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Design Project:
By
Nyeisha George-Minott
Date of submission:
Email: nyeisha.georgeminott@my.open.uwi.edu
Table of Conten
Executive Summary...................................................................................................................................3
Introduction...............................................................................................................................................4
Description of the Target Group...............................................................................................................8
Literature Review....................................................................................................................................10
Proposed Design.......................................................................................................................................13
Evaluation of the Design.........................................................................................................................17
Methodology.........................................................................................................................................17
Methods and procedures.....................................................................................................................18
Ethics....................................................................................................................................................19
Validity and Reliability........................................................................................................................20
Interviews Questions and Responses......................................................................................................27
Discussion of Findings.............................................................................................................................29
Alternative Considerations.....................................................................................................................33
Discussion and Conclusion......................................................................................................................35
References................................................................................................................................................36
Appendix A – Antigua Seventh Day Adventist School - CXC Results for English A – June 2014............39
Appendix B – Antigua Seventh-day Adventist School - CXC Results for English A – June 2016.............44
Appendix C – Screen shots of e-lesson - Writing for English A................................................................45
Appendix D – Questionnaire.....................................................................................................................46
Appendix E – Interview questions.............................................................................................................49
EDID6512 Design Project 3
Executive Summary
This design project is based on the use of technology to improve the writing skills of
students through the use of an e-lesson. The target audience consisted of third and fourth form
students from a private secondary educational institution in Antigua and Barbuda studying
Their skills in summary writing, argumentative writing, short story writing and
learning and operant learning an e-lesson is the proposed solution. A description of the design
and explanations on how e-lesson supports the students are included in this document.
Introduction
Mastery of the English language has been a challenge for some students. Students may
not be confident in their ability to learn, speak and understand English, write the language or
pass an English Language Exam. This is true of the students at the Antigua and Barbuda
The English Language Exam and other subjects form part of the general proficiency
exams students can obtain through the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC),
with one of the two English teachers at a private secondary school, it has been observed that year
after year students have been underperforming in the English A exam, specifically paper 02.
CSEC is a set of proficiency skills examinations used to test and certify a student’s
academic achievement at the end of their secondary level education. Exams are offered under
three proficiency schemes: Basic, General and Technical. The Basic scheme provides students
with the knowledge, skills and attitudes usually associated with completing a secondary course.
The General and Technical Proficiencies provide students with the foundation for further studies
and entry to the workplace. CSEC exams can be written in 32 subject areas ranging from
Agricultural science, Food and Nutrition and Integrated science to Mathematics, Principle of
CXC is the examinations body that administers exams to students in 16 countries in the
Caribbean region. The council offers a comprehensive suite of qualifications such as Caribbean
Examination (CAPE), CXC Associate Degree (CXC-AD) and CSEC. It offers service in areas
EDID6512 Design Project 5
English A is a subject that emphasizes the development of oral and written language
through comprehension, diction, grammar and mechanics. There are two main dimensions to the
subject, that of understanding and expression. The assessment comprises three papers, paper 01
(29% of total assessment), paper 02 (50% of total assessment) are assessed externally and paper
031 or paper 032 (21% of total assessment) are assessed internally by the teacher and moderated
by CXC. Student’s comprehension skills are tested during Paper 01. Then in paper 02, their
writing skills are put to the test. Paper 031 is the school based assessment (SBA) and paper 032
is an alternative to the SBA catering to candidates who are registered as private candidates.
Students can obtain passes from grade one (1) to a grade three (3) from the year 1998 and oward.
Let’s look more closely at paper 02, and why this area is of interest for this project and
the problem students may be facing when writing this part of the paper. Paper 02 consists of four
sections:
Section 1 – summary
Section 2 – exposition
Section 3 – short story
Section 4 – argumentative essay
practice in writing the CSEC English A exam Paper 02 in these four sections. As noted earlier
50% of the total assessment comes from this paper. Therefore half of a student’s grade then lies
heavily in this paper and poor performance here, results in poor results for the entire subject, a
failing grade. This designer set out to produce an innovative project that will assist the teachers
and students in this school to help to improve the results in subsequent exams in the near future.
EDID6512 Design Project 6
For the past several years a notable trend has emerged from the CSEC results for English
A in Antigua and Barbuda and across the region. As far back as 2012 officials at the Ministry of
Education in Antigua have been calling for answers over the dismal results of the English A
exam. Officials posited that a change in the English Language syllabus accounted for a huge
drop in the subject area. “A check with the new syllabus revealed that the weighting was shifted
such that the components, which required students to write and express themselves, were more
heavily weighted than in the past. Students were required to present an argument and to write a
story, and, according to one teacher, lack of these skills was the problem.” [ CITATION Ant12 \l
1033 ].
