EDUC.

542 Instructional Design

Student:

Morgan Stacy
Morgan.Stacy@sckans.edu

Assignment Title: Project B Learner Analysis

Course:
Course Instructor:

EDUC. 542 Instructional Design

Dr. Vickie Cummings

Project B Learner Analysis

Cognitive Characteristics
General Characteristics
My target audience consists of a couple hundred sixteen-seventeen year old high school
students. Most of them are taking Biology I for the first, but since Biology I is a required class to
graduate there are some repeat students. Over half of the students taking Biology I are ELL
students ranging in WAPT scores from a two to six. The WAPT score is how students are
classified in the ELL department. The lowest score, one, is for students who do not speak any
English, and a six is reserved for fluent students. In order to better understand my learners I am
going to look at the level of language development, reading level, and visual literacy level of my
students. By assessing them in these three categories I will be able to tailor the curriculum to
better fit their needs.
As I have stated before more than half of my biology classes are ELL students with
limited English speaking abilities. One of the first things ELL students learn in school is the
ability to speak in English, but their vocabulary only consists of conversational English. One of
my biggest goals with my curriculum is to help students expand their science vocabulary so they
will be able to read, speak, and write better in order to increase their overall score in my class, as
well as on the Biology End of Instruction exam.
Reading level is also a big weakness among the students at Guymon High School. One
of the biggest causes of low reading levels in a lack of English proficiency, but also a lack of
practice. Less than half of my Biology students from the 2014-2015 school year passed the
Biology End of Instruction exam (EOI), and that is because the students didnt know what the

questions was asking them. They lack the basic science vocabulary and reading comprehension
skills needed to be successful in and science course. As a result, I am going to pack my
curriculum with tons of chances to read and be exposed to non-fiction texts that will help
improve language acquisition and read comprehension.
Last, another reason my students had low EOI score is because they lack proficiency in
visual literacy. Learner factors that have been postulated to influence ability to decode visuals
are age, experience, culture, and training (Smith & Ragan, 2005, Pg. 59). Many of my students
have different cultural backgrounds that would allow for differences in read graphs and charts,
but if I could provide them with one common way of reading and using the information then they
can all become proficient no matter what their culture or level of experience. Many of the labs in
my curriculum are geared at reading and creating graphs and charts, which I think will help
improve visual literacy drastically among all students.
Specific Prior Knowledge
All of the students in my class have to have passed Physical Science before coming to
Biology I. Physical Science is split of into two major parts: Chemistry and Physics. It is in this
class that the students learn the basics of Chemistry that they will be able to apply in Biology to
learn how major biological processes function. Although they have seen certain material before
it doesnt mean they retained it over the course of the summer, this is why I am going to review
most important Physical Science concepts before they have to apply the information to learning
something new. Second, most of the students in my class come to Biology with a strong
background in cells and their structures. We benchmark students at the beginning of each year
before we start teaching them Biology, and they almost always score proficient on the cell

objectives. This will allow me to spend less time on cell structure content, and more time in an
area where Guymon students struggle. At Guymon High school there is a high turnover of
students, and therefor I teach many students who have not been through the Guymon Public
school system. These students do not fit the mold for specific knowledge that most students
fit, and therefor should be assumed that they have learned nothing before. This is especially true
of students from refugee countries that have not attended school for the entire sixteen to
seventeen years of their life, and are only doing so in America because it is the law.
Physiological Characteristics
The students in my class can range anywhere from fifteen to eighteen years old, but most
are sixteen. There is a fair mix of both males and females in my classroom, and none of the
students have any major health problems. The only concern I could see is if a student was
autistic, or had other sensory issues. My classroom is loud in general because most of the work
is done in groups, and I play music every day. I do allow students who dont like the noise to sit
in the hallway to work, or go to the library. I have also had several autistic students whom I sit
near the door, which makes for an easy exit if they get overly anxious because of the noise.
Affective Characteristics
My students are divided into two major groups, as far as interests, which makes it very
easy for me when planning lessons. Students are either athletic and thrive from competition, or
artistic, or both. I like to balance the class with several projects that address all types of students
so no one gets left out. I also encourage students to share their interests so I can design a lesson
that will interest them, if they do not fit in with the interests of the rest of the class. Students
tend to be more motivated to learn when their interests are being met, or when they can see how

