FRIT 7430 – Instructional Design – Learner Analysis Assignment

Laurie Bryant – Summer, 2010

Introduction

Lavonia Elementary School is a public elementary school located in Franklin County, Georgia. The

enrollment at LES for the 2009-2010 school-year was 460 students with a free/reduced lunch population of

around 67%. The school is qualified under Title 1 guidelines to receive special funding. There are thirty-seven

certified teachers and sixty-nine staff members. The school has a nurse, an academic coach, two counselors,

a media specialist, a principal, and an assistant principal. The learning environment that serves as the

context for this learner analysis is my Reading/ELA/Writing fifth grade classroom. Ten out of 23 students

were chosen to participate in this study. The last names of the participants have been eliminated for

confidentiality purposes. The standards addressed in this study include:

Georgia Performance Standards:

ELA5R1.2. For informational texts, the student reads and comprehends in order to develop understanding

and expertise and produces evidence of reading that:

a. Locates facts that answer the reader’s questions.

d. Identifies and uses knowledge of common organizational structures (e.g. chronological order, logical
 order, cause and effect, classification schemes).

e. Distinguishes cause from effect in context.

g. Makes perceptive and well-developed connections.

h. Relates new information to prior knowledge and experience and makes connections to related topics or

information.

National Education Technology Standards:

#2. Communication and Collaboration

Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a

distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Students will:

a. Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital

environments and media.

b. Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and

formats.

c. Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.

Demographics

The data collected for demographic purposes was obtained during the school year by my own
observations. The data is included in the following table for my homeroom class.

Total – 23 students Classroom Demographics

# of students % of class population
Male students 11 48%
Female students 12 52%
White students 18 78%
Black students 1 4%
Hispanic students 4 17%
Students receiving free/reduced 20 87%
Students paying full price 3 13%
Students with disabilities 2 8%

Entry Skills and Prior Knowledge

The students involved in this learner analysis were assessed at the beginning of the school year with a

pre-test pertaining to the 5th grade Georgia Performance Standards using Testgate benchmark assessments.

The pre-tests were given in August, 2009. The tests are not created by classroom teachers, but by the

academic coaches from each of the four county public elementary schools. The Testgate data is summarized

in reports that are accessible to all the teachers at LES. The pre-tests are used to determine how students are

placed for differentiated instruction. The academic coach meets on a weekly basis with all grade level teachers

to analyze the data and to make decisions in classroom instruction. The following results have been acquired
by accessing the website, of which a password and account is needed. This data can be accessed at any time

it is needed by any of the teachers on staff. The educational and ability levels are focused on the Georgia

Performance Standard ELA5R1.2a.d.e. The data that is included in the table below shows the percentage of

correct answers for that particular standard presented on the pre-assessment. For example, Dawson scored a

100% on the element ELA5R1.2a, which means he answered all questions correctly regarding that particular

element, which was presented on the exam. However, Dawson scored 0.00% on the element ELA5R1.2e,

which means he did not answer any questions correctly regarding that particular element. Looking at the data

guides my whole-group instruction as well as small-group instruction. Since these are pre-test results, most

of the instruction will be whole-group until the students are tested again by a benchmark assessment. After

benchmark testing, my scores will help dictate who needs further small-group instruction with certain

standards and elements.

Also, the Star reading test is given to all fifth grade students at the beginning of the school year, mid-

year, and at the end of the year to track progress in reading levels. The Star reading data that is being used in

this learner analysis was given at the beginning of the school year as a pre-test. The tests for all participants

were administered during the month of August, 2009. The data was obtained by me through the Renaissance

Place website. Classroom teachers look at the GE (grade equivalent) and also the IRL (independent reading

level) to determine an approximate reading level for students. This is in order to guide students in choosing
books in which they can read independently. However, fifth grade students are not required to restrict their

reading to only AR leveled books. Students are encouraged to read books for enjoyment and to read books

that they find to be interesting. According to the IRL data presented in the table, only 10% of the participants

are reading at a 5th grade level when entering 5th grade. There are 70% at the 4th grade level and 20% at a 3rd

grade level. Students are placed at the IRL level to begin the year, and adjustments are made according to

how students perform on AR tests. The reason students are started on the IRL instead of the GE level is

because this is the level students should be able to read independently with success. Some students progress

rapidly and increase their reading levels very quickly.