At the Antigua Seventh-day Adventist school it was noted that students have difficulty
speaking proper English and similar difficulties have been noted as it relates to writing skills.
Appendix A and B show the CXC results for June 2014 and 2016. The highlighted student’s
grades of the 2014 results show that students lack a passing grade in the expression section of the
grade scheme. Looking at the overall results for example in 2014, a total of thirty (30) students
entered the exam and of that number eight (8) students received a C, six (6) received a D, and
one (1) received an E for expression. Similarly in the 2016 results, twenty-eight (28) students
took the exam, sever (7) students received a C, and eight (8) received a D for expression. Most
students do manage to pass the exam, however they receive a low pass that is a pass of grade III.
It would appear on the surface that students may not know what is required in order to produce
satisfactory writing in summaries, expository essays, short stories and argumentative essays at
Since CSEC are high- stakes tests and the consequence of not passing the exam have a
significant impact on job seekers, college applicants and society. When students leave school
they either apply for a job or apply to a college or university. When you look at the minimum job
requirements today, most job applications require five subjects including Mathematics and
English A. Failure in these two subject areas reduces the prospects of being hired for certain jobs.
Imagine then, those that are hired are not able to function efficiently, especially in their ability to
communicate through reports and emails which are common for most jobs.
Then there’s the prospect of higher education. When applying to academic institutions,
the most important factor is the student’s transcript. The minimum matriculation requirements for
entry into college or university is similar, requiring the five subjects including Mathematics and
English. In her blog, Tahraoui (2016) suggests that colleges and universities want to admit
students who will succeed in a rigorous and demanding intellectual environment. If you perform
poorly in high school, admissions officers may be uncertain of a student’s ability to thrive in
school. Depending on the passes some students are not allowed to matriculate until they take not-
for-credit courses. Thus they end up spending more money, and thus prolonging their tenure and
graduation date. However those who do matriculate, often struggle in their courses because they
do not have the requisite writing skills to complete essays, term reports and research papers.
Now consider society at large, imagine the jobless, under-educated young people who are
then left as a burden on their families and communities. Families who are taking care of someone
who had the potential of providing for that household or their own household. Communities who
are hosts to idle youth who, having nothing to do but find alternative means to support
If we do not stem the tide, we are going to have a problem, something must be done to
curtail these failing results. Given the aforementioned, the target group chosen were third and
EDID6512 Design Project 8
fourth form students with a view of working to remedy the problem before they write the CSEC
Examinations.
The Seventh-day Adventist school in Antigua has its origins starting as far back and
1934. At its present location in St. Johns are both the primary and secondary division. There are
404 students in the primary school and 232 students in the secondary school for a total of 636
The target group for this design project were third and fourth form students of the
Secondary School. At present there are two (2) third form classes with a combined total of 56
students and two (2) fourth form classes with a combined total of 50. Students are between the
ages of 13 and 15 years. A representative sample of 40 students from form 3 and 4 were given an
Students come from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds some even have English as a
second language. This group can also be considered to be “Digital Natives”, children who have
grown up using technology like the internet, computers and mobile devices [ CITATION Tec18 \l
1033 ]. Most students have at least a personal computer, laptop or tablet and internet access at
home with which they may access online content. Students also have access to computers and the
internet at school but on a limited bases. This makes a fairly ideal situation for implementing and
testing the e-lesson. Students would not resist the use of technology as they already have access
Having taught at this school for 11 years the subject matter expert, as a long standing
member has a unique historic knowledge and perspective on the matter at hand. She holds a
Bachelor of Arts Degree in English and has been teaching English A for quite some time. She is
EDID6512 Design Project 9
one of two English teachers and is assigned the third, fourth and fifth form classes at the school
and help them prepare for the SBA’s and CSEC Examination. She has assisted with compiling
the material used in the e-lesson as well as embedding the e-lesson onto the blog site. She also
Literature Review
clearly defined. Driscoll (2005) describes learning as the consequence of the learners experience
and interaction with the world. The changing educational environment challenges educators to