they will use the information in the future after they graduate HS. The students at Guymon dont
have high regard for sciences because they are not needed in most jobs, but the students are
highly curious and ask questions. Overall, I think it has to do more with cultural aspects of
science, and not whether the student is interested. I have very few students who have anxieties
over their grades, and most of the times these students need not be anxious because they always
produce the best work. I have noticed that during an athletes season, the student is more likely
to be worried about his or her grade, but at other times in the school year they dont care as
much. Last, students attribute success or failure to how hard they work. I have had students who
state they tried really hard on a test, but dont make a very good grade. They dont realize that
you have to try hard all of the time, and not some of the time. This type of attitude is much
easier to work with than a student who blames a teacher or other circumstance, which hardly
ever happens in my classroom. Overall attitude towards biology has to do with level of interest
and subject matter. If I can keep my curriculum trendy and interesting then attitudes will be
positive and students will engage.
Social Characteristics
One of my favorite things about my classes are how well the students interact with each
other. The students seem to be a tight knit group, and although they dont always get along, they
respect each other. This makes group discussion and other group work much easier, because
students are used to each other and respectful of one another. They stick together at all times,
especially if they are coming up against an authority figure. I have not had any problems as a
teacher, but I know attitudes towards administrators are pretty poor. Students blame
administrators for everything, and have a very general dislike for anyone in charge. Second,
competition between my students is strong, and they always enjoy playing games or doing

activities where they can compete against one another. They prefer that I put them into groups so
they can work with new people each times, and have a great respect for each other as peer and
competitors. Their overall positive attitude during competition makes it more for me, and makes
managing classroom competition a breeze. Last, when students are competing there is most
often a language barrier in groups, but students are very eager to learn each others language in
order to work better with one another. Although the race and culture of the school is very diverse
the socioeconomic status of the students is very low. I have many students who must work to
help pay bills, and therefor I very rarely give out homework. A curriculum that can be completed
in class with little to no homework is important in this type of atmosphere.
Design Implications
After reviewing the characteristics of the learners I have found that my curriculum needs
to be as diverse as the group of students who make of my class. The overall pace of curriculum
might be slower than most other classroom because of language barriers and low reading levels.
As a result I will be able have students work at their own pace depending on language and
reading level, and students will be able to go as deep in to content as they need or want to go.
One of the biggest ways I will address the diversity of learners with low speaking and reading
levels is by providing a lot of hands on labs and activities for each concept. I will spend less
time providing notes and instructions, and allow more time for students to teach themselves
through the scientific process and hands-on learning. I also have the luxury of top of the line
technology which helps diversify texts according to reading level. The second major way I will
be able to address the diversity of students in my classroom is by assessing through project
menus. Students will be able to choose what medium is easiest for them, and show me their
proficiency on each standard. Last, I will try to involve pop culture or current events into every

unit to help students understand how they can use the information in their futures. This will
increase their engagement, understand, and make them more likely to look at biology with a
positive attitude. I will continue having students work mainly in groups, and continue with the
games and competitions, but I will focus more on vocabulary and visual literacy items while
playing the games. Last, I will increase the level of difficulty of labs to enable students to learn
how to create their own lab write-ups, as well as charts and graphs for displaying their data. This
will improve their understanding of process standards, while improving their visual literacy. All
of these improvements should help students increase their Biology EOI scores, their attitude
towards biology and their overall view of the sciences.

References
Smith, P. & Ragan, T. (2005). Instructional design (3rd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wilev & Sons.
Inc.