Question

• 1. Provide an example of when an OTR or DPT would provide patient education and an example of health education.
  2. How could the ASSURE paradigm assist an occupational therapist or a physical therapist in treatment planning. Describe the meaning of each letter of the acronym (A.S.S.U.R.E.)

Answer 1

ASSURE is an instructional design model that has the goal of producing more effective teaching and learning. “ASSURE” is an acronym that stands for the various steps in the model.

A – Analyze Learners

The first step in the process is that the teacher should analyze the attributes of her learners. There should be a focus on those learner characteristics which are associated with the learning outcomes desired. The information gathered will help you in the decisions that you make with respect to the other steps in the process. When you determine the character of the learners, it will guide you in choosing specific strategies and resources to aid the learning process.

The analysis of your learners should include:

The general attributes of your learners, such as age, academic abilities, gender, interests, etc.

Prior competencies

Learning styles, such as auditory, visual, and tactile

S – State Standards and Objectives

After the analysis of the learner attributes, the teacher must state standards and objectives for the learning module. This statement consists of a specification of what the learners will be able to do as a result of the instruction.

S – Select Strategies, Technology, Media, and Materials

The second “s” in the acronym stands for select strategies, technology, media, and materials. Given what your learning objectives are, it’s necessary to pick instructional strategies, technology, and media that will bring about the results that you want.

U – Utilize Technology, Media, and Materials

This step in the ASSURE process concerns making a plan as to how you will utilize the technology, media, and materials that you have selected. As with all of the instructional steps, you must make sure that your plans contribute towards producing the objectives that you have laid down.

R – Require Learner Participation

This step actually belongs within earlier steps. It requires that you make plans to how you are going to actively engage your students in the material that you are teaching. This needs to be figured out both at the class level and the individual level.

The most basic step that you can take is requiring participation of the students in class discussions. A more sophisticated approach would require that students prepare questions and comments at home to bring into the class. You might try even allowing individual students to lead classes or discussions in the style of a seminar.

E – Evaluate and Revise

The final step in the ASSURE process is just as crucial as all of the others. In this step, you evaluate the impact of your teaching on student learning. This includes an evaluation of your teaching strategies and the technology, media, and materials that you used.