Evaluating lesson design and implementation within the ICAP framework

The ICAP framework provides a theory of cognitive engagement based on overt learning activities that may inform instructional design. In ongoing work to investigate ICAP as a theoretically-grounded instructional design system, classroom teachers participated in a workshop to learn about the framework and design lessons at varying levels. In this paper, we consider how the ICAP framework can be used in the evaluative stages of the instructional design cycle to assess learning tasks and implementation. Using an example lesson from a language arts classroom, we describe the evaluation methodology, consider how analyses revealed potential disconnects between intention and implementation, and discuss how ICAPbased evaluations may advance the design cycle by informing future lesson plans.