find ways to cater to the needs of learners. The ideal goal for teachers is to combine various
methods including integrating technology into the classroom. “The fact that virtually all
segments of society have changed dramatically by information technologies and will continue to
change in the future cannot be ignored. Schools must be a part of these changes and research
should proceed with the assumption that technology is and will continue to be a growing element
within the schools” (Fouts, 2000). This notion can be applied to those learners who have
difficulty mastering the English language at the CSEC level. In view of the aforementioned, this
design project was created to help improve students writing skills by incorporating into the
design the following theories, models and approaches: Discovery learning, Cognitive theory of
Discovery Learning
(Bruner, 1961). What better way to promote discovery than when the student interacts with the e-
lesson. They are now responsible for their learning as they must be motivated to navigate
through the lesson. They are free to choose which topic they wish to learn by way of the main
menu and proceed in a non-linear fashion. They are engaged by the content as they mouse over,
click and view the content. Macy P. Driscoll (2011) agrees that learning occurs in context, it is
Central to the design of this designers proposed solution is the principle known as the
“multimedia principle” which states that people learn more deeply from words and pictures than
from words alone. Richard Mayer posited that there are two separate channels for processing
information, that of the auditory and visual channels. He suggests that each channel has a limited
or finite capacity and that learning is an active process of filtering, selecting, organizing and
integration information based upon prior knowledge (Mayer, 2009). Three memory stores are
presented: sensory memory which receives stimuli for a short span of time, working memory
which actively processes information creating mental constructs also called schema and long-
The notion is that attention on relevant words and images creates connections in the
working memory. Connections are made among selected words or images creating a mental
model, which then integrates with ones prior knowledge for a better understanding. In other
words, multimedia presentations connect with ones sensory memory, how these are presented
and selected creates connections in ones working memory, these are linked with prior knowledge
The e-lesson included a balanced use of visual and verbal information in the hopes of
engaging the learning in the learning process. It included carefully selected descriptive text,
diagrams, pictures and videos that will actively stimulate the mental constructs of the student.
Intertwined in the e-lesson are aspects of twelve principles of multimedia design. These include
and are not limited to the signaling principle which states that learners are able to recognize and
learn information when callouts, arrows and highlighting is used for key aspects. The segmenting
EDID6512 Design Project 12
principle, here learners understand the instructional multimedia piece when the lessons is broken
David Kolb’s learning theory is concerned with the learner’s internal cognitive processes.
The notion that abstract knowledge can be applied flexibly in a range of scenarios through new
experiences (Kolb 1984). One can trace the roots of experiential learning back to John Dewey
who argued that people learn through primary and secondary experiences [ CITATION Dew97 \l
1033 ]. Given that the students are accustomed to one mode of teaching (chalk and talk), this e-
lesson gave a new experience for them through engaging audio-visual content, and can become a
transformational experience. Based on Kolb’s four stage cycle students will 1) have a concrete
experience 2) review or reflect on the experience 3) learn from the experience and 4) be able to
try out what they have learned. The e-lesson provided opportunities for students to experience all
four stages.
Three universal principles form the foundation of experiential learning; framing the
experience, activating the experience and reflecting on the experience. In the first principle,
instructional objectives, assessment criteria and expected behavior are outlined. This is true of
the e-lesson as the introduction slide tells the user how to proceed, and the objectives slide tells
the user the expected outcome. Activating the experience is the second principle which proposes
to use prior experiences and creation of new experiences. The learner in the e-lesson is presented
with content to activate prior knowledge and builds on this knowledge as they proceed through
the e-lesson. The learner is actively engaged and makes decisions about the outcome. The final
phase; while reflecting on the experience, learners can think about what they have learnt and
explore ways in which they can apply it in their future experiences. Having completed the e-
EDID6512 Design Project 13
lesson learners should also be able to reflect on their experience with others and peer evaluation
Operant Learning theory through the studies of B.F. Skinner showed how positive
The removal of an unpleasant reinforcer can also strengthen behavior (Skinner, 1938). One such
approach is the use of Token economies. Token economies are based on the principles of applied
behavior analysis and emphasize the use of positive reinforcement to target behavior change.
