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DYNAMIC INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN (DID) MODEL The Dynamic Instructional Design model, or DID is based on designing technology infused instruction and focuses on creating an effective learning environment for the students. This model is very learner-centered that includes special steps such as identifying the learning styles of the learners and establishing a comfortable learning environment. There is the opportunity for feedback at each stage of the Dynamic Instructional Model, to improve the pace and depth of the lesson and to reach the learners most effectively.

Step 1: Know the Learners: The first step in designing instruction (teaching) is to know the characteristics of your learners so that the teaching will benefit them. The characteristics include their development stage (physical & cognitive), cultural/language backgrounds, skills and knowledge they already have, individual characteristics (learning styles, cognitive styles, types of intelligence), similarities and differences as a group, and their effects on the design of instruction. Feedbacks obtained in this step (internal feedbacks) and those obtained after completing the step (external feedbacks) must be used in designing your instruction. Step 2: State Learning Outcomes: Outcomes are statements of what students will achieve as a result of instruction, i.e. what students can do at the end of the lesson. Example: At the end of this lesson, students will be able to identify the subject and verb in sentences. Bloom (1956) had classified cognitive domain of learning outcomes into six categories: (1) Knowledge, (2) Comprehension, (3) Application, (4) Analysis, (5) Synthesis, and (6) Evaluation. Step 3: Establish the Learning Environment: Learning environment includes all the physical and educational aspects that support teaching and learning, for example, seating arrangement, lighting intensities, friendly competition and gradual difficulty. We need to arrange for: (1) excellent physical space when it can be maximally adjusted to meet learner diversity to promote interactivity, active learning and positive interaction; (2) excellent classroom climate when it is flexible and meets the needs of diversity of learners and promotes cooperative, friendly competitive and active learning; and (3) excellent in attitudes when teacher attitude is always positive and encouraging, friendly and nurturing; while students show high confidence and willing to take risks. Step 4: Identify Teaching and Learning Strategies: Teaching strategies are the methods a teacher will use to help students to achieve learning outcomes; while learning strategies are the techniques and activities that a teacher plans for his/her students to do, to achieve the outcomes. The combination and implementation of planned teaching and learning is called pedagogy. Teaching and learning strategies can be considered as a pedagogical cycle, that comprises of eight steps: (1) Provide a pre-organizer (tell students their responsibilities), (2) Use motivators (use objects to engage students in learning), (3) Build bridges to prior knowledge (connect new content to previous knowledge), (4) Share learning outcomes (inform students about learning objectives), (5) Introduce new knowledge (use methods & media to present new content), (6) Reinforce knowledge (use examples, models, formative feedback to reinforce content), (7) Provide practical experience (let students do activities related to content), and (8) Review lesson contents (reinforce content through verbal, visual and auditory review). Step 5: Identifies and Select Technologies: Instructional technologies are the tools used to support the teaching and learning strategies planned by the teacher. In this step, you need to select technological tools that are appropriate for your teaching and learning strategies, and are available to you. You also have to decide how and when to use these technologies. These technologies include audio (cassette tapes, radio, talking books, multimedia CD, models/real objects), visual (videotapes,

video discs, overhead projector) and digital (computer hardware, educational software, webcasts, internet sources) technologies. Step 6: Plan a Summative Evaluation: The last step in instructional design is to plan for a summative evaluation to evaluate the effectiveness of the design, and to make appropriate revisions in order to improve the design. This can be done through your own evaluation on the effectiveness of your lesson, or ask your students to fill up questionnaire form on various components of the design. However, the ultimate evaluation is your students' performance. If your students do not perform well, you need to check all the earlier steps in your design, and determine where it has gone wrong. Therefore, both the students' achievement and the summative feedbacks can be used to improve the design.