EDCI- Week 2
Week 1- Introduction to Instructional Design/
Front End Analysis
Module Topic
Impact of drug abuse on students’ math performance
The module topic, Impact of drug abuse on students’ math performance, is a valid teaching topic because drug abuse among students has become a common issue of discussion with the rising number of students being found in possession of drugs or having used drugs when drug tests are carried out. Math performance is one of the subjects that many students perform poorly, and the poor performance is attributed to several issues, including drug abuse.
A gap analysis statement is the final statement of the discrepancy that arises when the desired and actual goals are differentiated and looked into. A gap arises when the actual status of a goal fails to meet the desired goal, and the in-between status is what is referred to as a gap analysis or a discrepancy, that is, Desired goal-Actual goal=Discrepancy/Gap (Dick et al., 2015). A gap analysis statement, otherwise called a needs analysis statement, is important in determining what is lacking in a learning module and thus makes it easier for the instructor to identify ways of solving or dealing with the problems raised. For example, in my teaching module, if a learning goal is to ensure students perform better on a math test and the desired goal is for 80% of the class to get As on the test. The actual status or goal is only 50% of the class got As. I can, as an instructor, identify the gap or discrepancy, which is that 30% of the class failed to get As. Through this, I can follow up on the 30%, find out why they failed to get As, and incorporate new ideas and ways of teaching that the students find easy to understand and improve their performance.
| Desired goal/status | Actual goal/status | Gap/need |
| 80% of students get As on the math test | 50% of the students got As on the math test | 30% of students failed to get As on the math test |
Finding the gap or discrepancy may be easy compared to what is required next because finding the appropriate ways to deal with the situation to eliminate or reduce the gap requires much more effort. For example, ensuring the students perform better in math may involve changing a few strategies and encouraging positivity and a good attitude towards math (Jangmo et al., 2019). However, identifying those who perform poorly and linking their performance to drug and substance abuse is the hardest part because it involves working with the students who may not be willing to open up about abusing drugs because of fear of consequences. Then the process is followed by studying their performance over time to find the trend and appropriate ways of dealing with situations that will be safe for all parties.
The module topic is a professional connection because it involves teaching and learning, and carrying out research first about students’ performance in math, then research those who abuse drugs and relate the findings with their performance in math. The topic also relates to my professional role because I am an active member of the Agape Self Help Group, whose objective is to help those students who drop out of school for one reason or another to stand on their feet, for example, by providing them opportunities to earn however small the income or get those who drop out because of drug abuse and addiction the necessary help they require like sending them to rehabilitation centers.
