The Basics of Needs Assessment Power Point

8/8/2019 The Basics of Needs Assessment Power Point

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The basics of needsassessment

Joe McVeigh

Middlebury, Vermont, USA


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The basics of needs assessment

No, really. Basics.


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Contexts

In what type of situations do you need to

perform needs assessments?


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What is needs assessment ?

. . . The systematic collection and analysisof all subjective and objective informationnecessary to define and validate

defensible curriculum purposes that satisfythe language learning requirements ofstudents within the context of particularinstitutions that influence the learning andteaching situation.

(Brown 1995)


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Needs assessment is figuring out whatyou need to teach.

(McVeigh today)


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So . . .

How do we do needs assessment?


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The process of needs assessment(Graves 2000)

Decide what information to gather and why

Decide the best way to gather it: when,

how, and from whom Gather the information

Interpret the information

Act on the information Evaluate the effect and effectiveness of

the action


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The process of needs assessment

Involve the right people

Pose the right questions

Use the right instruments Analyze and interpret the data

Construct the course


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An example

We have a communications problem.

Its a question of phraseology.

The problem is their accent.

The presenting problem.


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Involving the right people

Target group

The learners or students who will be takingthe course or training.


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Audience

The people who will eventually be required toact upon the analysis or make decisions.

Teachers, teacher aides, program

administrators, senior administration or officials,supervisors, managers.


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Needs analysts

The persons responsible for conductingthe needs analysis.

Teachers, course designers, consultants,materials writers.


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Resource group

Any people who may serve as sources ofinformation about the target group.

Parents, financial sponsors, employers,future teachers, clients.


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Example

Target group: call center trainees

Audience: senior executives (VPs, CEO) trainingdepartment, consultants, materials development

team Needs analysts: Consultant (external),

consultant (internal), training staff

Resource group: Senior managers, line

managers and supervisors, trainers, currentemployees, current trainees, human resourcespersonnel, clients.


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Needs analysts


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So, what exactly seems to be the

problem?

Is it the same as the presenting

problem?


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What is the current level of language

ability of the students who will enter the

course?


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What are the issues, attitudes, and

underlying concerns of

The future students ?

The teachers ?

The sponsor ?

Do people get paid to learn? Time off? Is

there a financial incentive? Do they care?


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What resources are available to make this

happen? What are the constraints?

Money ?

Time ?

Human resources & personnel ?

Funds for materials/curriculum development ?

Assessment concerns ?


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Other questions to ask?


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Example

What is the current level of trainees English and wheredo they need to go?

What aspects of their language need improvement?

How much time is available for training before they beginworking?

What types of language do trainees need to use in theirwork?

How much experience does the training staff have?

What type of training delivery should be used? Howmuch technology?


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Use the right instruments

Existing information

Tests

Interviews and meetings Questionnaires

Observations

Discourse analysis


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Use the right instruments

Other instruments or methods of obtainingdata?


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Example

Existing information: phraseology summitdata, existing curriculum & assessment

Interviews and meetings: execs, sr.managers, line managers, call centerassociates, training staff, trainees

Observations: existing classes, barging

phone calls Discourse analysis: notes on calls,

transcriptions of L1 to L1 calls


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Discourse Analysis

* * *

AGENT: So it should be coming tomorrow ortomorrow.

CUSTOMER: Tomorrow?

AGENT: Right.

CUSTOMER: OK. Is there a tracking number oranything, so we can track it?

AGENT: Sure, um, one second please.

CUSTOMER: Sure.AGENT: OK. You ready?

CUSTOMER: Yup.


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AGENT: Your tracking number is, 11 Its a longnumber ha ha ha

CUSTOMER: OK

AGENT: Ill start over uh huh 1101

CUSTOMER: OK

AGENT: 9008CUSTOMER: Nine -- No, let me just ask you something, the oh -

oh. . . are those zeros or

AGENT: Zeros

CUSTOMER: Zeros, OK, 008

AGENT: 8223

CUSTOMER: Wait a minute, now theres two 8s in a row?