Token economies help student visualize progress, accept and work for delayed
reinforcement, learn to self-monitor and learn to regulate behavior. [ CITATION Ols17 \l 1033 ]
What will motivate students to use and complete this e-lesson? Built into the e-lesson is a point
system that kept a running score as they accomplished various tasks throughout the lesson. At the
end a certificate of completion with the total score highlighted their achievement and displayed
Proposed Design
The original design for this project involved the creation of a software tool to remedy the
Smartbuilder is an eLearning authoring tool that allows you to create custom elearning without
writing code. One can create an effective and memorable learning experience without a team of
programmers. The e-lesson can be viewed at the following link: SmartBuilder lesson -
This software included a menu of options which will provide content on the four problem
areas: summary writing, argumentative writing, short story writing and Expository writing. This
EDID6512 Design Project 14
was presented in a series of slides that provided information about each topic. Students were
able to view and listen to examples and YouTube videos were embedded to help explain certain
right. Furthest to the right is the close button used to end the session and close the application.
Beside that is the help button, users are shown a list of buttons and how they can be used. Next is
the Dictionary/translation button, this opens a pop-up window which allows students to search
for a word or phrase. Then there is the home button that allows the user to navigate back to the
introductory slide. The main menu, next and forward buttons all appear on subsequent slides.
As students’ progress through the e-lesson each topic is presented in varying and interactive
ways. On the summaries slide in figure 2 for example, clicking on the audio button dictates the
definition of a summary. This feature is available on all topic slides for expository essays, short
story and argumentative essays. Links to samples and examples as well as past exam questions
Figure 3 - Screen shot of short stories slide Figure 4 - Screen shot of Flipbook
resulting description see figure 3. A flipbook
was used to display the content for the expository writing (see figure 4), students click to turn the
pages.
questions was incorporated after each topic to test their knowledge and to allow students to
reflect and review. At the end of each quiz the resulting score was displayed see figure 5a & 5b.
Figure 5a, screen shot of a question, 5b screen shot of the resulting score
EDID6512 Design Project 16
At the end of the e-lesson a certificate (figure 6) of completion displaying the name
submitted on the introductory slide and the resulting score from the four (4) check your
understanding tests are displayed. An option to print is also included. The last two slides showed
The e-lesson was embedded into the existing blog site that is currently being used by the
English A teacher. Students were encouraged to interact with the software. A simple survey (see
appendix D) as well as testimonials and interviews were conducted with the students and teacher
to find out their thoughts on the e-lessons, what worked, what didn’t work and suggestions for
improvement.
The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of the e-lesson on the students
who needed to improve their writing skills. It will determine the effectiveness of the design and
the content delivery of the e-lesson amongst the third and fourth form students between the ages
of 13 and 15. The methodology chosen will be explored and justified in this section of the
document.
EDID6512 Design Project 17
Methodology
The field of research has a range of paradigms that have been developed, this includes
structured way of collecting data from different sources that can be measured objectively through
the use of polls, questionnaires, and surveys or by manipulating pre-existing data using
computational techniques (Babbie, 2010). On the other hand Qualitative research seeks to gather
For the purpose of this design research, mixed methods which combines both the
qualitative approach and qualitative approach provides the best opportunity to address the
research questions. A questionnaire was used to collect both quantitative and qualitative data and
Prior to selecting the survey approach, a number of strategies were considered. The
survey design is a quantitative research methods that uses a questionnaire to obtain research data.
A pre-formulated set of questions in a preset sequence was presented to the defined population. A
sample of the population was determined with no consideration being given as to whether these
students generally perform well or not in English, this thus gives an unbiased sample.
A paper based questionnaire was used as a method of data collection. The questionnaire
consisted of a total of 13 questions. There was one open ended questions (Question 13), closed
ended questions (questions 1 – 4, 6, 7 & 9-11). The closed ended questions asked mainly factual
EDID6512 Design Project 18
information such as the class the student was in, and their gender. The liquart question, (question
12) were based on a scale 1 to 5, 1 being strongly disagree to 5 strongly agree. Questions 5
sought to determine the teacher’s effectiveness during lessons and questions 5 gathered data
about the availability of computing devices and the internet in the classroom.
The paper based approach was chosen as it allowed the researcher to more easily distribute the
questionnaire to the students. Some students did not have access to a computer or the internet
access at home to complete the e-lesson or an electronic survey. Also students were more
motivated to complete the questionnaire as it was administered by the teacher, who guided them
The questionnaire as a survey instrument allowed for the students perceptions about the use of
technology, strategies the teacher may have used in the classroom and the effectiveness of the e-
lesson. The front page of the questionnaire (see appendix D) introduced the study and described
the purpose of the study. Given that student’s attention span is short and their attention to detail
somewhat limited, the questions were carefully crafted to be non-complex, measurable and
precise. To ensure that respondents understood what the scales for each question meant, an
The population
The population under study was 106 students. This represents the total number of students in the
A sample of the population was determined by selecting 15 random students from third form and
25 random students from fourth form, making a total of 40 students in the sample. The fourth
form students were especially targeted given that the researcher wanted to gather the responses
EDID6512 Design Project 19
of the more mature students who would have been able to give a more objective evaluation of the
e-lesson. These students would be writing the CSEC examination within a year.
