The basics of needs assessment

1. The basics of needs assessment Joe McVeigh Middlebury, Vermont, USA

2. The basics of needs assessment No, really. Basics.

3. Contexts In what type of situations do you need to perform needs assessments?

4. What is needs assessment ? . . . The systematic collection and analysis of all subjective and objective information necessary to define and validate defensible curriculum purposes that satisfy the language learning requirements of students within the context of particular institutions that influence the learning and teaching situation. (Brown 1995)

5. What is needs assessment ? Needs assessment is figuring out what you need to teach. (McVeigh – today)

6. So . . . How do we do needs assessment?

7. 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

8. 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

9. An example • We have a “communications” problem. • It’s a question of “phraseology.” • The problem is their accent. • The “presenting problem.”

10. Involving the right people Stakeholders • Anyone who will be affected by the outcome of the course or training. • Students, ESL teachers, administrators, other teachers, employers, supervisors, customers, family members, whoever is going to pay for all this.

11. Involving the right people Target group • The learners or students who will be taking the course or training.

12. Involving the right people Audience • The people who will eventually be required to act upon the analysis or make decisions. • Teachers, teacher aides, program administrators, senior administration or officials, supervisors, managers.

13. Involving the right people Needs analysts • The persons responsible for conducting the needs analysis. • Teachers, course designers, consultants, materials writers.

14. Involving the right people Resource group • Any people who may serve as sources of information about the target group. • Parents, financial sponsors, employers, future teachers, clients.

15. Example • Target group: call center trainees • Audience: senior executives (VPs, CEO) training department, consultants, materials development team • Needs analysts: Consultant (external), consultant (internal), training staff • Resource group: Senior managers, line managers and supervisors, trainers, current employees, current trainees, human resources personnel, clients.

16. Needs analysts

17. Pose the right questions • So, what exactly seems to be the problem? • Is it the same as the “presenting problem?”

18. Pose the right questions • What is the current level of language ability of the students who will enter the course?

19. Pose the right questions • What is the desired outcome of the course or training? • What do the students or trainees need to be able to do at the conclusion of the course? • What kinds of language skills do they need? Setting? Functions?

20. Pose the right questions • 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?

21. Pose the right questions • What resources are available to make this happen? What are the constraints? • Money ? • Time ? • Human resources & personnel ? • Funds for materials/curriculum development ? • Assessment concerns ?

22. Pose the right questions Other questions to ask?

23. Example • What is the current level of trainees English and where do they need to go? • What aspects of their language need improvement? • How much time is available for training before they begin working? • What types of language do trainees need to use in their work? • How much experience does the training staff have? • What type of training delivery should be used? How much technology?

25. Use the right instruments • Existing information • Tests • Interviews and meetings • Questionnaires • Observations • Discourse analysis

26. Use the right instruments Other instruments or methods of obtaining data?

27. Example • Existing information: “phraseology summit data”, existing curriculum & assessment • Interviews and meetings: execs, sr. managers, line managers, call center associates, training staff, trainees • Observations: existing classes, “barging phone calls” • Discourse analysis: notes on calls, transcriptions of L1 to L1 calls

28. Discourse Analysis * * * AGENT: So it should be coming tomorrow or… tomorrow. CUSTOMER: Tomorrow? AGENT: Right. CUSTOMER: OK. Is there a tracking number or anything, so we can track it? AGENT: Sure, um, one second please. CUSTOMER: Sure. AGENT: OK. You ready? CUSTOMER: Yup.

29. AGENT: Your tracking number is, 11 – It’s a long number – ha ha ha CUSTOMER: OK AGENT: I’ll start over uh huh …1101 CUSTOMER: OK AGENT: 9008 CUSTOMER: Nine -- No, let me just ask you something, the “oh - oh”. . . are those zero’s or AGENT: Zero’s CUSTOMER: Zero’s, OK, 008 AGENT: 8223 CUSTOMER: Wait a minute, now there’s two 8’s in a row? AGENT: Right, two 8’s in a row.

30. CUSTOMER: 223 AGENT: 121 CUSTOMER: 121 AGENT: 80 CUSTOMER: 80 AGENT: 59 CUSTOMER: 59 AGENT: 9 CUSTOMER: 9 AGENT: Yes sir…

31. CUSTOMER: Let me read it back to you 11019008822312180599. • AGENT: That is correct sir… • CUSTOMER: OK and that would be RPS or Fed Ex? • AGENT: Yes sir, it’s RPS, do you have the number if not I can give that to you. • CUSTOMER: Yeah, if you would please • AGENT: OK

33. 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? • Don’t discount your experience

34. Analyze and interpret the data Other issues in data analysis and interpretation ?

35. Example • Accent problem? Yes, but . . . • Keep it quick and dirty • Time is of the essence • Let’s not forget culture and sociolinguistics

37. Example • Accent problem? Yes, but . . . • Keep it quick and dirty • Time is of the essence • Let’s not forget culture and sociolinguistics • A variety of business “processes”

38. 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

39. Selected call center business “processes” (Outbound: collections) • Debt collection for credit cards • Debt collection for office equipment rental • Special sales offers for stores & credit cards

40. Construct the course(Graves 2000) • Determine the organizing principle(s) • Identify course units based on the organizing principles • Determine unit content • Organize unit content • Sequence the units

41. Construct the course Other issues in course construction?

42. Example • Pronunciation, idioms and expressions, listening, grammar, culture • General telephone etiquette and skills with modules for specific business processes • Incorporate authentic materials • Materials writers become skills area experts • Ongoing piloting

43. Every unit should contain:  Welcome  Relaxation exercise (first 10 days)  Affect work – help learners with confidence, feelings, etc.  Check home work (pertaining to previous days learning)  Introduce the topic of the day  Pre–test to raise awareness  Discuss pre–test results and ask trainees their perceptions about the topic.  Explain the topic supporting theory with practical examples.

44. Every unit should contain  Explain to the trainees how topic will enhance their performance on the floor.  Give models & examples of the language point for presentation  Controlled practice of the language point (Repetition, reading scripts, listening and responding with short answers)  Semi-controlled practice (cued dialogs, short controlled role plays)  Free practice (role plays, mock calls, discussions, debates)  Post-test  Give home work  Wrap up

45. 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 with comprehension questions.  A brief (5 min) American culture capsule

47. Resources • Brown, J.D. (1995). The elements of language curriculum: A systematic approach to program development. Boston: Heinle & Heinle. • Graves, K. (2000). Designing language courses: A guide for teachers. Boston: Heinle & Heinle. • Hutchinson, T. & Waters, A. (1987). English for specific purposes: 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: A guide to identifying foreign language communication needs in corporations. Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters.

48. Resources Other resources ?

49. What is needs assessment ? Needs assessment is figuring out what you need to teach.

50. The basics of needs assessment Questions and discussion.