Assessing Learners Needs in Education Essay example -- essays research

Units 101 &105 In this essay I shall be examining the importance of accurate initial assessment of learner’s needs. In order to do this it is necessary to correctly identify my learners so that appropriate teaching methods can be structured for them. From there, I shall explore how to best support learners throughout their period of study, both in terms of educational support, and in terms of developing their self confidence. The students I teach are studying toward a 2 year diploma in Creative Sound Engineering & Music Technology at Deep Blue Sound (DBS). It is common for the learners to come from a fairly narrow section of society. Broadly speaking, learners are male, and fall into the 16-25 age range, although there is also at least one learner in his late forties. Group sizes average between 8 and 14. The learner’s first point of contact, and assessment, comes through their application. This will provide us with clues to the potential needs of the student, including their age (and need for supervision), current understanding of the subject, and any appropriate experience or qualifications they may have. From here candidates are invited to an interview, where they are given a full tour of the facilities along with an overview of the structure of the course. The interview stage allows us to assess both their suitability for the course, both in terms of attitude and ability, and gives us an insight into their expectations and requirements, and their potential barriers to learning. For example, those who are not school leavers may well have obstacles to learning that their school-leaving counterparts do not share. As Armitage (1999) observes: â€Å"(Having a continuous learning experience from the age of 5) is generally not the case for the adult learner who may not have been involved in a formal education experience for some time and whose knowledge and expectations of education may only be based on their own school experience. Equally, the adult re-entering the education system at any level has many more outside responsibilities and pressures than the younger FE or HE student.† Applicants will also be tested at this stage for computer literacy. During the enrolment procedure, learners are assessed for literacy using the Smog Readability Formula (McLaughlin, G. 1969: 639-646), in order to bring to light, amongst other things, potential learning dif... ...o all handouts and project briefs in electronic format, so that his computer is able to read them back to him. Once this trust has been established, the line of communication between student and teacher becomes much more free-flowing, effectively facilitating the tutor’s ongoing assessment of the class. In conclusion, in order for us to guarantee a successful and enjoyable learning experience for the student, we must accurately assess the individual needs of the learner, and be aware of how dynamic these needs can be. Through maintaining open channels of communication between students and staff, and by providing the student with a safe place to learn, we can adapt our teaching styles to grow with the changing needs of the learner, as well as providing helpful and meaningful support for them, ensuring they receive the most effective training possible whilst studying on the course. Bibliography Armitage, A. (1999) Teaching and Training in Post-Compulsory Education, 2nd Ed, King’s Lynn: OUP. P63 McLaughlin, G. (1969), SMOG grading: A new readability formula. Journal of Reading, 12 (8) 639-646 Petty, G. (2004), Teaching Today, 4th Ed, Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes Ltd. P201