Star Reading Pre-Test Testgate Testgate Testgate

Student
(August, 2009) ELA5R1.2a ELA5R1.2d ELA5R1.2e

*Alison GE 4.4, IRL 4.0 33.33% 0.00% 0.00%

*Dawson GE 5.3, IRL 4.6 100% 33.33% 0.00%

*Bryan GE 3.7, IRL 3.6 100% 100% 0.00%

*Brittany GE 5.7, IRL 5.0 100% 33.33% 100%

*Briana GE 5.2, IRL 4.6 100% 33.33% 50%

*Samantha GE 4.7, IRL 4.2 33.33% 33.33% 0.00%

*Austin GE 3.8, IRL 3.7 100% 33.33% 0.00%

*Keri GE 5.2, IRL 4.5 100% 100% 50%

*Edgar GE 5.6, IRL 4.9 100% 100% 50%

*Kelsey GE 5.0, IRL 4.4 33.33% 0.00% 50%

Academic Motivation

In the area of academic motivation, I simply interviewed the participating students as I conducted the

MI quiz. I asked specifically about reading motivation since a reading standard is being addressed in my unit.

Since my students have already taken the CRCT and received their scores, I asked them these questions in

regards to the past year. All of my students passed the reading portion on the CRCT.

Question #1: “What helped motivate you to achieve your reading scores this year?

Some comments on this question were…

-I like reading AR because I can choose my own books.

-The thing that motivated me was that I knew I had to pass the Reading on the CRCT to go to 6th grade.

-We got to read different novels in class, so that made it feel more like middle school, and I like that.

-I just like to read. I liked being a Millionaire Reader. (This was Dawson. He read a million words this year!)

-I don’t really like to read, but I knew I had to pass because of the CRCT. That’s what motivated me.
-I wanted to see if I could score higher than I did last year.

We always show the students what they made on the CRCT from the previous year and challenge them to

exceed. Many students like this because they are very competitive.

Question #2: “What reading strategy or activity did you like the most this year?

-The sticky notes and popcorn reading.

-The reading games we played like homophone Bingo.

-When we went over test-taking strategies.

-Using the Internet to do research when we read about the Black Frontiers.

-Wax Museum

Motivational Strategies

According to John Keller, four simple components can be used to aid in motivating instruction in a

classroom setting. Those components make up the ARCS Motivation Theory…Attention, Relevance, Confidence,

and Satisfaction (ARCS-motivation). The ARCS Model is derived from several motivational theories and

concepts, which includes the expectancy-value theory. In this theory, “effort” is “identified as the major

measurable motivational outcome” (Small, 1997). In order for “effort” to conceive, two necessary factors must

be present: (1) the person must value the task and (2) the person must believe he or she can succeed at the
task (Small, 1997). For an instructional environment, the “learning task needs to be presented in a way that is

engaging and meaningful to the student, and in a way that promotes positive expectations for the successful

achievement of learning objectives” (Small, 1997). In reference to the four categories of ARCS, the Satisfaction

and Confidence areas are the ones that will be addressed in this section. Motivational challenges in these two

areas have been identified as students needing support with intrinsic reinforcement, which is a component of

the Satisfaction area, and expectancy of success, which is a component of the Confidence area.

The Satisfaction component of ARCS addressed intrinsic reinforcement, extrinsic rewards, and equity

(ARCS-motivation). Fifth grade students need encouragement and support to build an intrinsic enjoyment of

the learning process, and in order to help them achieve this, strategies must be put into place in the learning

environment. The motivational strategy that I plan to implement in my classroom to help with intrinsic

reinforcement is to invite former students to come back to my classroom after they have been in middle and

high school, and let them provide testimonials on how their reading skills have helped them. The former

students can describe how the reading skills have helped them with homework and projects. Also, adults

could visit during a “Career Day” and provide stories of how reading skills have helped them in their jobs or

professions.

The Confidence component of ARCS addressed expectancy for success, challenge setting, and

attribution molding (ARCS-motivation). Fifth grade students need encouragement and support to also build
confidence in their performance requirements and expect success. Expectancy for success begins with making

learners aware of what is expected of them and what the standards are in a unit of study. Having high

expectations and having an environment where students are allowed to express themselves with opinions and

thoughts can build the confidence needed for success. Showing students a rubric before a unit begins can

also build confidence because students are not playing a guessing game as to what is expected of them and

how they can attain a certain level of satisfaction. This is a strategy that is commonplace in my classroom,

whether it is a rubric or a checklist. Tomlinson states that teachers who teach for success, know exactly what

the needs of the students are and knows how to get them there by using benchmarks and scaffolding

instruction (1999, p. 33). She also makes the comment that in a healthy classroom, a teacher must consider

herself/himself as a winning coach, so as to make the students feel successful as well. In my classroom, there

is a sense of teamwork, and I’ve always considered myself a coach for my students. I will continue to utilize

this strategy in my classroom to fulfill this component...cheering and encouraging my students just as a

coach should!

