The analysis phase

Instructional analysis was conducted to provide insights to the current situation, suggest resolutions to address the present problems and offer recommendations for the development of the digital storytelling (DST) integrated CME curriculum unit in this study.

The analysis was carried out from four aspects: (1) the instructional goal analysis, (2) the learning content analysis, (3) the learner analysis and (4) the learning environment analysis.

Figure 6. The instructional design model for the digital storytelling-integrated moral education curriculum unit

Analysis

1. Wiggins and McTighe (2005) backward design model 2. Lickona’s (1991, 1993, 2001) character education framework 3. Lambert’s (2010) seven steps to digital storytelling

Development of instructional materials

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Instructional goal analysis. The CME syllabus set by the Ministry of Education (MOE) was analysed to facilitate in the identification of learning goals and objectives for the curriculum in this study. The CME syllabus contains the core values that the nation advocates, and provides the directions and frameworks to which the values could be inculcated in the schools in Singapore. An analysis on the MOE created CME curriculum syllabus may help to ensure the instructional goals and objectives in the newly designed curriculum in this study not to deviate from the nation goals and objectives.

Learning content analysis. The learning content analysis examined the availability and appropriateness of the existing curriculum and learning resources, and the validity of the available assessment methods. The current CME textbook, teacher’s guide file, MOE provided pictorial and media resources and the school CME rubrics were then analysed to identify the pros and cons of the existing resources which could serve as considerations or suggestions for the new curriculum in this study.

Learner analysis. The learners’ capabilities, in terms of their ICT, critical thinking, MT literacy and oral skills, were examined to find out if they were equipped with the necessary skills. The learners’ conduct was examined to identify the core value that needed to be emphasised or strengthened. The information was learnt via the interviews with the four participating school’s teachers.

Learning environment analysis. The learning environment analysis involved the review of the participating school’s existing ICT infrastructure. Apart from the researcher’s observation information obtained from previously working in the participating school, four teachers of the participating school were also interviewed to find out about the availability and accessibility of the school facilities. The teacher interviewees also provided insights to the current teaching and learning situations of the CME subject, to find out the strategies currently used and the responses of the learners to those strategies. A DST workshop expert

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was engaged in an interview to provide insights to the DST development in Singapore and the DST workshop situations.

In this analysis phase, besides the documents such as the MOE CME syllabus and MOE supplied resources, semi-structured interviews were conducted to supplement the document analysis. A DST workshop expert and four teachers of the participating school were interviewed between December 2010 and January 2011. Due to the geographical distance between the researcher and the interviewees, the interviews were carried out via synchronous communication tool, Skype, instead of the face-to-face interviews. Every interview was audio-recorded with the interviewees’ permissions, and was later transcribed. Predetermined interview questions were constructed and emailed to the interviewees before the interviews for their preview, and additional questions were posed when necessary to probe in-depth into their replies and to ask for clarifications. The interviews lasted between one and 1.5 hours.

The DST workshop expert, who was interviewed by the researcher, is one of the founders of the Digital Storytelling Asia organisation which spearheaded the DST movement in Singapore. The organisation conducts DST workshops and organises talks to promote DST in the South East Asia region. The DST workshop expert was a digital storyteller since year 2007, and she started conducting DST workshops in March 2009 and since then had carried out more than ten workshops. Most of the workshops were catered to the adults. She had experiences collaborating with a primary school to conduct two DST workshops with primary 5 students to facilitate their English composition writing skills. The DST workshop expert was interviewed mainly on her experiences of conducting workshops with the students. The detailed interview questions were available in appendix 4.

The teacher interviewees are both CL and CME teachers, with more than five years of teaching experience and three of them holds a leadership position in the school. While the ICT coordinator is able to provide detailed information on the school’s ICT infrastructure,

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initiatives and effort, the service learning coordinator who is in-charge of the moral and character development programmes of the school, is most familiar with the current CME curriculum, resources and initiatives. As the CME subject is taught by CL teachers, the CL coordinator and the experienced CL teacher are able to provide information on how the Chinese language could affect or complement the CME teaching and learning practice. Table 5 summarised the teaching profiles of the teachers being interviewed in the needs analysis stage. The teacher interviewees were interviewed on the following topics: their usage of the available ICT and CME resources, the current teaching and learning approaches and challenges, the effectiveness of the current assessment modes and the students’ characteristics.

The interview questions for the teacher interviewees were attached in appendix 5.

Table 5

Background Information of Teachers Interviewed in Analysis Phase

Codes T01 T02 T03 T04

“identify the desired results” followed by stage two of “determine acceptable evidence” and stage three of “plan learning experience and instruction”. Lickona’s (1991, 1993, 2001)