3.7 ASSURE Model- Objectives

These tenements remained with me after having   worked through part of the ASSURE Model:

The ASSURE model emphasizes teaching students with different learning styles, and constructivist learning where students are required to interact with their environment and not passively receive information.

The objectives describe what the learner will do as a result of instruction - what specific outcomes the students will achieve. This observable behavior which can be evaluated is written using action verbs. Bloom’s Taxonomy for categorizing the domain of learning to be focused on is helpful here.

CATEGORY	COMMON VERBS
Verbal Information	State, Recite, Tell, Declare, Name, List, Define
Intellectual Skills: Concrete Concepts	Identify, Label
Intellectual Skills: Defined Concepts	Classify instances, Sort, Categorize
Intellectual Skills: Rules	Solve, Show, Demonstrate, Generate, Develop, Create, Determine, Calculate, Predict
Intellectual Skills: Higher-order Rules (Problem Solving)	Solve, Show, Demonstrate, Generate, Develop, Create, Determine, Calculate, Predict, Defend,
Attitudes	Build Choose, Decide, Participate Support
Motor Skills	Execute Perform, Swim, Walk, Run, Climb, Drill, Saw, Assemble,

Objectives need to be strong, governed by:

 A – Action

 B – Behavior

 C – Condition

 D – Degree

Specifying:  who (audience) should be able to do what (behavior) when and how? (context) and how far? (To what degree?) written in one sentence as: for example:

In groups of five, the Grade V Teacher trainees will be able to use the internet to research background information on the poem Lapobo by Okot B’tek and identify the use of figurative Language and their effectiveness to the general meaning of the poem.

The students will use a note making app to record their findings and create a PowerPoint presentation to present to the class.  

The students will be judged with reference to their ability to provide accurate information on the poem and their ability to use their creativity to create a PowerPoint presentation.

The criterion to measure the statement of the degree of accuracy or proficiency the learner must display in order to move, is based on some real-world requirement. i.e.- use the internet

 Select strategies, technology, media and materials Media and materials help a teacher to supplement or enhance the method of teaching a lesson. A good selection of this will result in student achievement of the stated learning objectives. How?

 The teacher needs to choose a method of delivering instruction, giving rationale why these selected methods, media and materials are appropriate for the lesson. Will it be an Instructor -centered strategy -   lecture, demonstration, presentation?  or student-centered strategy - discussion, Web Quest, cooperative group work?  or   Tutorials? or showing a video?

Media

Media should be selected on the basis of the total learning situation, instructional method, objectives and student needs knowing that   single medium is the total solution.

Chosen objectively in order to meet the best learning outcome, media must be appropriate for the learning objectives and teaching format and also   be consistent with the students' capabilities and learning styles.

Media should   match the curriculum, be accurate and current with clear and concise language. It should motivate and maintain   learner interest and provide for learner participation. It should be of good technical quality, effective, free from objectionable bias and advertising and where possible has a user guide or other documentation.  Students should have easy access to the selected media. And the teacher should have the skills to use it.   

Media include: photos, multimedia, video, and a computer - CD-ROMs, DVDs, calculators, flip chart, PowerPoint Slide, computer-based tools software, Internet resources, videos and many others.

Materials:

Materials need to be relevant to the objectives. The teacher   can select the available   materials or modify the existing or create his own/ design new materials materials include: Textbook and other print sources- the book title, Educational Game, Web Quest, etc

  Utilize media and materials.

 This is where the lesson is actually taught and the media and materials get implemented.

For each type of media and/or materials listed under Select, modify, and design a detailed description of how it will be to implement into your lesson is important in order to help learners meet the lesson's objective. 

In order to utilize materials correctly   the ‘5 Ps’ process helps to create good student-centered instruction.

 Preview the material-   the technology, media, and materials. Thoroughly check out the material –giving everything a thorough review

 Prepare the material- Prepare and properly sequence the instructional materials   making sure everything   needed is in place and that it all works. Is the Software or device age appropriate ?, grade appropriate?  Usable, and valid for the lesson and objectives being taught? - gather all the equipment required; create a list of materials and equipment needed for the lesson and an outline of the presentation sequence of the activities

Prepare the environment- The classroom   needs to be properly organized so that all the classroom activities fit  in the space  available and that  the materials can be used by the teacher  and  learners without difficulty.

Prepare the learners- The students are given an overview, of the learning objectives
explain how they can take this information and use it and how they will be evaluated up front.

 Provide the learning experience- through presentation, collaboration, and active mental engagement.

Gleaning from the members of my group:

Hussen Walugembe: “In our teaching, we mainly concentrate on creating objectives focusing on    on Behaviour”. – I agree with him. Our objectives are flat and incomplete:  i.e. Learners will be able to write a paragraph using verbs in the simple past tense. On the other hand, the ASSURE model introduces a new twist_ The ABCD of constructing forceful/powerful objectives.

Margaret SSerabidde:” In most cases teachers stammer during a lesson when they realize that some of the items required for an effective learning process have been forgotten. Planning for these things before hand helps to reduce this lack of confidence” – this underscores the “forceful” planning the teacher is required to do in order to create the most conducive learning environment. Today many teachers approach and teach all lessons in the same way –following the same routine- they are predictable teachers.   ASSURE builds the teacher’s confidence!

The ASSURE model gives the lesson a sense of COMPLETENESS making each lesson unique memorable and interesting.