Principles, Theories & Models

Understand many theories and models, choose from among them appropriately, and apply them effectively

Context

The goal of the project was to build an instructional e-learning tutorial. The topic was about playing tennis; specifically how to tell what direction the ball is headed after it’s hit with a backhand. The artifact I chose to represent my mastery of this standard was the lesson storyboard I wrote to design the web-based tutorial (WBT).

The storyboard is one of seven assignments involved in the design, development, and testing of the WBT. It is the detailed blueprint for the organization, structure, learning objectives, instructional content, graphics, and assessment items for the lesson.

Linkage

The learning theories that most influenced my approach to designing this WBT were Ruth Clark’s (1999) work on developing training using David Merrill’s (1983) Component Display Theory (CDT) and its accompanying guide of instructional strategies, the Content-Performance Matrix (CPM). While writing the storyboard, I systematically applied these theories to select the most appropriate learning strategies to communicate the content based on the lesson’s learning objectives.

Challenges & Opportunities

Instead of a simple frame-based storyboard, I decided to use the storyboard template our instructional designers use at work. It’s a screen-based template that uses Microsoft Word Styles to segment the various instructional components, such as screen content, graphics, programming, and assessment items.

To understand how I used Clark’s and Merrill’s theories, consider one of the objectives in the WBT:

When given graphic media of the follow-through motion of a tennis player’s one-handed backhand, the learner will be able to identify whether a backhand shot is hit with topspin (emphasis mine).

According to Merrill’s CPM, the content focus is conceptual: learners need to know what a topspin backhand is. The expected performance is to apply the concept because learners will need to look at visual media of a backhand, and then determine if the tennis player hit the ball with topspin. Clark’s CDT informs me that a good instructional strategy to use for Apply Concept is to provide examples and non-examples.

To design the content for this particular learning objective, I provided graphic descriptions that called for photographic examples of a topspin backhand to support the screen content. To further solidify the concept of topspin for learners, I also used a short video clip of a tennis player hitting a topspin backhand. For non-examples, I specified photos of flat and underspin backhands to help learners differentiate them from topspin.

Results

The 31-page detailed storyboard guided the development of the WBT that supported four enabling objectives with approximately 20 screens, four reflective questions, and three assessment items.

Personal & Professional Development

Specifying the use of photos and video in the WBT provided me with the challenge of selecting appropriate media to support the content. I learned the importance of using media for instructional value rather than trying to make my tutorial look cool.

I’m glad I used a more detailed storyboard. I think it made a huge difference when I had to build the lesson using the Udutu learning content management system. The detailed notes and instructions made it very easy to “program” instruction. With all the screen’s details clearly delineated, there was no room for second-guessing.

Most certainly applying Clark’s and Merrill’s theories and strategies will be one of my staple methodologies in my instructional design toolkit as I continue to write WBTs in the workplace.

—
References:
Clark, R. C. (1999). Developing technical training: A structured approach for developing classroom and computer-based instructional materials (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Pfeiffer.

Merrill, M.D. (1983). Component display theory. In C.N. Reigeluth (ed.) Instructional design theories and models: An overview of their current status. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.