Model Project Outline

Model Project
IDE 632
James T. Chiarchiaro
Michael Davis

Our designs starts with a gap, it is our expectation that the client will come to us with a performance gap in mind and we will assess whether that gap is “true” and whether we can offer a solution for it. This will encompass a review of the social factors, environmental concerns and individual concerns. A review of these items will allow us to assess the need for an educational intervention. As our model indicates, there is a return to the client if the initial assessment suggests and educational solution will not resolve the gap, thus we would have to decline the job. Should we feel an educational solution would resolve the issue we would proceed with constructing the model.

We have chosen at this stage to follow a portion of the Diamond Model in seeking to promote the “ideal” solution. Diamond explains this as the perfect answer to the issue prior to the constraints of any kind being introduced, especially mental restraints. The ideal process would involve the bringing together of all interested parties, stakeholders, gatekeepers, actual clients and faculty who have vested interest in this project. Our first task is to include all these parties together to get all the necessary feedback and knowledge to begin with the front end analysis portion of the model. We feel as novice instructional designers our best plan of action is to use a model that includes feedback and ideas from multiple sources so if the model fails than it will be perceived that “our” model failed not “my” model failed. Considering that we are dealing with a project that centers on the field of higher education, portions of the Diamond Model can help us design the model for this project.

The gap/performance problem is our client coming to us with an identified problem. In this case our client is the Syracuse University Athletic Department. The environmental factors we will review to determine if the issue can be resolved without instruction. Can we alter the environment first to elicit the response we want or do we have to implement instruction? With regard to individual concerns and instructional problems, we will determine the effects that an instructional solution can have in answering these concerns and solving those problems. If the issue can be solved through instruction than we will move forward with designing an id model, if not than we return to our client (the Syracuse University Athletic Department) and explain that we can’t solve their issues as instructional designers.

As you look at our model, you will see the continuing processing of social factors, individual concerns, instructional problems and environmental factors in a reciprocal format very similar to Albert Bandura’s reciprocal determinism. We decided to add this concept to our model because it would best depict the revolving correlation and influence that all four factors will have in deciding if it is an instructional problem. Once we have decided that we have an instructional problem, our next action is to design the id model as to be the most ideal method of instruction. To design a model in the most ideal sense, we mean that there are no financial, technological, labor or time constraints that we have to factor in as we design the model. We design the model as if we have no constraints whatsoever and then when the ideal model is done we can chisel the model appropriately according to the constraints that exist.