase the question as

“The learning materials were adequate”. This will cover all the material provided in the

course to support learning.

Question 10

I would rephrase this question as “The course work load was manageable”. This

would relate to the students experience rather than getting the student to evaluate the

spread of course work within the course itself.

Based on the above changes, the final feedback instrument is adjusted. Please see

attachment 8.3 for a completed feedback instrument.

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