**Decision Making**

**DECISION-MAKING PROCESS**

######### KEY POINTS

1.  Help students understand how important it is to generate clear
    criteria that accurately identify the conditions that the selected
    alternatives need to meet when making a decision.

2.  Hold students accountable for rigorously applying criteria to
    alternatives.

3\. Vary the way that you use decision making to maximize its potential
for encouraging students to use the knowledge they are gaining in a unit
of study.

**DEFINITION OF DECISION MAKING:**

The process of generating and applying criteria to select from, among
seemingly equal alternatives.

Using the table on page 4:

1.  Identify a decision you plan to make and the alternatives you are
    considering. (See sample below and on page 3: How do you choose to
    spend your free time during the weekend?)

2.  Identify the criteria that you consider important (i.e.,
    "Affordable," "Convenient," "Fun," etc.)

3.  Assign each criterion an importance score. (Using a 1-3 scale, each
    student will assign a value to reflect how important each criterion
    is to him/her. For example, one student may assign the "Convenient"
    criterion a "1" and another could give it a "3.")

4.  Determine the extent to which each alternative possesses each
    criterion. (Using a 1-3 scale again, score each alternative
    according to the degree to which it possesses each criterion. For
    example, a 20-mile mountain-bike ride may score a "1" as not at all
    relaxing, while hanging out at home and reading magazines may score
    a "3.")

5.  Multiply the criterion scores by the alternative scores to determine
    which alternative has the highest total points. (For example, the
    criterion of "Affordable" ranked a "3" for very important, and the
    alternative "Go to the movie theater" scored a "2" for somewhat
    affordable. Multiply "3" by "2" to get one set of points, "6.")

6.  Based on your reaction to the selected alternative, determine if you
    want to change importance scores, and add or drop criteria. (After
    totaling all of the points, you may decide that you want to change
    the criterion score for "Relaxing" from a "2" to a "3.")

**SAMPLE: *To what degree do the alternatives possess the criteria?***

***1 = not at all or just a little bit 2 = somewhat 3 = totally
possesses criterion***

> **In the matrix below, multiply the criteria values by the alternative
> scores.**

<table style="width:100%;">
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 32%" />
<col style="width: 5%" />
<col style="width: 5%" />
<col style="width: 6%" />
<col style="width: 6%" />
<col style="width: 5%" />
<col style="width: 5%" />
<col style="width: 6%" />
<col style="width: 6%" />
<col style="width: 5%" />
<col style="width: 5%" />
<col style="width: 5%" />
<col style="width: 5%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p><em><strong>How important is each criterion?</strong></em></p>
<p><em><strong>1 = not important</strong></em></p>
<p><em><strong>2 = somewhat important</strong></em></p>
<p><em><strong>3 = very important</strong></em></p></td>
<td colspan="2"><p><strong>Movie</strong></p>
<p><strong>Theater</strong></p></td>
<td colspan="2"><p><strong>Mountain-</strong></p>
<p><strong>Bike</strong></p>
<p><strong>Ride</strong></p></td>
<td colspan="2"><strong>Skate-board</strong></td>
<td colspan="2"><strong>Read magazines</strong></td>
<td colspan="2"><strong>Bowl &amp; Eat Lunch</strong></td>
<td colspan="2"><strong>Play Basket-ball</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td rowspan="2"><p><strong>Affordable</strong></p>
<p><strong>(3)</strong></p></td>
<td><strong>3x</strong></td>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td><strong>3x</strong></td>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td><strong>3x</strong></td>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td><strong>3x</strong></td>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td><strong>3x</strong></td>
<td><strong>1</strong></td>
<td><strong>3x</strong></td>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td></td>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td></td>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td></td>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td></td>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td></td>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td></td>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

**Determine level of The multiplier represents**

**importance to you. The multiplicand (the "3" to what degree the
activity**

> **for affordability) is the possesses the criterion. The product**
>
> **same for each alternative. of the two**

**multipliers.**

**TEACHER RESOURCES**

Klinger & Vaughn (1999) Promoting Reading Comprehension, Learning, and
English Acquisition through Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR).

Marzano, Pickering, et. al. (2001) Dimensions of Learning Teacher's
Manual (2^nd^ Edition) Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development (ASCD) Alexandria, VA.