Educational and Ability Levels

The educational and ability levels in my classroom are broad. According to the Star reading

assessments, students participating in this study range in reading levels from 3rd grade to upper 5th grade. Of
the ten students, one has a learning disability and there are two Hispanic students. Alison, the one student in

my study group with a learning disability, was diagnosed with a mass on her brain when she was 9 years old.

Due to her condition, she developed seizures, which has caused a disruption in her learning process skills.

Some of the skills involved include language and math, specifically any skills that require a process or

memorization. Fortunately, she developed many of her reading skills, such as decoding and vocabulary

acquisition before the seizures began. According to Pressley (2000), the skill of reading is “often thought of as

a hierarchy of skills, from processing of individual letters and their associated sounds to word recognition to

text-processing competencies.” Since Alison developed these particular skills at any early age, before the brain

mass, she can read fluently, but she still struggles with comprehension. Many strategies are needed to

comprehend a text, such as making predictions before reading, finding connections with people or events in

the text, and being able to use context clues to determine the meanings of unfamiliar words. In order to help

Alison with her comprehension, a scaffolding of strategies and extensive teacher explanation with modeling

would result in her independently using these strategies with confidence (Pressley, 2000). An issue that could

develop, although I have not seen it in her to date, might be the lack of confidence and the fear of failure

because of her learning disability. “For most people, anxiety about failing is what motivates them to succeed,

but for people with learning disabilities, this anxiety can be paralyzing. Educators need to be aware of these

fears to help learners understand that failure does not make them a failure and making mistakes is a part of
the learning process” (Top 5). One strategy to help Alison keep her self-confidence and deter a fear of failure is

to help her come up with some creative ways and innovative strategies that she can use to help herself when

she is learning a new skill (Top 5).

My classroom has become more culturally diverse as the years have gone by, and this year challenged

my understanding of the Hispanic culture, as I had four Hispanic students in my homeroom. Of the four

students, two participated in this study, Edgar and Bryan. Both of these boys have unique qualities of always

giving their best at everything they do, and they also have very loving and respectful personalities. In

responding to their specific learning needs, Bryan required more attention in his English vocabulary than

Edgar. Edgar’s family speaks English very well and did not require an interpreter during parent conferences,

however, Bryan’s mother requested an interpreter since she speaks in broken English. Edgar is not an ESOL

student, but Bryan has not tested out of ESOL because his language skills are still weak. A strategy to help

Bryan with his language skills, as recommended in the article from the National Association for the Education

of Young Children, is to encourage dialogue with his peers and teachers. This is one of the best ways to

facilitate second language learning for him (Linguistic and cultural, 1999). The one characteristic that I

observed with all of my Hispanic students was that they were quiet and rarely would ask questions in class

on their own. If I asked one of them specifically, there was a kind and respectful response, but rarely a
response initiated by them. In the workshop report, Cultural Diversity and Early Education (1994), Phillips and

Crowell report,

“Claude Goldenberg described his experience with Latino children, whose mothers tend to use highly

directive patterns of communication. As a result, these children might expect to be cued to participate

in classroom discussions. Goldenberg observed that extending wait-time and absent cuing, had no

effect on some of these children’s participation; explicit cuing, on the other hand, enhanced both cued

and spontaneous participation. The context in which children are most comfortable talking in groups

also appears somewhat culture bound.”

To meet the needs of all of my Hispanic learners, I will incorporate a strategy of encouraging dialogue, but

using this strategy more often as small peer group discussions instead of whole-group discussion.

One more student that I would like to focus on in this section is Austin. Austin is a conflicted and

confused child. I taught Austin in third grade, too, so I felt like I knew him fairly well before I taught him this

year in fifth grade. Austin is very intelligent, but in his case, he does not apply himself. At times, his academic

abilities did not show on tests, and this frustrated me. He has a very confusing home life, and his parents are

divorced. His one and only older brother dropped out of high school, so he does not have any male role

models to help guide him in his education. His Star reading pre-test score was a third grade reading level, but

when I saw that, I had the feeling he did not apply himself while taking the test to show his true intelligence.
Austin did pass all the sections of the CRCT this year, and his reading level went up to a 5th grade level. It

breaks my heart when a child has the educational ability to succeed, but does not apply it. Motivational

strategies, such as encouragement, are mainly what Austin needs to keep his momentum going. He gets into

a lot of fights because he lets his emotions take over. He continues to stay on my mind because the thoughts

of him following in his brother’s shoes, is such an overwhelming factor in his future success as a student.