Ethics
It is acknowledged by this researcher that full ethical research is impossible (Busher and
Clarke, 1990). Despite this, several ethical components were taken into account when conducting
this research project. An explanatory letter was given on the front page of the questionnaire
survey, which allowed for informed consent about the objectives of the research. It was expected
that the information collected from the students was truthful as there was no perceived threat to
student grades.
EDID6512 Design Project 20
The validity and reliability of this research rests heavily on whether and item measures or
describes what it is supposed to measure or describe. An item is no longer considered valid if the
information is unreliable.
In relation to the questionnaire, validity may have been compromised in cases where the
respondent did not complete the questionnaire accurately. It may be that the students did not
understand what was being asked and opted not to respond. The accuracy could have been
improved if the questions which were unclear were explained for a better understanding.
Otherwise questions could have been reworded for clarity. Additionally, validity may be been
compromised due to the low response rate, as those students who did not participate may have
responded differently to those who have participated significantly enough to change the results
Given the sample size was the entire population of the 3rd and 4th formers. A generalization can
be made from the wider population, since the respondents were considered to be representative
of the wider population of students. Another researcher should be able to replicate these findings
in another school and obtain similar results except where cultural differences exist.
Analysis of data
The data collected was analyzed depending on the nature of the question. Questions 1, 2 and 3
will be described via percentages and this shows whether the composition of the sample reflected
a division in gender and class, and those who have difficulty expressing themselves in writing.
Question 4 will be represented by a bar graph for a visual depiction on the areas students found
most difficulty writing. Question 5 will be analyzed using correlational analysis to determine the
effect each area has on the level of perceived success of the English teacher’s actions/efforts in
EDID6512 Design Project 21
the classroom. Question 7 and 9 are represented as pie charts. Question 8 and 10 are represented
as bar graphs. Question 12 will also be analyzed using a correlative analysis to determine the
effectiveness of the lesson and its design. The open ended question 13, will be described via
Presentation of findings
The questionnaire consisted of thirteen questions and were distributed to the third and fourth
form students. Forty questionnaires were initially distributed, however 35 questionnaires were
returned. This represents an 88% return rate. Of this 7 students submitted incomplete
questionnaires.
The demographic data indicated that more females responded than males. Out of the 35
respondents, 21 were female and 14 were male. The data indicated that 11 students were in 3rd
When students were asked if they had a problem expressing themselves in writing, 11 said yes
and 24 said no. This shows that only 31% of the students admit that they do have a problem
writing.
The chart below indicates the areas students have the most difficulty writing. Results show that
summaries are the most difficult areas for students, representing 46% of the respondents.
EDID6512 Design Project 22
16
14
12
10
0
Sentences Argumentative Summari es Expos i tory Short stori es
Figure 4 - Bar graph showing the areas students have difficulty writing
Students were then asked how often the teacher performed/conducted certain actions during
English lessons. This question was used to determine how effective the teacher’s efforts were at
preparing students for English A during class. The following table represents the results.
The results of this table show that most students have received suitable instructions and
formative feedback during the writing process in most if not all lessons. Quite a few however
seemed unsure.
When students were asked if they use technology in the classroom 57% said yes and 32% said
no. Haven given this response the follow up question as to how often the technology was being
used 38% of the respondents used technology once a month. See chart below for the results.
14.29% Everyday
Two to three times a week
38.10% Once a week
23.81% Once a month
23.81%
Following this question, the researcher sought to determine if certain devices such as desktop
computers, laptops, internet connection and printers were available for use in the classroom. The
Printer
Internet connection
Laptop
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Yes ,and I us e It Yes , but I don't us e it No
Figure 6 - Bar graph representing the availability and use of devices in the classroom
Clearly in all four (4) areas the majority of students indicated that these devices were not
available in the classroom. Where they were available they did not use them that is the case of
the internet connection, laptop and desktop computer. Notice however the only device that was
Students were then asked if they use technology to help their writing skills. Results indicate that
20.00%
80.00%
Figure 7 - Pie chart indicating if students use technology to help their writing skills
EDID6512 Design Project 25
Those who said yes indicated that blogs (31%) and websites (40%) were their go to tools of
The researcher then sought to determine if the students ever used an e-lesson before, the data
shows that 71% of the respondents never used and e-lesson before. Just 10 of the 35 respondents
After interacting with the e-lesson, students were then asked to express their feeling about its
The final question asked respondents to provide feedback about the e-lesson and suggest ways
that it can be improved. The following speech bubbles below show their responses.