Swanson & De La Paz (1998) Teaching Effective Comprehension Strategies
to Students with Learning and Reading Disabilities.

**[Decision to Consider]{.underline}: *On Saturday, you spent several
hours at the public library in preparation for the science research
project due next week. You feel you have made excellent progress and
deserve to take a break from research on Sunday. How will you choose to
spend your free time?***

***To what degree do the alternatives possess the criteria?***

***1 = not at all or just a little bit 2 = somewhat 3 = totally
possesses criterion***

***In the matrix below, multiply the criteria values by the alternative
scores.***

<table>
<colgroup>
<col style="width: 26%" />
<col style="width: 6%" />
<col style="width: 6%" />
<col style="width: 6%" />
<col style="width: 6%" />
<col style="width: 6%" />
<col style="width: 6%" />
<col style="width: 6%" />
<col style="width: 6%" />
<col style="width: 6%" />
<col style="width: 6%" />
<col style="width: 6%" />
<col style="width: 6%" />
</colgroup>
<tbody>
<tr class="odd">
<td><p><em><strong>How important is each criterion?</strong></em></p>
<p><em><strong>1 = not important</strong></em></p>
<p><em><strong>2 = somewhat important</strong></em></p>
<p><em><strong>3 = very important</strong></em></p></td>
<td colspan="2"><strong>Go to the movie theater</strong></td>
<td colspan="2"><strong>Ride a 20-mile mountain-bike loop</strong></td>
<td colspan="2"><p><strong>Skateboard at the new</strong></p>
<p><strong>public park</strong></p></td>
<td colspan="2"><strong>Hang out and read magazines</strong></td>
<td colspan="2"><strong>Bowl and eat lunch with some
friends</strong></td>
<td colspan="2"><strong>Play basketball with neighbor</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td rowspan="2"><p><strong>Affordable</strong></p>
<p><strong>(3)</strong></p></td>
<td><strong>3x</strong></td>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td><strong>3x</strong></td>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td><strong>3x</strong></td>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td><strong>3x</strong></td>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td><strong>3x</strong></td>
<td><strong>1</strong></td>
<td><strong>3x</strong></td>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td></td>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td></td>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td></td>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td></td>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td></td>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td></td>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td rowspan="2"><p><strong>Convenient</strong></p>
<p><strong>(1)</strong></p></td>
<td><strong>1x</strong></td>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td><strong>1x</strong></td>
<td><strong>1</strong></td>
<td><strong>1x</strong></td>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td><strong>1x</strong></td>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td><strong>1x</strong></td>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td><strong>1x</strong></td>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td></td>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td></td>
<td><strong>1</strong></td>
<td></td>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td></td>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td></td>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td></td>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td rowspan="2"><p><strong>Fun</strong></p>
<p><strong>(3)</strong></p></td>
<td><strong>3x</strong></td>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td><strong>3x</strong></td>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td><strong>3x</strong></td>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td><strong>3x</strong></td>
<td><strong>1</strong></td>
<td><strong>3x</strong></td>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td><strong>3x</strong></td>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td></td>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td></td>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td></td>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td></td>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td></td>
<td><strong>9</strong></td>
<td></td>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td rowspan="2"><p><strong>Relaxing</strong></p>
<p><strong>(2)</strong></p></td>
<td><strong>2x</strong></td>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td><strong>2x</strong></td>
<td><strong>1</strong></td>
<td><strong>2x</strong></td>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td><strong>2x</strong></td>
<td><strong>3</strong></td>
<td><strong>2x</strong></td>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td><strong>2x</strong></td>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr class="odd">
<td></td>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td></td>
<td><strong>2</strong></td>
<td></td>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td></td>
<td><strong>6</strong></td>
<td></td>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
<td></td>
<td><strong>4</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr class="even">
<td><strong>TOTALS</strong></td>
<td colspan="2"><strong>20</strong></td>
<td colspan="2"><strong>21</strong></td>
<td colspan="2"><strong>24</strong></td>
<td colspan="2"><strong>21</strong></td>
<td colspan="2"><strong>18</strong></td>
<td colspan="2"><strong>22</strong></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

Alternatives

  ------------------- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----
  **Criteria**                                                               

                                                                             

                                                                             

                                                                             

                                                                             

                                                                             

                                                                             

                                                                             

                                                                             

  **TOTALS**                                                                 
  ------------------- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ----