Appendix B: Learner Needs Assessment

Learner Needs Assessment

Often teachers develop a good sense of what would be beneficial for their learners to know. However, drawing information directly from our learners about their needs and goals can help us to add considerable value to their education. The EL/Civics Curriculum is created around this concept. Learners can and do identify what is most important and timely for them. When instruction meets those needs, learners are more engaged and get more from class that they can readily apply outside of class.

What's the best way to conduct a needs assessment?
There is no best way. There are many approaches to take. For instance, you can select one based on:

• time available,

• skills strengths of your class (will they give you more feedback orally or in writing?),

• your class level (a beginner class might use a picture-based activity for needs assessment, whereas a higher level class might focus on discussion to get at the information), OR

• your class's character (if they are low energy, for example, you might want to incorporate an activity that gets them moving around the room interviewing each other).

What are some examples of needs assessment techniques?

• Discussion. Ask your learners what they need to learn to make their life better. If they have trouble, you can make a list for them of possible topics in the curriculum and let them discuss what looks interesting, then take a vote.

• Brainstorming. Ask learners to tell you all the specific situations in their life where they still have difficulty with English. (What do you still have trouble doing in English? What do you want to do that you are nervous about doing in English?). Make a list on the board. See which correlate to the curriculum. If you suspect they might have trouble with something in the curriculum, but they haven't thought of it yet (we all don't always know what we don't know, right?) you can mention it to them and ask if it interests them. If they list something that isn't in the curriculum, you could create a lesson about it, using the curriculum for activity ideas.

• Writing. Have students write for you about their goals and where they feel they need to improve their English. Stress that you don't want them to just say "grammar and pronunciation"! Those are understood for just about everyone. Tell them you want to know about situations in their life where they want to understand more or be more independent and active.

• Interviews. Have students interview each other about their goals and needs. Make a handout with a list of questions for them, or an information grid. You could base the handout questions on the lessons in this curriculum. They can hand in the answers to you and you can summarize what you found out for them in the next class.

• Checklists. Have learners fill out a checklist as to what they can do well and what they feel they need to learn more about. Again, you can design the checklist based on lessons in the curriculum.

What about assessing language skill needs?
It's equally important to find out what learners feel they need to learn regarding language skills.

This assessment should be done in conjunction with a life skill needs assessment, not in place of one. Often the first answer out of a learner's mouth when you ask "What do you need English for?" is a language skill area. That's fine, but keep digging for life skills information as well. Both are important in helping our learners function better in their community.

When should you conduct needs assessment?
A formal needs assessment activity can be done at the beginning of the term. You can also revisit it later on. The results of an initial needs assessment are not set in stone, but they provide a good starting point and general idea of where to go with the learners. Sometimes learners' needs change because their lives outside of school are changing. Sometimes they select something in the initial needs assessment, but later decide that it wasn't what they thought it was after all. It's good to be flexible.

For more good information and ideas on needs assessment, see the ERIC Digest, "Needs Assessment for Adult ESL Learners," by C. Van Duzer and K. Santopietro Weddel, published by the National Center for ESL Literacy. It is available online at http://www.cal.org/ncle/digests/Needas.htm.

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