The e-lesson was exciting and entertaining it helped me improve my writing skills
The e-lessons is fun. The ways it show the information was interesting. The samples really
gave good ways in which we could write our own. I really enjoyed the tests. It helped me
know exactly what I knew and what I thought I knew
It was very educational and informative, but the video content could have been more specific
in the field of study
The e-lessons is very interesting and informative. There are some minor spelling errors that
need to be corrected but other than that, the e-lesson is really good.
The e-lesson was interesting, well you need to have more quizzes for various slides. I must
say I learn from this e-lesson. It can be improved by having more comprehension questions
and essays and writing and multiple choice
Having fun games would improve this website in entertainment greatly. The music was a
little distracting and childish, however funny and interesting videos would also help as well.
The website was very informative and creative. The website would be great and I enjoyed it.
The e-lesson was very interactive and is a great way to give a better understanding of the
topics presented and can be used for revision
EDID6512 Design Project 27
The e-lesson is a little bit short, needs more questions. It was very fun
In my opinion the e-lesson was really fun and interesting. Honestly I didn’t really find
anything needing improvement
In my opinion the e-lesson was really fun and interesting. Honestly I didn’t really find
anything needing improvement
It was pretty fun just need to make the interface a bit better
This is an interactive way for me to learn. I believe there could be more questions
This is a very fun activity and you can learn a lot from it
It is a good website which can help people who have poor writing skills to learn more and
their writing skills can be improved. The e-lesson needs more questions, it is quite
educational and helpful, and more questions would be beneficial
EDID6512 Design Project 28
Students are experiencing difficulties writing because they are not reading intellectually
stimulating material or notes from class and they are not practicing what was learnt
The areas of most difficult are the argumentative essay and the summary. With the
argumentative essay students have a problem with reasoning. As it pertains to summaries the
problem lies with paraphrasing and synthesizing.
Technology is used in and out of the classroom. Yes there is a subject blog page set up for
students to access. However this does not occur very often because of limited resources
(computers, internet, rooms where these can be accessed)
What were your initial thought’s about the use of an e-lesson to help teach the concepts in
English A?
To improve the design I suggest you include more video, links to samples and an e-lesson for
grammar.
EDID6512 Design Project 29
Discussion of Findings
The aim of this research was to determine the effectiveness and limitation of an e-lesson
as a technology tool for improving writing skills at the CSEC level. Initial investigations show
that students were not passing English A with acceptable grades especially in the expression
section. Based on the data collected, from the CXC results for the years 2014 and 2016,
approximately 50% of students attain low passes in the expression section of the paper receiving
C and D grades. This researcher sought to come up with a solution and to test the design, and
The Interview with the Subject Matter Expert yielded some interesting results. When
asked why students may be experiencing difficulty writing she noted that students were not
reading intellectually stimulating material and not practicing what they have learnt in class.
Further details reveal that students have a problem with reasoning, paraphrasing and
synthesizing. The interviewee indicated that technology use in the classroom is hampered due to
limited resources. She was however optimistic about the use of an e-lesson the help students and
welcomed the idea. When given the opportunity to test the design the interviewee thought that it
was student friendly and the content was accurate. Noted areas for improvement were the
inclusion of more videos, links to samples and a suggestion to include a section dealing with
grammar in the e-lesson. All these are considered positive remarks and suggestions for
improvement.
The data collected from the questionnaire shows that most respondents were female and
were in fourth form. Most of the questionnaires were distributed to the fourth formers as they
were considered to be more mature and objective students. Where 31% of the respondents
admitted to having a problem expressing themselves in writing, more than 60% said they did not
EDID6512 Design Project 30
have a problem. However on closer observation, students did admit that Summaries was the area
they had most difficulty writing followed by argumentative essays, expository essays then short
stories.
If it is that students are experiencing difficulties admittedly or not, this researcher set out
to determine the effectives of the teacher in the classroom as English lessons are being presented.
