Brendle+Needs+Assessment

Instructional Design Unit

__**Needs Assessment**__


 * Overview **

Have a research question? Just Google it! Born into a wired world, millennial students and library patrons want quick and easy search results and often do not care about the accuracy or validity of their findings. They believe that whatever the computer retrieves is accurate and valid. The millennial population must learn to become more savvy in their internet searches lest they become victims of ignorance and fraud. They must learn to be critical researchers and consumers. This project explores the need for direct instruction in evaluating websites.


 * Actual Situation (based on student performance) **

1. Direct observation: I have been an English teacher for 20 years and have witnessed the massive changes in the way the world finds information. With the advent of mega search engines, students doing research use Google or Yahoo assuming they will find all the information they need. Given a research assignment, students pick a keyword to type into the keyword box and pull up thousands of items. They feel that they are doing great research! They then click on and print the first several items so that they have enough sources for their Works Cited or Bibliography. Or, they will begin with one source on the first page of results and proceed to cut and paste from the site onto their word document. I have witnessed students plagiarize from websites and include the grammar errors on the website without even realizing the website was flawed. The students think that if it is on the screen and someone "published" it, it must be accurate. They do not even check if the website is accurate; they use the information from the site in their citations without considering its source.


 * While there are a plethora of needs here, one pressing need is learning to critically evaluate a website's content, credibility, organization, and timeliness **.


 * Desired / Optimal Situation: (focused on results) **

The student can determine if a website is suitable for his research needs. He has the knowledge and ability to complete the following at an independent level: 1. find and evaluate the website's author or creator, 2. find and evaluate the date of posting, 3. find evidence of ongoing maintenance, 4. evaluate the accuracy, thoroughness, and objectivity of the content, and 5. evaluate the website's organization and presentation.

6. The student can articulate, verbally or in writing, his analysis of the website's authority and potential usefulness in his research.


 * Gap Analysis (importance of the need) **

1. ODE standards The Ohio Department of Education has created a research strand in the Academic Content Standards for K-12 English Language Arts. The creators of this document determined certain skills that all Ohio students must do proficiently to get a high school diploma. Teachers are required to assess whether their students show proficiency in these target skills. If the teacher determines the student does not meet proficiency in the standard, then it is the teacher's job to provide direct instruction and assessment until the student shows proficiency of the skill. The ODE skill becomes a need in that the teacher and student are held accountable if the student cannot adequately perform the skill. The teacher creates lesson plans around the ODE standards, and the student must show proficiency in the targeted skill areas in order to pass the class, which ultimately permits graduation from high school. Teachers are held accountable by their employers to teach these skills, and parents may pursue legal action if the student does not graduate. So, the skill addressed in this project is a "need" in that it is required by law.

The research standard addressed in this project is in the ODE Academic Content Standards for English 11, Research standard 3, on page 257: "determine the accuracy of sources and the credibility of the author by analyzing the source's validity (e.g., authority, accuracy, objectivity, publication date and coverage, etc.)."

2. College Readiness One function of the ODE curriculum is to prepare secondary students for college work. In the college environment, students will be required to complete numerous and extensive research assignments. Colleges expect incoming freshmen to perform valid research and contribute to the discourse community. If students are reading invalid resources as the basis of their research, their research results will likewise be invalid. The consequences of faulty research could be failure in a course and even possibly failure to obtain a diploma. If students do not learn how to evaluate websites critically, their ability to perform college level research is jeopardized.

3. Life Skills Individuals who cannot critically evaluate a website are more likely to be victims of ignorance or fraud. In their personal and professional lives, these individuals may use faulty information to argue a point or complete a task. The invalid results may lead to unfavorable consequences such as ridicule, reprimand, or termination of duties. In the commercial world, these individuals may provide sensitive information or money to a site that is fraudulent. If time permitted, I would provide research evidence of internet fraud statistics. However, fraudulent internet activity is common knowledge and is regularly evident in the public news. Sinister individuals prey on the ignorant to commit internet fraud. It is the job of public education to prepare teens for their futures in college and beyond. We do our students a disservice if we do not help them become internet savvy.

4. Information Explosion With the massive number of websites popping up every day, web users are bombarded with information, much of which is sub-par, biased, or inaccurate.


 * Being information literate is not a luxury in the 21st century; it is necessary for success in school, career, and personal life. Educators must take leadership in bridging the gap so that our future professionals and consumers are web savvy and critical of all information they receive. **


 * It is clear that a gap exists in what students do and what they should do when given a research task. **

This gap exists for several reasons. First, students often don't grasp the fact that all websites aren't created equal. They believe that if the information is "published" then it is ok. This misconception can be adjusted with guided analysis and direct experience with poor quality sites. Second, students are often willing to sacrifice quality for quickness and /or for quantity. Much library research indicates that patrons are happy to find a source that is "good enough" even if better sources are out there but need to be tracked down. This problem is partially due to motivation or attitude, but direct instruction on searching and determining the credibility of sources can help bridge the gap. Third, students may not care that a source is invalid. Some instruction may help, but bridging this gap requires an adjustment in long term attitude and motivation and cannot be achieved in this assignment. Finally, some students do not have the skills and/or knowledge to determine a website's credibility; direct instruction can at least set the groundwork for effective searching.

Thus, this needs analysis suggests that direct instruction on how to evaluate a website would be beneficial.


 * Goal of Instruction: (clear, accurate, succinct) **

The student will be able to independently determine if a website is appropriate for his academic research.