Lesson 10: The ASSURE Model

In designing a lesson with the integration of technology, it is crucial to observe a framework

that can act as a guide in its formulation (Heinrich & Smaldino, 2002). The ASSURE Model
identifies six essential elements in the instructional process.

A- nalyze Learner Characteristics

S- tate Objectives
S- elect, Modify, or Design Materials
U- tilize Materials
R- equire Learner Response
E- valuate and Revise

The ASSURE Model is a guide in crafting an instructional flow that can guide the teacher in
integrating appropriate technology and media into the instructional process. It also refers to a
systematic approach that the teacher can use when writing an instructional plan. This model is
composed of six essential steps in planning instruction. Theoretically, it is a mental framework that
a teacher considers.

Analyze Learners
- with the learner as the center of the instructional process, the initial consideration is to get a clear
picture of the learner’s learning styles, age level, interests or preferences, background, special
needs and cultural diversity.

State Objectives
- this is the main instruction guide that will direct the flow to reach the target. Known as the
learning outcome expected of the lesson, this statement describes what the learner would be able
to perform as a result of the instruction.

Select Methods, Media and Materials

- selecting the appropriate way of delivering the lesson and using the applicable media or
technology can effectively make learners acquire understanding of the lesson or gain the
competence desired. The teacher has to decide which strategy, materials or technology would be
best considering the learners and the desired learning outcomes.

Utilize Methods, Media and Materials

- having selected the strategy, media and materials is halfway of the task done. Bearing in mind
the learning outcome of the lesson, the teacher decides which part of the instructional flow will a
particular material or technology be employed and the manner on how it will be more effective to
achieve the learning outcome.

Require Learner Participation

- the learners have to be made to understand their role in taking accountability of their own
learning. Therefore, the teacher has to design sections of the lesson where the learners are guided
to participate in and perform tasks with minimal or no supervision at all.
Evaluate Student Performance
- assessing learner’s performance can take place across phases of the lesson. However, it is
emphasized that the basic rule is that the evaluation should be congruent to the learning outcome
provided in the lesson.

Some learning outcomes can be sufficiently evaluated using a pen and paper test but there
are other learning outcomes that can be assessed by using rubric or having an aggregated write-up
through the use of a portfolio assessment.

The six different steps of Systematic Planning for the Use of Media are discussed hereunder.

STEP I: Analyse the Learners

The first step or procedure in planning is to identify the learners who may be the students,
trainees or members of any organization. As a teacher, you must know your students thoroughly
to enable you select the best media to meet your objectives. The effective use of instructional media
involves a match between the learner’s characteristics and the content of the lesson, and its
presentation. The first step in the ASSURE model is therefore the Analysis of the audience
(learners). Analyzing the learners also involve knowing the learner’s learning styles, analyzing
more on their information-processing habits, motivational factors and psychological factors as
well. Psychological factors are more related to sex differences, health and environmental
conditions. These factors obviously influence the effectiveness of learning. In specific entry
competencies, means such as, in-class-questioning, out-of-class interviews, testing-with-
standardized or teacher-made-tests. Hence, entry tests are assessments, both formal and informal,
that determine whether or not the student posses the necessary pre-requisites (entry- skills) which
are the competencies the learner must possess in order to benefit from the instruction.

STEP II: State the objectives

This is the second step of the ASSURE Model. Objectives must be stated as specifically as
possible. They must be derived from a course, a syllabus stated in a textbook, taken from a
curriculum guide or developed by the teacher. Every activity has an objective. Objectives are
unifying statements for our daily and future activities. Objectives may be imposed on or even
offered to us by someone and may even be of our own making. They may be conceived as points
marking the achievements of some efforts, ambition, or accomplishment. All objectives rest upon
an assumption or underlying complex of value. They lie at the very heart of a planning process.
Planning objectives enables the teacher to command the future rather than be commanded by it.
Planning objectives enables the teacher to command the future rather than be commanded by it.
Planning a head makes it possible anticipate and hopefully avoid unforeseen classroom difficulties.

STEP III: Selecting Media and Material

A systematic plan for using media demands that media be selected systematically. The
selection process involves, choosing an appropriate media format and, selecting, modifying, and
designing specific materials within that format. There are four main procedures involved in the
selection, modifying, and designing specific materials. Media selection usually takes different
forms. Within these, instructional situations may take different settings in the form of large group
format, small group, or self-instruction formats. Due consideration must take care of other key
players of learner variables such as reader, n on-reader, or auditory preference and the nature of
the objectives like cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains and interpersonal skills.
Selection of instructional media must also give more preferences against the presentational
capabilities of each of the media formats e.g. presenting sill visuals, motion visuals, and printed
and spoken words. Above all, selection of an appropriate media must give feedback to both the
learner and the teacher.

STEP IV: Utilize Media and Materials

This is the fourth step of systematic plan for using media. This step involves the following
procedures:
• Preview of the Materials
• Practice the Presentations
• Prepare the Learning Environment, Prepare the Audience/Learner
• Require/Seek for the Learner’s Active Participation and Present the Materials

1. Preview of the Materials

As we have discussed earlier during the selection process, you as a teacher, you should
have determined that the objectives and materials, you are going to use in your lesson are
appropriate for your audience/learners. Before you go to class, you must ensure that you have a
full mastery of the materials to be effectively used in your class. Previewing the materials in
advance enables you to detect some parts, which might be objectionable or distract the class
participation. It also enables you to eliminate some sensitive sections or if need be, discuss with
them in advance those portions which might cause ripples in the class. This will let the learners be
aware of what is to take place in advance and avoid classroom embarrassment.

2. Practice the Presentation

Previewing the materials leads us to actual practice of some important portions of the
presentation. It is advisable for the teacher to go through the presentation at least once well in
advance and then to review your notes just immediately before the presentation. During this
reviewing process, you should avoid over practice. Depending on the nature of the available
resources you have, you should always try to get some feedback during practice time. Some
teachers prefer using mirrors, others like to have a colleague/friend around to provide feedback.
Usually, and depending on its availability, always try to use media to provide you with feedback.
The type of media can be audiotape, or video recorder, which can give an accurate replay while
practicing the presentation. These two types of media will not only let you hear what you said but
see yourself presenting. This will definitely make you improve and correct yourself where you
went wrong.

3. Prepare the Learning Environment

Depending on the place where presentation may take place, always remember to consider
the following factors, which might make delivery of instruction become more comfortable:

• Consider the seating plan of the class

• Adequate ventilation
• Suitable lighting
 • A good conducive classroom climate
• Many media require a darkened room, a convenient power supply, and access to light and
switches. Ensure that all these facilities are available at the right time before you begin
your lesson.
• As a teacher, you should always check if the equipment is in good working order
• Always try to arrange the facilities in such a way that the learners, audience can see and
hear properly whatever is going on in the classroom.

4. Prepare the Audience/Learner

Various researches conducted on human learning have concluded that whatever is learned
from a presentation depends highly on how the learners are prepared for the presentation. Starting
a lesson by giving a broad overview of the content and its rationale. Telling the learner how the
content is related to the topic being studied. AT the same time, giving motivating statements, which
relates to the content will definitely capture the learner’s attention and interests. This is sometimes
termed as giving warm- ups prepare the learners to have the need and urge to know how they are
going to profit paying attention and provide cues which direct their attention to specific aspects of
the presentation.

5. Present the Material

This is the most opportune time you have been preparing for. You are therefore ready to
show your learners that you really know your subject matter quite well. You have to control the
attention of your students during the presentation time. You are therefore considered to act like a
general showmanship that you are in charge of the class. The success of the lesson will depend on
how you present the lesson and how you conduct yourself throughout the entire period.

STEP V: Require Learner Response

The fifth step in the ASSURE Model is to provide opportunities for learners to practice the
capability of being taught. This is because active participation in the learning process enhances
learning. In order to enhance active classroom participation, the teacher should incorporate topics,
which promote more classrooms activities. Such topics are, class discussions, short quizzes, and
application exercises. These may provide immediate response and reinforcement during
instruction. Follow-up activities may also provide further opportunities for learning. At the same
time, teachers’ guides and manuals that accompany instructions elicit a lot of learner’s responses
and reinforcement during instruction. Since the utmost aim of the teacher is to provide learning it
is his/her utmost duty to ensure that meaningful learning is actually taking place during instruction.
Several researchers and psychologists have realized that active participation in the classroom
learning process enhances meaningful learning. Some of their contributions, which gave more
emphasis on active learner participation, have been highlighted hereunder.
STEP VI: Evaluate/Revise

There is need for teachers to know the total picture of the entire instructional episode being
undertaken in any instruction. The teacher is the master and essential player in the game of teaching
learning process. He is the one in charge of everything going on in the classroom. While in the
classroom, the teacher’s duty is to facilitate meaningful learning. Evaluating and revising
instruction definitely makes the teacher aware of any loophole if any in his lesson. In order to do
this, he needs to:
• To get the total picture of the entire instructional process very clearly. Ask himself, did the
learners meet the objectives?
• Did the media use help in assisting the learners reaching the objectives? and
• Did all the learners use the materials properly? etc.

After going through this type of checklist, you are likely to identify some discrepancies.
Wherever there are discrepancies between what you intended to do and what you actually attained,
you need to revise your plan for the next attempt. There are many different types of evaluating the
learners. For proper evaluation to take place, the teacher should try to evaluate the student’s
achievement, media and methods used during instruction, and evaluation of the entire instructional
process.

Once utmost question in the instructional process is whether or not the students have learned
what they were supposed to learn. Are they able to display the capabilities specified in the original
statements of objectives? When the objectives criteria of acceptable performance which will be
evaluated by the end of instruction because you must assess whether the learner’s skills meet that
criteria. The method of evaluating achievement also depends on the nature of the objective itself.
Some objectives call for relatively simple cognitive skills, others may call for process – type
behavior i.e. (operating a lathe machine, and solving quadratic equations, and observing safety
procedures in the laboratory etc).

Lastly, evaluating objectives must indicate that the learners have the capabilities of the process,
product, or attribute to solve problems. Evaluation must also show that the learner by the end of
instruction must display a behavior in action. This means setting up a situation where the learner
must demonstrate the new skills in which instructional judgment can be based. Although attitudes
are rather difficult to evaluate at all time, setting up long time goals and observation may be
required to determine if the learner really attained the goals set. Depending on the outcomes of
your evaluation, you as a teacher will be free to revise the instruction. Revising and evaluation of
instruction are essential elements that determine whether or not the lesson is a success.