Ways of doing Needs Assessment

Remembering needs analysis What is needs analysis? Finding out what learners know and can do and what they need to learn and do Types of info to gather for NA? Objective Subjective Present situation Future expectations

Objective needs Subjective needs Factual info Cognitive and affective needs

Info about present situation Who the learners are Learners’ level of language proficiency Learners’ level of intercultural competence Interests Learning preferences Attitudes

Info about future expectations Learners’ goals and expectations Target context Types of communicative skills they need and tasks they will perform Language modalities they will use

Look at p. 107 for a sample needs assessment plan

Scenario You are asked to teach a group of adult learners who want to improve their speaking skills in English. The group involves people from various occupations: doctors, engineers, businessmen, etc. What types of information would you like to gather for this group? Why? Make an initial needs assessment plan.

WAYS OF COLLECTING INFO There are various ways of doing needs assessment: The data collected once Ongoing teaching activities It is important to decide which one to use and how to use it!

NA Activities Used Once or on a Regular Basis 1. Questionnaires They are an obvious choice but not the most effective. Look at p. 115 in your course-book for a sample questionnaire Advantage: Questions can be tailored according to a particular group Disadvantages: Teachers might exaggerate Students might not be sure about the right answer Students’ language might not be enough to understand. (e.g. if they haven’t experienced ‘role play’ before, they cannot answer; thus, questionnaires about ways of learning should be given after they experience different ways)

Can be in different forms 2. Interviews Can be in different forms Teacher interviewing students Students interviewing each other Students interviewing the teacher Look at p. 116 for a sample

3. Grids, Charts, Lists Gathering info (either from student interviews other forms) and filling in a class grid or chart using this info. Can be about students’ background, interests, professions, target needs, learning preferences

Can serve a variety of purposes: 4. Writing Activities Can serve a variety of purposes: Assess proficiency Diagnose strengths and weaknesses Gather info about students objective and subjective needs

A way for the group to address some of the areas related to needs. 5. Groups Discussions A way for the group to address some of the areas related to needs. Advantage: Allow students to hear different points of views Allow teachers to watch how individual students participate Disadvantage: There may be some reluctant students who don’t want to be heard

6. Ranking activities Students can be asked to list some points (e.g. where and for what purpose they use English outside of the classroom) and to rank them from the most important to the least important

Ongoing Needs Assessment Activities A) It follows the basic needs assessment cycle: Gather info (where are the learners?; Where do they need to be?) Interpret the info Act on it Evaluate it B) Through careful observation as learners learn Ongoing NA helps teacher make adjustments.

Ways of Ongoing NA 1. Regular feedback sessions See p. 119 for a sample Students have a chance to reflect on the class: what has been productive and what hasn’t. The point to keep in mind! The focus of feedback is not the teacher’s performance but the learning itself.

Writing regularly in a journal and the teacher responds to them 2. Dialogue Journals Writing regularly in a journal and the teacher responds to them 3. Learning logs and diaries See p. 120 for a sample Are kept by the students and they include topics such as: What they are learning Where they feel they are making progress What they plan to do to continue making progress

4. Portfolios Collections of student works to show progress and achievement. 5. Participatory processes Active participation of all members

Summary We should consider the following points while designing a NA Kind of information: no need to assess everything; just consider the most important information you can handle and the one(s) that will help you design/modify your course. Types of activities: see whether they are appropriate for your students; try to use activities you are already familiar with. When you first conduct a NA you may not get all the info you need but you can modify it the next time. The time of conducting the activities: don’t do too many at one time! Don’t overwhelm your students with your need to find out about their needs!!

In-class task Let’s remember the scenario from our last class

Scenario You are asked to teach a group of adult learners who want to improve their speaking skills in English. The group involves people from various occupations: doctors, engineers, businessmen, etc. What types of information would you like to gather for this group? Why?

Work in pairs/groups and make a needs assessment plan: (see p. 107) A) decide what type of info you would like to collect for that group (refer to the typology of needs analysis and select one from each box) B) decide how you would like to collect your data (instruments)