grits conference

REDESIGNING SOCIAL

SKILLS INSTRUCTION

BASED ON TWO

INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN

THEORIES

V. Paige Hale, Ed.S.

Morehead State University

[email protected]

A Little Background on Myself…

• Doctoral Student in

Educational Technology

Leadership at Morehead

State University

• I have 6 years experience as

a School Psychologist in the

P-12 setting

• I have both an M.S. and

Ed.S. in Educational

Psychology

May/June Issue of TechTrends

This topic: Why Now?

Autism: According to a March 2012 report from the

National Institute of Mental Health (2012),

autism now affects 1 in 88 children (1 in 54

boys). These numbers are up 78% from 2002

and 23% from 2006.

Bullying & School Violence

What are social skills?

Social Skills Training (SST):A form of behavior therapy used by teachers, therapists, and trainers to help persons who have difficulties relating to other people.

It is frequently conducted with students who have emotional-behavioral disabilities or Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD).

Source: http://www.minddisorders.com/Py-Z/Social-skills-training.html

Photo by: Kheng Guan Toh, http://www.minddisorders.com/Py-Z/Social-skills-

training.html

The Skillstreaming Curriculum

Created by experts

in the field but not

grounded in solid

instructional design

principles, or rooted

in any particular

ISD theory or model

How is the content currently

taught? Typically in a small group (3-5 students);

In some cases, special education teachers and/or

guidance counselors may deliver the instruction to an

entire class (15-30 students);

Role-playing and homework are essential components

of the instruction;

In addition to these general content features,

skillstreaming sessions are taught using 9 specific,

fixed steps.

Skillstreaming: The 9 Steps

(Formulaic)

Step 1: Define the Skill

Step 2: Model the Skill

Step 3: Establish Trainee (Student) Skill Need

Step 4: Select Role-Player

Step 5: Set Up the Role-Play

Step 6: Conduct the Role-Play

Step 7: Provide Performance Feedback

Step 8: Assign Skill Homework

Step 9: Select Next Role-Player

Theory #1: Multiple

Intelligences

Assumptions:

The Criticality of “what to teach” and the

considerable variability of “how to teach

it”;

Being able to deploy understanding

(performance of understanding);

Preparing students for valued adult roles.

Theory #1: Multiple

Intelligences Assumptions, continued:

Helping students to enhance their various

intelligences;

Tailoring instruction to individual

differences in students’ intelligences;

An approach to instruction that is not

formulaic.

Redesign Activities

Instead of larger group role-playing,

students may create computer

simulations to act out the scenarios

visually (Spatial). Students could then

go through each others’ scenarios

and provide feedback or brainstorm

alternative responses.

Redesign Activities

For those who learn best through

artistic avenues (Aesthetic), students

may create and discuss social skills

scenarios by drawing comic strips or,

when given a pre-drawn comic strip,

fill in the appropriate dialogue.

Redesign Activities

Students may also reflect on their

own personal as well as peers’ social

skills experiences by creating

collages, poems, or songs (Musical).

Additionally, students could create

mnemonic devices or rhymes instead

of using the skills cards.

Redesign Activities

Students could also watch clips from

popular television shows or music

videos that demonstrate both

appropriate and undesirable social

skills and then discuss the pros/cons

and even possible create their own

response videos. This activity would

draw on several learning styles

including: Spatial, Musical, and/or

Interpersonal.

Reflections on the redesign

Each of these alternate instructional

designs allow the lessons to be tailored

to learning preferences of individual

students.

These redesigns implicitly acknowledge

that traditional role-playing, when

overused, can become a cookie-cutter

method that may not work equally well

for all learners


The alternate activities also serve the

dual purpose of promoting greater

buy-in, participation, and, ultimately,

understanding by accessing multiple

entry points.

Strengths/Weaknesses

The redesigned curriculum may be

somewhat less user friendly for the

trainer. The original, formulaic

approach allowed a practiced trainer

to lead sessions efficiently and

without extensive preparation.

Theory #2: Open Learning

Environments

Assumptions

Personal Inquiry;

Divergent thinking and multiple

perspectives;

Self-directed learning and learner

autonomy with metacognitive support.

Theory #2: Open Learning

Environments

Assumptions, continued

Mediating learning through individual experience and personal theories;

Hands-on, concrete experiences involving realistic, relevant problems;

Providing tools and resources (technology scaffolding) to aide the learners’ effort at learning.

Redesign Activities

The trainer will assign small groups of

students to a computer program that

would allow them to work together to

create a mobile app. They could then put

the app on their phones and carry them as

a prompt as they attempt to practice their

new social skills in the real world. The

learning would come from the discussion

and subsequent problem-solving the

students would participate in when

developing the app.

Redesign Activities

The trainer could also assign students to

work in small groups with the goal of

drafting and ultimately creating a blog

article or group wiki page. Student would

be free to engage in personal inquiry and

group discussions related to the skill being

taught. The trainer could work with other

trainers across the district and/or state to

share peers’ Web 2.0 creations and allow

the students to provide feedback for one

another’s work.


The redesign would also introduce

various technology.

The alternate activities serve the dual

purpose of promoting increased buy-

in, personal ownership, participation,

and greater understanding and use of

newly-learned social skills.


The redesign increases opportunities for

self-direction, sharing of personal

experiences, engagement in personal

inquiry, and formulating personal theories.

These sample redesigns encourage

divergent thinking and the sharing of

multiple perspectives.

OLEs: Strengths/Weaknesses

Consider the student population and issues

such as motivation. Are students required to

receive this instruction as part of a

consequence? If so, how might that

influence the goal of true, self-directed

learning?

Students with social skills deficits related to

ASD or mild mental retardation may require

additional metacognitive support.

Lessons Learned

These sample redesigns are part of a larger series of eight including several others prominent theories from Reigeluth’s “Green Books” including: Collaborative Problem-Solving and Attitudinal Theory.

This assignment allowed me to begin thinking like an instructional designer.

I came to better understand that no theoretical model has all of the answers or lends itself to all types of instruction.

Questions? Comments?

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? ? ? ?Do not hesitate to contact me through Google+,

Facebook, or by email: [email protected]

References

Gardner, H. (1997). Multiple approaches to understanding. In Instructional-design

theories and models: A new paradigm of instructional theory (pp. 69-89). Mahwah,

NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

Goldstein, A. P., & McGinnis, E. (1997). Skillstreaming the adolescent: New strategies and

perspectives for teaching pro-social skills. Champlain, IL: Research Press.

Hannafin, M., Land, S., & Oliver, K. (1999). Open learning environment: Foundations,

methods, and models. In Instructional-design theories and models: A new paradigm of

instructional theory (pp. 115-140). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

National Institute for Mental Health. (2012). Autism prevalence: More affected or more

detected. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved from