HIGH LEVEL DESIGN · 2019. 10. 23. · Level of performance: Environment Performance need: Incentive Phase(s) of performance: Low, moderate, and high motivation Genre: Print Medium:

SPEA K U P!HIGH LEV EL DESIGN

ALEXIS STYLIANOU

CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Background ................................................................ 3

Performance Object ives ........................................4

Roadmap ...................................................................... 5

Are You Listening? .................................................... 6

Playing a Familiar Role ............................................ 7

Feedback and Looking Back .................................. 8

Steps to Successful Communicat ion .................. 9

Community of Pract ice ........................................... 10

Honourable Communicator Award ....................11

Interact ion with Students ...................................... 12

My Journey with Communicat ion ...................... 13

Cover image: https://pixabay.com/photos/woman-man-group-office-teamwork-3365370/

https://pixabay.com/photos/woman-man-group-office-teamwork-3365370/

BACKGROUND

This performance improvement campaign is about boost ing the communicat ion skills of new non-tenure track instructors. This campaign relates to t ips to effect ively communicate with students. The main performers will be shown how to best interact with students in a variety of sett ings inside and outside of the classroom.

The goal of this campaign is to have a teaching staff that is better equipped with strategies to ensure effect ive and respectful communicat ion with learners. This reduced stress and increase in communicat ive efficiency would lead to the containing of expenses by having a reduced turnover rate of new non-tenure track faculty lecturers.

The end users in this campaign include three groups of individuals from LaFortune University. Namely, newly-hired non-tenure track instructors, undergraduate students, and the staff from the Centre for Faculty Development. The main focus however is on the main performers: newly-hired non-tenure track instructors.

PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES

Inst ructors

1. Given the principles of respectful communicat ion, purposefully and respectfully interact with students in the classroom.

2. Given conflict resolut ion strategies, diffuse a power struggle with a student without gett ing into an argument.

3. Given communicat ion strategies, engage in act ive listening almost all the t ime.

4. Given the principles of respectful communicat ion, purposefully and respectfully interact with students outside the classroom

5. Given the principles of feedback, provide feedback to students verbally and in writ ing.

Students

6. Given the principles of respectful communicat ion, interact respectfully with instructors at all t imes

7. Given group discussions, part icipate in a relevant and purposeful manner at least once per class

Staff

8. Given the need to evaluate new non-tenure track professors, provide randomized assessment of the nature of their communicat ion once a semester

9. Given the encouragement for improving the quality of communicat ion with students, staff will send email reminders about the importance of communicat ion strategies once a month.

10. Given the need for support of non-tenure track professors, set up observat ional feedback sessions after the orientat ion program is over

ROADMAPJOB ONE: Effect ive and respectful communicat ion between newly-hired non-tenure track instructors and learners in all contexts.

Are You Listening?

Playing a Familiar Role

Feedback and Looking Back

Steps to Successful

Communication

Community of Practice

Honourable Communicator

Award

Interaction with Students

My Journey with Communication

Performance Objective 1










INTERVENTION ONE ARE YOU LISTENING?

Users: Newly-hired non-tenure track instructors and students

Performance object ive: 1,3,4,6,7

Level of performance: Environment

Performance need: Incent ive

Phase(s) of performance: Low, moderate, and high motivat ion

Genre: Print Medium: Poster

Rat ionale for the medium:

- Posters are easy to understand and, in this case, and they fit in with the need of this information to be easily understood by people passing by.

- It would provide a step-by-step explanat ion of act ive listening, one of the key strategies that the main performers will need to learn during this campaign.

Advantages:

- Using textual and graphic elements, this poster will serve as a quick visual reminder for the performers to be mindful of their act ive listening strategies.

- They are cost-effect ive. - It will be clearly designed for easy interpretat ion from the readers - With different placements across campus, the poster will likely reach a large number of

individuals.

Limitat ions:

- The availability of free space to install a poster on the wall may be an issue, depending on the amount of space that the university will allow for them.

- Students or instructors in a rush might not not ice the poster as they pass by it .

Conventions:

- The information available is short and presented in a step-by-step manner. - The intervent ion is structured in a visually appealing way that can be easily interpreted by the

reader. - The writ ing style is concise, using simple funct ional language. - Learners can expect to take the t ime to read the information on the poster when possible,

passing by mult iple ones throughout their day.

Rat ionale:

- The purpose of this intervent ion is to remind the instructors how to engage in act ive listening strategies and remind them of its importance.

- The ?Are You Listening?? poster will be on display in places that are easily visible for students as well as instructors to see and read throughout the university.

INTERVENTION TWO PLAYING A FAMILIAR ROLE

Users: Newly-hired non-tenure track instructors

Performance object ive: 1,2,4,5

Level of performance: Individual

Performance need: Knowledge/skills


Genre: Role play Medium: Face-to-face

Rat ionale:

- In this non-instruct ional intervent ion, the main performers will engage in concrete and relevant group act ivit ies involving role playing scenarios.

- This will be similar to a community of pract ice but with a very specific focus in mind and with many scenarios planned out and writ ten in a document.

- There will be a facilitator who does not act in an instruct ional role but is simply in the room to manage the environment in such a way that meaningful observat ion and connect ions take place.


- This medium allows for authent ic face-to-face communicat ion between fellow colleagues.

Advantages:

- Act ive learning would take place between instructors taking turns playing different roles.

Limitat ions:

- Scheduling these group act ivit ies can be difficult given the very busy schedules of the instructors.

- Instructors who lack motivat ion may not wish to part icipate in the act ivit ies. Conventions:

- The information available is funct ional, most ly transmitted verbally, and will involve the reading out of scenarios and the assigning of roles by the facilitator.

- The structure of the intervent ion is that of a role play, thus, the instructors will be expected to take part in planned out act ivit ies, with t ime allot ted for debriefing and feedback from the other part icipants.

- With regards to the scenarios, the style in which they are writ ten is professional and fict ional in nature.

- Learners can expect to part icipate in the act ivit ies as well as think reflect ively on their own beliefs of politeness and effect ive communicat ion.

INTERVENTION THREE FEEDBACK AND LOOKING BACK

Users: Newly-hired non-tenure track instructors, students , and staff

Performance object ive: 1,2,3,5,6,7,8,10


Performance need: Information


Genre: Observat ional feedback Medium: Face-to-face and writ ten

Rationale:

- This observat ional feedback system will allow new teachers to have a solid and experienced communicator or presenter (could be a ret ired professor) mentor them through guidance and support of their efforts to improve their communicat ion skills.

- It addresses the necessary feedback that teachers will need to ensure that they are communicat ing with students to the best of their abilit ies.

- They would come and observe the classroom if the instructor requests an observat ion session.

- The observer and the instructor would meet following the classroom session and discuss any possible concerns while also sett ing short and long-term goals for the instructor.


- This medium allows for the transmission of construct ive crit icism and feedback in person as well as etched in writ ing for later consultat ion.

Advantages:

- Teachers will feel that they are receiving proper guidance and feedback on their communicat ion skills with their students.

Limitat ions:

- The observat ion sessions may only occur a couple of t imes a semester due to scheduling.

Conventions:

- The information available will be in the form of point-form observat ional notes detailing strengths and weaknesses of the instructors performance.

- The structure of the intervent ion includes planned observat ions, short meetings, and the handing over of the observat ion notes to the instructors.

- The writ ing style is professional and concise. - Learners can expect to be receiving honest, construct ive, t imely, and relevant feedback on

their communicat ive abilit ies with their students.

INTERVENTION FOUR STEPS TO SUCCESSFUL COMMUNICATION

Users: Newly-hired non-tenure track instructors and students



Performance need: Resource


Genre: Guide Medium: Online

Rationale:

- This online step-by-step guide is for instructors who do not feel that they need a mentor to help them with their communicat ive skills and strategies but would prefer a concrete document to consult on their own free t ime.

- This would be a resource that teachers would have access to at all t ime and could draw connect ions between the information provided and their own performance.


- The online format of this guide can be easily accessed on a laptop, mobile phone, or tablet. - It can also be printed out if the instructor would prefer a hard copy.

Advantages:

- The guide can be consulted very quickly and at any t ime. - It is user-friendly, simple to understand, and is not a t ime-consuming document to read.

Limitat ions:

- Low motivat ion instructors may simply disregard the guide. - Instructors may not take the t ime to read through the guide once they receive it .

Conventions:

- The nature of the information available is strategy-driven, with an emphasis on mutual respect and understanding.

- The intervent ion is structured as a short online guide with separate sect ions for each aspect of communicat ion including strategies.

- The writ ing style is formal and focused, using vocabulary conducive to self-reflect ion. - Learners can expect to receive a guide which is created to suit their individual needs in terms

of being able to build on their exist ing communicat ive skill set and feel the need to consult it at their own leisure.

INTERVENTION FIVE COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE




Performance need: Incent ives


Genre: Community of pract ice Medium: Online forum

Rationale:

- These online weekly meetings would help increase the sense of belonging and importance among the new instructors.

- Promotes social interact ion between the instructors, even with each coming from different departments.

- Product ively contributes towards ident ifying of common problems that might be affect ing the performance of the instructors.

- Open discussions will take place with regards to the main problems that the members are facing.

- These issues are important to be discussed because they may be causing the instructors to lack motivat ion.

- Suggest ions on how to resolve these problems will be discussed.


- Instructors will be able to connect virtually with other teachers and share ideas on teaching project-based lessons.

- They will share strategies in real-t ime, allowing for instant feedback and responses.

