Theories and Factors That Affect Student Learners
Sonya Lanham
Analyzing the student learners is a means to identify the learner characteristics that will likely impact the process and outcomes
of the learning experience.
Factors	Description	Advantage or Constraint		Initial Ideas for Maximizing Positive Factors or Minimizing Negative Factors
Age / Academic Range	10 & 11		-	Students will be grouped for academic range balance.
Sex Distribution	M/F	+
Racial, Ethnic Diversity	Caucasian, Hispanic		-	Include diverse prompts in lesson description.
Educational Level	5th grade	+		These students should work independently on their project.  Peer tutoring between experienced users and less experienced users
Disability or Impairment	Hearing Impairment		-	Seat student at front of room according to IEP
Developmentally Appropriate	Consistent with age		-	Careful monitoring of research for increased time on task.
Prerequisite Knowledge	Word Processing Internet Research	+		Collect research findings, including sources, in a Word document.
Related Experience	No prior knowledge of PowerPoint		-	Develop sample presentation for demo.
Perception of Role as Student	They will open minded  with a willingness to learn	+
Motivation for Learning	Enjoy technology use  and will produce a multimedia project	+
Attitude Toward Subject	Interested in Louisiana Purchase	+		Students have expressed an interest in this to teacher.
Expectations from Session	Learn to use PowerPoint	+		Give students a rubric so expected outcome is known.
Competitiveness	Yes, especially between the girls		-	Remind students just because it has all the “bells and whistles” doesn't mean we have to use them all.
Environment factors that may impact learner-centered instruction.
Analyzing the environment is a means to identify the issues that will impact the (a) process of the design and production, (b) implementation, and (c) outcomes of the learning experience
Factors	Description	Advantage or Constraint		Initial Ideas for Maximizing Positive Factors or Minimizing Negative Factors
Design and Production Factors:
Budget Available	Limited		-	Will need diskettes to save word document and presentation.
Materials Required	Microsoft Word & PowerPoint	+		Software is installed all computers in lab.
Production Equipment Available	Windows 98  & XP lab, projection device	+		All training will occur in the elementary computer lab.
Time for Design and Production	50 minutes 1-2 times a week		-	Students may have to wait a week before they work on their project.
Department Technology Requirements	none	+
Implementation Factors:
Class Size	17	+
Class Period Length	50 minutes		-	First two sessions will be for research, next two sessions for PowerPoint development.
Location	Elementary computer lab	+		Research and PowerPoint sessions will be taught in lab, lesson development may be taught in classroom to facilitate organization of materials.
Seating Arrangement	Computers are around all four outside walls and center	+		Teacher can easily see all computer monitors.
Lighting	Adequate	+
Temperature	Set at 74	+		Controlled by locked thermostat
Noise	Lab is out end of hall on back side of building	+		Limited traffic in this area.
Equipment	20 computers with Internet access, Word and PowerPoint	+		All students will have their own computers.
Technology Support	N/A			I provide some technical support with a student aid during this time.
Outcome Factors:
State Requirements	TA TEKS 5	+
Employer Needs	Technology integration for increased learning.	+
Co-worker Needs	N/A
Student Needs	Learn to use PowerPoint	+		This will be beneficial in all upper level grades.
Other Factors:
Content factors that may impact learner-centered instruction.
Analyzing the content is a means to identify in general terms the topics to be addressed in your course and to analyze these topics in terms of the prequisite sub-topics, and degree of learning difficulty
Main Topics	Sub-Topics (What Is Involved In Learning Each Main Topic?)	Readiness To Learn (Prerequisites Mastered)	Degree of Learning Difficulty (Real / Imagined)	Possible Instructional Strategies to Reduce or Manage Learning Difficulty
Research Louisiana Purchase in U.S. History	1. Determine appropriate keyword searches	Learners have mastered Internet research and Word. Most have not copied and pasted from Internet into Word	This task should be easy for students	Use projector to demonstration of copy and paste to Word document.
	2. Create a Word document to save research notes and pictures
Create a PowerPoint presentation	1. Create a presentation with linear progression with at least four slides.	The learners have mastered the prerequisite of word-processing.	This task may proved to be difficult for some students	Show teacher created sample presentation to students.
	2. Copy/Paste pictures from Word
Student will reflect integrity and ethical practices regarding acquisition and use of copyright material.	1. Determine appropriate use of images acquired from Internet	Learners have mastered Internet research and Word.	This task may proved to be difficult for some students.	Show teacher created sample presentation with works cited page to students. Also use printout of slide so students will have a reference to refer to.
	2. Create a Works Cited page