Running head: SEQUENCE AND STRATEGIES 1

Instructional Sequence and Strategies: APA Formatting

Jeni Dulek

Trevecca Nazarene University

 SEQUENCE AND STRATEGIES 2

Instructional Sequence and Strategies: APA Formatting

Instructional Sequence

In order to create effective instruction, designers must attend to the sequence of content.

This allows learners to gain foundational knowledge before attempting to learn more complex or

higher-level information/tasks (Morrison, Ross, Kalman, & Kemp, 2013). Sequencing also

allows students to connect new knowledge to what they already know, which increases the

effectiveness of the instruction (Morrison et al., 2013). In order to efficiently provide instruction

for using American Psychological Association (APA) formatting (APA, 2010), proper

sequencing of objectives and instructions is necessary.

The method of sequencing selected for this instruction is the prerequisite method,

described by Gagne (as cited in Morrison et al., 2013, p. 122). The prerequisite method requires

organization of information/skills based on a hierarchy, with basic prerequisite skills being

taught first, and then proceeding to more complex learning/tasks. Using this method results in

the following order of instructional objectives addressing APA formatting (APA, 2010):

Content
Objective Domain Level Performance
Structure
1. The learner will explain the benefits
and purposes of using APA formatting in Affective Valuing Attitudes Recall
academic work.
2. The learner will list APA formatting
guidelines that apply to creating a Cognitive Remember Rules/Principles Recall
document.
3. The learner will summarize the use of
Cognitive Comprehension Facts Recall
paraphrasing in academic writing.
4. The learner will identify the need to
cite a source via an in-text citation when Cognitive Application Rules/Principles Application
paraphrasing the source.
5. The learner will compose an in-text
citation for information that has been Psychomotor Precision Procedures Application
paraphrased.
 SEQUENCE AND STRATEGIES 3

6. The learner will identify the need to

cite a source via an in-text citation when Cognitive Application Rules/Principles Application
quoting the source.
7. The learner will compose an in-text
citation for information that has been Psychomotor Precision Procedures Application
quoted.
8. The learner will develop an APA-
formatted reference list, including heading,
Psychomotor Precision Procedures Application
alphabetization, hanging indents, spacing,
and citation sequence.

Here, expected skills and knowledge are ordered from more foundational to more

complex (e.g. summarize, identify, compose), and also grouped according to topic (e.g.

paraphrasing then quoting). Although the act of quoting may be viewed as more complex than

paraphrasing, this order allows the learner to build on the previously-acquired knowledge of

formatting an in-text citation for a paraphrase by adding the page number to the end of the

citation when quoting. In this way, instruction of in-text citations for paraphrasing is prerequisite

to that of quoting. This order of objectives builds toward creating an APA-formatted document

including a properly-formatted reference list from the sources included in the in-text citations.

Instructional Strategies

In order for instruction to be effective, it must cause the learner to become actively

engaged with the material (Morrison et al., 2013). The following presentation and generative

strategies will be used to teach APA formatting (APA, 2010):

Objective 4: Identify the need to cite a source via an in-text citation when paraphrasing the

source. (Principle/Application)

Motivational Strategy: Ask the learner to identify the possible consequences of not citing a

source when paraphrasing information taken from that source. Discuss the consequences for

both academic and professional contexts.

SEQUENCE AND STRATEGIES 4

Initial Presentation: First, review the definition of paraphrasing and what it looks like in

student work. Second, state the APA rule that all paraphrased material must be cited (APA,

2010).

Generative Strategy: Give examples of source material and related student work, and have

learners identify where in the work a citation is required due to the presence of paraphrased

material.

Objective 7: Compose an in-text citation for information that has been quoted.

(Procedure/Application)

Initial Presentation: First, present an example of an in-text citation for quoted material.

Second, demonstrate and describe how to generate the author portion of the citation for one to

seven or more authors. Include APA rules about using only last names, ampersands, and “et al.”

Third, demonstrate and describe how to locate the year of publication for sources such as journal

articles, books, and websites. Fourth, explain that the page number is required for citing quoted

material. Lastly, return to the example and demonstrate the process for creating it in a step-by-

step manner, describing the process as each step is completed.

Generative Strategy: Provide learners with a source and several quotes. Ask them to practice

creating in-text citations for these quotes. Repeat with additional sources (books, journal

articles, varying numbers of authors, etc.) for varied practice.

SEQUENCE AND STRATEGIES 5

References

American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American

Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological

Association.

Morrison, G. R., Ross, S. M., Kalman, H. K., & Kemp, J. E. (2013). Designing effective

instruction. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.