Advantages:

- Online community of pract ice meetings make it more convenient than face-to-face meetings because part icipants can meet virtually online to take part in the discussions.

Limitat ions:

- Even in an online synchronous format, the schedules of the instructors are st ill a limitat ion with this intervent ion.

- Scheduling online meetings that ensure every instructor?s part icipat ion might be challenging.

Conventions:

- The information available will be factual as well as anecdotal. - The structure is like most online communit ies of pract ice, in which topics change from t ime

to t ime, with t ime allot ted for many responses and discussions to unfold. - The writ ing style in this community of pract ice forum will be focused and formal in nature,

with much vocabulary relat ing to personal experience and solut ions to communicat ion problems.

- Learners can be expected to part icipate and share information and experiences alongside fellow novice and expert communicators, each with different motivat ion levels.

INTERVENTION SIX HONOURABLE COMMUNICATOR AWARD

Users: Newly-hired non-tenure track instructors and staff

Performance object ive: 1,2,3,4,5,8,9,10


Performance need: Incent ive


Genre: Award Medium: Print

Rationale:

- The purpose for this intervent ion is to provide these instructors with a non-financial incent ive to perform at a higher level.

- This dist inct ion is awarded to a single individual at the end of every semester who has demonstrated except ional skills in communicat ion and respectful behaviour towards their students. It is also given to instructors who have demonstrated a significant increase in their performance.

- The instructor will also receive a gift card alongside the award, in order to build up the motivat ional incent ive.

- The winner would be determined through a meeting with all of the communicat ion specialists who had been hired to observe the instructors in act ion throughout the semester.


- This is the best medium to give recognit ion to instructors striving professionally develop their effect ive communicat ion abilit ies because the award signifies the efforts of the instructor.

Advantages:

- Would motivate the instructors. - Create a competit ive spirit among the instructors which can motivate the

lower-performing individuals.

Limitat ions:

- Could mildly raise tensions among faculty in terms of who is really deserving of the award.

Conventions:

- The only information available is in the online post ing of information on the award at the beginning of each semester, explaining what it is for and who is eligible.

- The structure involves the post ing of award information, scheduling of observat ion sessions, collect ion of information and a decision on who is most deserving of this recognit ion.

- The writ ing style is posit ive and congratulatory. - Learners can expect to be observed by an expert if they are interested in possibly being

awarded this dist inct ion.

INTERVENTION SEVEN INTERACTION WITH STUDENTS

Users: Newly-hired non-tenure track instructors and staff at the Centre for Faculty Development

Performance object ive: 1,2,3,4


Performance need: Resources


Genre: Video Medium: Online

Rationale:

- This short five-minute video will clearly out line to the instructors the kind of communicat ive performance expected of them.

- This video will go into some level of detail on concrete strategies to use ensuring purposeful, respectful, as well as effect ive communicat ion.


- A video such as this can be a quick reference for instructors who need to brush up on their communicat ive strategies.

Advantages:

- This visual medium is engaging for many and can keep the instructors entertained as they are learning.

Limitat ions:

- Instructors may not have the t ime to watch the video due to their busy schedules. - Low motivat ion instructors may simply ignore the video.

Conventions:

- The information made available will be descript ive, relatable, and strategy-focused. - The structure of the video will first break down a number of common issues instructors

can face with their students. - The writ ing that does appear in the video as well as the dialogue is professional,

posit ive, and clear. - Learners can expect to watch an educat ional video which is engaging and a useful

resource for them on their journey to refining their communicat ion skills.

INTERVENTION EIGHT MY JOURNEY WITH COMMUNICATION



Level of performance: Individual

Performance need: Motives


Genre: Self-improvement sheet Medium: Online

Rationale:

- The goal is for instructors to self-reflect on their professional development with regards to their communicat ive abilit ies.

- They will be sent the self-evaluat ion sheet and will be asked to fill out information regarding whether or not they are implementing certain effect ive communicat ion strategies.

- The document will also include space for the instructor to write down their thoughts and observat ions about their own performance.


- Instructors will be able to reflect on their accomplishments through easy typing into the document on their laptops or tablets.

Advantages:

- This is a personal document, and thus the instructors, even more reserved ones, would feel that they have privacy as well as control over their own performance.

Limitat ions:

- Some performers being unable ident ify what their weaknesses are or what they would specifically need extra support with.

- Low motivat ion instructors may disregard the sheet and not see any value in keeping track of their performance in this way.

Conventions:

- The type of information available is quest ion-based. - Its structure includes rat ing scales, quest ions, and space for self-reflect ion. - The writ ing style is clear and concise. - Learners can expect to take on a reflect ive role and self-evaluate their own performance.

Documents

HIGH LEVEL DESIGN · 2019. 10. 23. · Level of performance: Environment Performance need: Incentive Phase(s) of performance: Low, moderate, and high motivation Genre: Print Medium: