1. HRD 860 Instructional Design Project
Lesson Plan
GROUP MEMBERS: DATE
Carter, Mary Deloris Sims December 2009
Ethridge, Patrick
Gilbert, Linda
McCutchen, A. Flynn
Reynolds, Clay
COURSE TITLE
Developing Problem Solving Skills Through Case Study Analysis
SPECIFIC TOPIC
Evaluation and application of problem solving
skills
INSTRUCTIONAL GOAL (outcome that students should be able to demonstrate upon completion of the entire unit)
To equip students with skills necessary for problem solving strategy evaluation and for
distinguishing appropriate application of problem solving techniques during case study analysis.
INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVE (use an action verb in a description of a measurable outcome)
• After completion of the self-directed learning module, students will be able to
evaluate problem solving strategies.
• After completion of the self-directed learning module, students will be able to
discuss the rationale for their problem solving technique application.
RATIONALE (brief justification -- why you feel the students need to learn this topic)
Problem solving skills are central to the work of the human resource development (HRD)
professional. In the course of HRD work, incumbents face myriad situations that must be
assessed and followed up with recommendations for improvement. The ability to deconstruct
and articulate work place problems is a competency that HRD professionals must possess. HRD
students who become HRD professionals must demonstrate a mastery of recognizing, analyzing,
and recommending well-thought out solutions for complex problems. Case study analysis
provides an effective method for developing problem solving skills by analyzing “real-world”

2. problems.
LESSON CONTENT (what is to be taught)
Course materials designed and selected to help students evaluate and determine
appropriateness of problem solving techniques.
INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES
• Focusing event: Questions to prompt students’ thinking about their problem
solving skills.
• Teaching procedures: Students will access rubrics and case study exercises and to
develop problem solving skills.
• Formative check: Students will conduct knowledge checks and engage in
reflection on course materials.
• Student participation: Participation is self-directed where students will access
exercises and self-evaluations at their own pace.
• Closure: Self-evaluations and on-going review of ancillary instructional tools.
EVALUATION PROCEDURES (how you will measure outcomes to determine if the material has been learned)
• Web-based knowledge checks and self-evaluation.
• Feedback to the site administrators through online survey.
MATERIALS AND AIDS (what you will need in order to teach this lesson)
• Human resource case studies
• Case study exercises
• Rubric to self-evaluate problem solving skills
• Rubric to evaluate select problem solving techniques
• Discussion wiki
• Links to online resources, such as
• HRD case studies
• Problem solving techniques web sites
• HRD professional’s web sites
• HRD blogs
• Online problem solving tutorial videos and presentations