Seventy-one percent (71%) of students indicated that that teacher explains beforehand what is
expected of them in all lessons and twenty (23%) said in most lessons. A combined seventy-
seven percent (77%) of students stated that the teacher asks whether student understand how to
complete a writing assignment in most and all lessons, Fourteen percent (14%) were unsure. This
trend continues as responses were given to determine if the teacher discusses student work, if the
teacher tells the students how assignments are graded and if students get a chance to ask
questions. However the results take a different turn when the question was asked if the teacher
tells students how well they did on a writing assignment immediately after. Fourteen percent
(14%) said never or hardly ever, 11% said in some lessons, 20 % were unsure, 26% in most
lessons and 23% in all lessons. These mixed results show that some students lack timely and
immediate feedback in some instances and other do receive immediate and timely feedback on
The issue of technology use in the classroom was addressed and 57% said yes they use
technology in the classroom. However the use was limited to once a month with 38% of
respondents indicating this. Internet connection, laptops and desktop computers are available.
Forty percent (40%) indicated that they do not have access to the internet. Thirty-four percent
(34%) of students have access to the internet and use it, and twenty-five percent (25%) have
access but do not use it. The majority did not have access to a laptop or desktop computers.
EDID6512 Design Project 31
Therefore the internet usage may be via the student’s personal smartphone or tablet. Students do
An overwhelming majority 80% or respondents indicate they use technology to help their
writing skills. Here blogs and websites were seen to be the most widely used. It is apparent that
the blog page set up by the Subject Matter Expert is one such resource being used by students.
This was a positive result, since the students are accustomed to utilizing these resources and
The use of an e-lesson was new for 71% of respondents. They expressed their feeling
about the overall design and functionally. Here 48% of respondents strongly agree that the e-
lesson was interactive and engaging, 34% agreed and 6% were unsure. Concerning the audio
content collectively 88% agreed and strongly agreed that it was suitable. However 14% were
unsure and 3% disagreed. Video content on the other hand shows the 51% thought the e-lesson
contained suitable content, 28% were unsure and 6% disagreed. Here the percentage difference
of 37% exist between the video and audio content, this is an area of concern. A notable response
came from the subject matter expert about the need for more videos, correlating to the response
from the students. Content was not an issues as 83% of respondents mutually agreed or strongly
agreed that the e-lesson presented information on the key areas of writing difficulty.
There were mixed reviews as the whether the e-lesson presented examples and samples.
57% strongly agreed, 17 % agreed, 8 % were unsure and 3% disagree. Perhaps this is an area that
needs to be addressed in addition to the video content. Mixed reviews were also noted when
respondents were asked whether they had a better understanding of the concepts presented 31%
strongly agreed, 40% agreed, 11% were unsure and 3% disagreed. Majority were in agreement,
however the remaining felt otherwise. Collectively 83% of respondents thought that the e-lesson
The final question in this section asked respondents if they would recommend the e-
lesson to their friends. There were mixed feeling as 3% disagreed, 8% were unsure, 26% agreed
and 51% strongly agreed. Further investigation would need to be done to determine why they
would not recommend the e-lesson that qualitative data would be valuable information and the
response could affect even slightly the need for a new approach to the e-lesson.
Feedback about the elesson indications that the program was well received. Comments
ranged from “exciting” and “entertaining” to “interesting” and “interactive”. Notable suggestions
In looking at the list above, some of these areas would form part of the alternative considerations
Similarities emerged from the results of both the interview and the questionnaire. It is
clear that summaries and argumentative essays are the most challenging areas of writing for
students. Another trend that came out is that both groups indicated that technology use is limited
in the classroom. A blog page and websites are commonly used to assist students with
understanding and applying the concepts of writing. The need for more videos also arose as also
Alternative Considerations
Evaluation of the feedback from the students and the subject matter expert has led to an
important variation to the solution. Consideration was given to ensure that the solution indeed
achieves the objective of supporting users as they improve their writing skills. As such the
proposed modifications will give users the opportunity to demonstrate their writing skills.
Alternative 1
It was noted that the e-lesson lacked enough YouTube videos. This indeed was noted not
only in the comments given but the ratings given in the questionnaire which asked if the video
contained suitable video content but in the interview with the subject matter expert as well. In
this alternative, additional YouTube videos were added for each of the topics presented. This will
include the visible option button that says “Watch a video” as a prompt to the user. Follow this
web/repository/lo/z000k0j000000000003w_2/player.html
EDID6512 Design Project 34
Alternative 2
The initial design lacked the component to allow users to compose a piece of writing for
evaluation. The intention is to allow the submitted piece of writing to be e-mailed to the English
Teacher for evaluation. Ideally given more time for development this second variation of the e-
lesson would truly engage the user in demonstrating their writing skills. Feedback on their
composition can be discussed with the teacher during class time and can even form part of a
summative assessment.
Alternative 3
A collaborative feature would be built into this alternative design. A peer review feature
could be added which allows students to review each other’s compositions and grade or rate
them. This dimension would encourage students to further develop their writing skills. There are
however limitations to the software where collaborative features are concerned. The version of
Smartbuilder software used to create this e-lesson is free and only allows certain features in this
setting. If the full access to the software is purchased then a more robust e-lesson can be created.
It would be ideal for the intended audience to be able to test the alternative iterations and
to provide feedback for further improvement. However due to time constraints this was not
possible at the time of presenting this paper. This is critical to the design, as input given can
impact the features developed. Also this design is more than just a prototype, it is and will be
actively used by the English teacher as an aid for the classes at present and in the near future.
Therefore further modifications are in the pipeline to get this e-lesson just right, and will
Conclusion
Writing is a critical skill for all. It’s a form of communication one encounters every day.
At school, students are taught the basic writing skills. However at later stage in their schooling
they are taught how to write summaries, argumentative essays, short stories and expository
essays. These require critical thinking and reasoning skills. By the time students are ready to
write the CSEC examinations many fail the subject of English A, especially in the area of
Expression.
Students interact with technology on a daily basis and is a necessary tool for instruction.
At present students at the Seventh-day Adventist Secondary school have limited access to
technology in the classroom. The English A teacher had set up a blog page to help assist her
students in grasping the skills of writing. A initial interview and follow up sought to determine
the problem students face when writing and the creation of a technology tool to help address the
An e-lesson – Writing for English A, presented slides of content, consisting of text, audio
and video clips, images and interactivity. Overall the design process was a tedious and time
consuming task. However, preliminary tests of the prototype reveal positive results and also
recommendations for improvements. Alternative consideration were given to help address some
of these areas.
This project is a reminder that the design process takes careful consideration of the
designer’s ability to identify the problem, find an appropriate solution and evaluate the design to
determine if it met the objectives. Instructional designers therefore must be mindful of their
audience, the content to be presented and how the solution affects the intended audience. With
further research it is yet to be known how this e-lesson will affect the writing skills of students.
EDID6512 Design Project 36
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EDID6512 Design Project 39
Appendices
Appendix A – Antigua Seventh Day Adventist School - CXC Results for English A – June 2014
EDID6512 Design Project 40
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Appendix B – Antigua Seventh-day Adventist School - CXC Results for English A – June 2016
EDID6512 Design Project 45
Appendix D – Questionnaire
Dear Respondent,
I am a graduate student of the Instructional Design and Technology programme at the University of the
West Indies Open Campus. As part of a project for the course EDID6512 – Design Project I am interested
in gathering information from students about the e-lesson – Writing for English A. It seeks to determine
its effectives and limitations as a technology tool for improving writing skills.
If you are willing to participate in this voluntary study you will be asked to complete a simple survey. This
is unfunded research and is purely for the completion of a final Design Project as per the requirements of
the course indicated. The research will be confidential in nature and the survey results will be reported
in a cumulative manner.
1 – Never or hardly ever 2 – In some lessons 3 - Unsure 4 – in most lessons 5 – in all lessons
1 2 3 4 5
The teacher explains beforehand what is expected of
the student
The teacher asks whether every student has
understood how to complete the writing assignment
The teacher checks that students are concentrating
while working on the writing assignments
The teacher discusses students’ work after they have
finished the writing assignments
The teacher tells in advance how the work is going to
be judged
EDID6512 Design Project 48
Laptop o o o
Internet connection o o o
Printer o o o
1 2 3 4 5
The e-lessons was interactive and engaging
The e-lesson contained suitable audio content
The e-lesson contained suitable video content
The e-lesson presented information on the key areas
of writing summaries, expository essays,
argumentative essays and short stories
The e-lesson presented samples and examples
I have a better understanding of the concepts
presented in the e-lesson
The e-lesson can help me improve my writing skills
I would recommend this to my friends
13. Please provide feedback about the e-lesson and suggest ways it can be improved?
EDID6512 Design Project 50
What were your initial thought’s about the use of an e-lesson to help teach the concepts in
English A?