Learner Characteristics

Learners can remember more of the information given them, if more of the brain is involved during the

learning process (Overview). It only makes sense that “intelligence is multifaceted, not a single thing”

(Tomlinson, 1999, p. 18). According to Smith (2008), “Gardner claimed that the seven intelligences rarely

operate independently. They are used at the same time and tend to complement each other as people develop

skills or solve problems.” In order to meet the needs of my learners, a multiple intelligences test was

conducted to gain a deeper understanding of their learning styles. The MI test, How Many Ways Are You

Smart? , is designed specifically for young learners, and I obtained it from www.lauracandler.com. The test

was conducted with some of the learners at the school (parents brought them back to the school because we

had already dismissed for summer break), some parents took them home for their children to complete (I took

the tests by the parents’ workplaces), and a couple of learners completed them over the phone as I asked the
questions. After analyzing the results, I could see the learning styles in each of these children. I made some

comments in the table to validate the results from the quiz and from my own observations in the classroom.

The learning styles obtained from the article, Overview of Learning Styles, include…

*Visual/Spatial (picture smart) – preference of pictures and images and spatial understanding
*Auditory/Musical (music smart) – preference of sound and music
*Verbal/Linguistic (word smart) – prefer using words, both in spoken and written language
*Physical/Kinesthetic (body smart) – prefer using the body and hands to solve problems
*Logical/Mathematical (number smart) – prefer using logic, reasoning, and systems
*Social/Interpersonal (people smart) – preference of learning in groups or with other people
*Solitary/Intrapersonal (self smart) – prefer to work alone and use self-study
*Naturalistic (nature smart) – prefer to work in nature or outdoor surroundings

Results from the MI quiz are as follows…

How Many Ways Prominent Comments
Are You Smart? Intelligence
Austin Music, Body Austin is a very active young man and always loved it when we learned
material with music.
Bryan Body, People In the previous section about my Hispanic learners, the statement
about their culture wanting to communicate and learn in groups must
hold true since he is people smart.
Samantha Picture, Body Samantha is a very good artist and she plays softball.
Alison Nature, Music, Alison enjoys singing and she learns best in a group or with a partner.
People Could this be because of her learning disability?
Keri Nature, Number, Keri is one of my best all-around students. As you can see, she has
Word, Picture many prominent intelligences.
Briana Nature, Music, Briana is a dancer and is very social.
Body, People
Brittany Word, Picture, Brittany is very verbal and is an excellent writer.
Body
Dawson Body, People, Dawson plays football. He works great in groups, or he does very well
Self working on his own because he is a very self-motivated learner.
Edgar Number, People Edgar wasn’t really into reading and writing as much as he liked math.
He is also Hispanic and is very quiet in class. He very seldom would
offer any information out loud in class, but would communicate in
groups.
Kelsey Number, Picture, Kelsey is not crazy about reading, but loves math. She is usually fairly
People quiet, but is quite comical. She has a great dry wit and loves to be
around her friends.

Accommodations

Accommodations for children with special needs and for children of other languages are vital in a

classroom environment. Children with special needs have an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) developed to

address specific learning goals and to identify specific appropriate accommodations within the classroom

setting. In order for students to achieve success with the standards being taught, teachers sometimes have to

modify the materials being used when those instructional materials create a barrier to student learning (Lenz

& Schumaker, 2003). The adaptations may mean changing the amount of information or the content or

presenting the content in a different way (Lenz & Schumaker, 2003). Children with special needs can also

benefit from using appropriate assistive technology resources. Since special needs children have a variety of

specific learning disabilities, accommodations can be many and varied. Specific learning disabilities, other

health impaired, emotional-behavior disorders, Tourette’s Syndrome, autism, ADD, ADHD, physical

handicaps, deafness, blindness, among many others are all special needs that need some type of
accommodation that is specific to meet individual needs. Some accommodations could include, but are not

limited to (Knoblauch, 1998),

*word processor with a spell checker

*assistive technology such as Big Keys keyboard from Big Keys Company
*allowing extra time
*graphic organizers
*reduced assignments
*peer partners or buddies to help in taking notes
*preparing study guides
*using audiotapes
*interactive computer programs that read texts
*give directions in steps and repeat directions
*use pictures and graphs to illustrate the text
*reduce distractions
*use “word windows” while reading
*amplification devices to be worn by the teacher and student such as those from AbleData (I had to wear one
this year for the first time because I had a student with hearing loss)

