"A task analysis is a critical component in the instructional design process because it provides important information about the content and/or tasks that will form the basis for the instruction being developed."
(Brown & Green, p.60)
A content analysis is necessary to plan the content that the learning design will include, as well as how it will be sequenced. This content analysis has been constructed based on findings from our literature review and needs and knowledge gaps found in our needs and learner analyses.
With the goal of creating a comprehensive content analysis, we have used the Jonassen et al. task analysis framework, which consists of the following functions (Brown & Green, p.62):
Inventorying tasks: identifying tasks that need to be developed for instruction.
Describing tasks: the process of elaborating the tasks identified in the inventory.
Selecting tasks: prioritizing tasks and choosing those that are more feasible and appropriate if there is a large quantity of tasks.
Sequencing tasks and task components: defining the sequence in which instruction should occur in order to successfully facilitate learning.
Analyzing tasks and content level: describing the type of cognitive behavior, physical performance, or affective response required by the tasks.
Gen Ed teachers will need to understand what strategies can be implemented dependent on the levels of their ELL students.
Gen Ed Teachers will need to develop an approach for making content accessible to students using support resources.
Gen Ed teachers will need to analyze the effectiveness of the strategy or tool used for their ELL students.
Culturally Responsive Teaching
Learn ways to gather information about ELL students' strengths, interests, and cultural backgrounds (Kaplan, 2019).
Incorporate ELL students' strengths, interests, and cultural backgrounds into content/differentiated material.
Apply clear and simplified language to lessons (such as avoiding idiomatic phrases).
Student Peer Groups with ELL & Non-ELL Students
Reflect on student groupings used in the past to accomplish specific objectives pertaining to learning (Elhadi, 2023).
Describe how specific strategic peer groupings can benefit ELL students at different proficiency levels.
Create strategic student peer groups based on scenarios and with the goal of building meaningful interactions.
Use of Technology
Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different technology platforms that can be used for students at different ELL levels (Knutson, 2023).
Identify which tech tools to use depending on the class content, learning objectives, and ELL level.
Implement the use of a tech tool in a lesson plan to support an ELL student in accomplishing the learning objectives.
Through our research, we uncovered that one of the most effective approaches to supporting our learners is through the use of scenarios and iterations on creative problem-solving. For example:
Gen Ed teachers will learn and be provided with a list of strategies and resources to pull from to apply to scenarios. Scenarios will allow Gen Ed teachers to implement what they’ve learned in a way that allows them to use their creativity and make mistakes without any repercussions during training.
A stated by Dirksen (2016, p.110), stories are essential to declarative or semantic memory. By including scenarios in which Gen Ed teachers need to solve a problem, this causes friction with the material and allows the learner to participate in using the tools or strategies learned in a low-stakes environment.
Based on these scenarios, Gen Ed teachers will be able to independently and collaboratively iterate on creatively implementing these strategies, which they will also apply to their real lesson plans for their actual ELL students. This will also involve peer feedback and self-evaluation.
This can be done by carefully leaving information out and leaving gaps in information (such as a first-person puzzle to solve) (Dirksen, 2016, p.136 & 144). Gen Ed teachers will come with a large amount of prior knowledge around teaching strategies and methods, therefore recognizing this and leaving gaps for teachers to fill in themselves when learning these strategies will better help them connect the reasoning behind using these strategies and better solidify in their memory.
Additionally, by collaborating with and receiving feedback from peers, this will allow for more in-depth discussions around implementing these ELL strategies by involving a variety of perspectives, as well as ensure accountability around applying the knowledge and making meaningful changes where needed (Dirksen, 2016, p.171-175).
Gen Ed teachers will learn specific strategies pertaining to differentiating and supporting ELL students.
Gen Ed teachers will develop approaches to support an ELL student using one or a variety of methods based on a scenario.
Gen Ed teachers will ideate a plan for an ELL student of their own for a future lesson by including one or more methods.
Gen Ed teachers will implement this plan and reflect on what they believe did and did not go well, as well as what they believe was lacking.
Gen Ed teachers will need to enter the training with knowledge of the levels of their ELL students and an open mind that supporting ELL students isn't one-size-fits-all.
Gen Ed teachers will need to be intrinsically motivated to help support their ELL students who need continued support outside of when they receive support from an ENL teacher.
Brown, Abbie H., and Green, Timothy D. The Essentials of Instructional Design : Connecting Fundamental Principles with Process and Practice, Third Edition, Routledge, 2015. ProQuest Ebook Central, https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/nyulibrary-ebooks/detail.action?docID=3569720.
Dirksen, Julie. Design For How People Learn. 2nd ed., New Riders, 2016.
Elhadi, Asciea. Collaborative Translation and Meaning Making: Using English Language Learners’ First Language as a Resource for Language Learning and Academic Achievement in the Classroom, University of Toronto (Canada), Canada -- Ontario, CA, 2023. ProQuest.
Kaplan, Emily. 6 Essential Strategies for Teaching English Language Learners, 2019.
Knutson, Jeff. Quality edtech for ELLs isn't easy to find, but great options do exist, 2023.