AGENT: Right, two 8s in a row.


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CUSTOMER: 223

AGENT: 121

CUSTOMER: 121

AGENT: 80

CUSTOMER: 80

AGENT: 59

CUSTOMER: 59

AGENT: 9

CUSTOMER: 9

AGENT: Yes sir


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CUSTOMER: Let me read it back to you11019008822312180599.

AGENT: That is correct sir

CUSTOMER: OK and that would be RPS orFed Ex?

AGENT: Yes sir, its RPS, do you havethe number if not I can give thatto you.

CUSTOMER: Yeah, if you would please AGENT: OK


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Analyze and interpret the data

What does the data mean ?

How precise do you need to be?

Do you need a formal report? Who makes the decisions?

Dont discount your experience


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Analyze and interpret the data

Other issues in data analysis and

interpretation ?


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Example

Accent problem? Yes, but . . .

Keep it quick and dirty

Time is of the essence Lets not forget culture and sociolinguistics


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Example

Accent problem? Yes, but . . .

Keep it quick and dirty

Time is of the essence Lets not forget culture and sociolinguistics

A variety of business processes


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Selected call center business processes

(Inbound: customer service)

Appliance repair (warranty or no ?)

Insurance claims processing (car accidents)

Department store customer service

Home center customer service

Credit card customer service

Vehicle rental

Medical equipment servicing

B2B parts and inventory control


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Selected call center business processes

(Outbound: collections)

Debt collection for credit cards

Debt collection for office equipment rental

Special sales offers for stores & creditcards


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(Graves 2000)

Determine the organizing principle(s)

Identify course units based on the

organizing principles Determine unit content

Organize unit content

Sequence the units


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Other issues in course construction?


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Example

Pronunciation, idioms and expressions,

listening, grammar, culture

General telephone etiquette and skills withmodules for specific business processes

Incorporate authentic materials

Materials writers become skills area

experts

Ongoing piloting


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Every unit should contain:

Welcome Relaxation exercise (first 10 days)

Affect work help learners with confidence,feelings, etc.

Check home work (pertaining to previous dayslearning)

Introduce the topic of the day

Pretest to raise awareness

Discuss pretest results and ask trainees theirperceptions about the topic.

Explain the topic supporting theory with practicalexamples.


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Every unit should contain

Explain to the trainees how topic will enhancetheir performance on the floor.

Give models & examples of the language pointfor presentation

Controlled practice of the language point

(Repetition, reading scripts, listening andresponding with short answers)

Semi-controlled practice (cued dialogs, shortcontrolled role plays)

Free practice (role plays, mock calls,discussions, debates)

Post-test

Give home work

W

rap up


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Units should contain some of the

following

Consonant routine or vowel routine

Drill on the expressions of the day

Syllable stress practice.British, Indian, and American English

differences (5 min)

A short listening exercise withcomprehension questions.

A brief (5 min) American culture capsule


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Resources

Brown, J.D. (1995). The elements of languagecurriculum: A systematic approach to programdevelopment. Boston: Heinle & Heinle.

Graves, K. (2000). Designing language courses: A guidefor teachers. Boston: Heinle & Heinle.

Hutchinson, T. &Waters, A. (1987). English for specificpurposes: a learner-centred approach. Cambridge:Cambridge University Press.

Munby, J. (1978). Communicative syllabus design.Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Reeves, N. &Wright, C. (1996). Linguistic auditing: Aguide to identifying foreign language communicationneeds in corporations. Clevedon, UK: MultilingualMatters.


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Resources

Other resources ?


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Needs assessment is figuring out whatyou need to teach.


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Questions and discussion.


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Thanks for coming.

Joe McVeigh

[email protected]


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Six stages in the linguistic audit

Preliminary: Initiate the audit

Integrate the audit into the planningprocess

Understand the organization

Analyze postholders foreign language useand needs

Assess postholders foreign languageskills

Report back (Reeves &Wright 1996)

The Basics of Needs Assessment Power Point

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