Essay on Discussion on the Instructional Unit

The Learning Theories Used

In this instructional unit, the learning process is based on the cognitivism theory as the students learn the way to solve mathematical problem discussed in the class. The teacher provides students with the key rules and examples with the help of which they can easily solve similar problems. The students can apply the learned model of solving problems involving adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing fractions.

2.2       The Instructional Strategies Used

The instructional strategies used in this unit help the students to better understand the subject. These strategies are based on Gagne’s and Wiggin’s theories of instruction. They include:

  • providing information about the major objectives of the lesson;
  • reviewing of the studied material;
  • supporting for the math students in learning new material in the form of providing visual images, such as colored cards, pictures;
  • providing practice in the form of online program assignments, the use of new technologies;
  • providing feedback by praising the best students and indicating the need for improvement of weak students;
  • collaborative learning represented by team work (in math games);
  • assessment of the students’ performance;
  • getting the students’ feedback about the lesson.

2.3       Explanation of how the Strategies, Activities and Assessments Address the Needs of Special Populations within the Instructional Audience

These strategies, activities and assessments address the needs of special populations within the Instructional audience because the 5-th grade gifted math students are offered an opportunity to improve their math skills and develop fluency with fraction concepts. Due to these strategies and activities, the students successfully solve math problems with fractions and even have a chance to assess their peers’ performance.

3.         Discussion of the Revisions Made to the Instructional Unit based on Learner Feedback and the Initial Evaluation of the Instructional Unit

3.1       How Feedback was Obtained

The learners’ feedback was obtained in the following way: the students were offered an opportunity to evaluate their lessons ”“ they used student journals, in which they “keep reflective accounts of their mathematics learning and processes of understanding” (Dogan, 2011, p. 421).

3.2       Description of the Learners’ Response to the Instructional Unit.

The students of the 5-th grade expressed their positive attitude towards math lessons and the quality of the knowledge they had got. For example, Mary Brown wrote in her journal: “I really liked my math lessons. It was very interesting for me to participate in games and assess the knowledge of my peers”. Bob Tailor wrote: “I had problems with fraction in the 4-th grade, but today I can easily manipulate fractions”. Liza Mabey wrote: “I liked everything in general, but the practice on computer in particular”.

3.3        The Initial Evaluation of the Instructional Unit

The Instructional Unit is well-organized. It contains the major sections (instructional goal of the unit, the appropriate audience, material list, task Analysis, performance objectives for tasks and subtasks, lesson plans, and description of assessment and evaluation methods. The Instructional problem is well identified. The major characteristics of the instructional unit represented in this paper are logical discussion, good structure, accuracy, the proper use of sources and additional material, and the compliance with the established norms of the new Common Core Standards.

 



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