Differentiating instruction is an important step in addressing the needs of individual learners. Special

needs children can feel successful and can be successful in the classroom when their individual needs are

met (Huggins, Huyghe, & Iljkoski). “Co-teaching can be an effective instructional model for meeting individual

student needs” (Huggins et al.). A special needs child may have specific instructional models put into place

through the IEP. If co-teaching is specifically an accommodation, some strategies to build a positive and

successful model can be introduced to the educators who will be working with that child. Professionals should

consider teaching methods, classroom management, class size, course content, and least restrictive
environment. Many other factors also need to be considered, but administrators need to remember a key

factor in all of co-teaching is compatibility among the professional educators working together in a co-

teaching model. Those teachers working together need to be able to make time for collaboration so that the

needs of individual students can be discussed and evaluated on a regular basis (Huggins et al.).

Peer Review Feedback

Changes made in the final draft according to the peer feedback were…

-Grammatical corrections (3) in the introduction

-Giving more narrative details to explain the data in the table in the entry skills and prior knowledge section

-Moving some information that was in the academic motivation area to the motivational strategy area

-Added another student from the study to the educational and ability levels section

-Added another strategy to the motivational strategy area

 References

AbleData. Your source for assistive technology information. Retrieved 8 June, 2010 from,
http://www.abledata.com

ARCS-motivation theory. Retrieved on 7 June, 2010 from, http://ide.ed.psu.edu/idde/ARCS.htm

Big Keys Company. Big Keys keyboards. Retrieved on 8 June, 2010 from, http://www.bigkeys.com

How many ways are you smart? Multiple intelligences test. Retrieved on 1 June, 2010 from,
http://www.lauracandler.com

Huggins, M., Huyghe, J., & Iljkoski, E. (n.d.). Council for Exceptional Children. Co-teaching 101: Lessons from
the trenches. Retrieved on 8 June, 2010 from, http://www.cec.org/

Knoblauch, B. (October 1998). Council for Exceptional Children. Teaching children with Tourette Syndrome.
Retrieved on 8 June, 2010 from, http://www.cec.org/

Lenz, K. & Schumaker J. (July 2003). Council for Exceptional Children. Adapting language arts, social studies,
and science materials for the inclusive classroom. Retrieved on 8 June, 2010 from, http://www.cec.org/

National Association for the Education of Young Children. (1999). Linguistic and cultural diversity-building on
America’s strengths. Retrieved on 7 June, 2010 from,
http://www.pbs.org/kcts/preciouschildren/diversity/read_linguistic.html

Overview of learning styles. Retrieved on 7 June, 2010 from, http://www.learning-styles-online.com

Phillips, D. & Crowell, N. A. (Eds.). (1994). Cultural diversity and early education-report of a workshop.
Retrieved on 6 June, 2010 from, http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=9197&page=R1

Pressley, M. (2000). Comprehension instruction: What works. Retrieved on 7 June, 2010 from,
http://www.ldonline.org/article/68
Small, R. V. (1997). Motivation in instructional design: The ARCS model of motivational design. Retrieved on 7
June, 2010 from, http://www.ericdigests.org/1998-1/motivation.htm

Smith, M. K. (2008). Howard Gardner and multiple intelligences: The encyclopedia of informal education.
Retrieved on 7 June, 2010 from, http://www.infed.org/thinkers/gardner.htm

Tomlinson, C. A. (1999). The differentiated classroom: Responding to the needs of all learners. Alexandria, VA:
ASCD.

Top 5 emotional difficulties of people with learning disabilities. Retrieved on 7 June, 2010 from,
http://ldpride.net/emotions.htm

Appendix

*Multiple Intelligence quizzes of learners who participated in this study.

Bryan Samantha Briana Dawson

Austin Keri Brittany Alison

Please see the rubric in the assignment for details on scores.

Category Points Possible Points Earned

Learners 3 3
Gardner 2 2
Special needs 2 2
Culture/Ethnicity 2 2
Motivation 2 2
Peer Review 2 2
Form 2 2
Total 15 15

Notes:

You did a great job on this assignment. The orientation of your pages is non-standard and the font is too.
APA “sticklers” would want Times New Roman, 12-point font.