Catering for different_student_profile_eaquals 2014 (schmid-walton)
1.
2. From needs
assessment to
individual learning
journals: catering for
different student
profiles in a single
classroom
Beata Schmid, EF Boston
Emma Walton, EF London
3. Outline of presentation
• Background
• Needs Analysis
• Written placement test; oral
test
• Tutorials
• Individual Learning
Journals
• English Guides
• Progress Tracker
• Teacher and student
feedback on the system
• Next steps
• Summary and Q & A
4. Background
• Internal quality audit: focus groups,
teacher evaluations, student evaluations
• External quality audits: accreditors
(worldwide)
• Continuous development towards an
environment where students take
increasing responsibility for their learning
• Autonomous learning
5. Needs Analysis
• How can we help teachers who deal with
continuous enrollment BEFORE students
walk into the classroom?
• Several iterations; input from different
stakeholders
• Students can complete it when they take
their online placement test.
• Screen shot of what student sees & what
teachers receive (register)
10. Teacher/admin view, ex. 2
Details Needs Assessment Questions Replies Self Assessment
XXXX 1. Why improve language? to prepare for an exam Reading 7
25-Mar-14 2. Current occupation?
I Work: I've been working as an administrative assistant for a technical department at XXX for 10
years.
Writing 7
CHL106814 3. Interested in?
Professional Language Practice , Tourism and Travel , My Career Development , Cultural and World
Issues , Art, Imagination and Creativity ,
Listening 7
38 4. Wish to focus on: Reading , Writing , Speaking , Listening , Grammar , Vocabulary , Fluency In Speaking , Exam Skills , Pronunciation 6
CH 5. Years of study? 5-10 years Fluency 7
ILSP 6. Home country habits? work individually , Vocabulary 7
I 7. After course, how use?
I will use it in my daily job. At my company the working language is English and I have to deal with
expatriates in my department.
Grammar 7
I 8. Special Needs? No Overall 7
1416
C1 Special Learning Requirements
66 / C1 Placement Test Writing Sample
As a mother of 2 children and a part-time worker, I do not have much time on my hands. Therefore
when I have free time, what I like best is to play sport. I like running and I try to run twice a week. I
am also a member of a fitness center, where I take a pilates class and a bodypump class. My
friends are important to me and I try to see them on a monthly basis. It can be either for a coffee
or if we have more time for a lunch or a dinner. I'm also fond of reading and try to read one book
per month. But it is not always possible.
12. Placement testing
• Written test
• Oral placement test: to
confirm written scores
and make initial face
to face contact with all
students
• Based on CEFR
13. Oral placement test: B1 Q’s
• What sort of television programmes do you like? Talk about TV and radio in
your country.
• How do you keep in touch with your friends and family (by phone/email)?
How do you think communication might change in the future?
• Tell me about the last film you saw at the cinema (or the last book you
read). Would you recommend it?
• Think about an interesting person you have met. What is he/she like?
Describe their personality.
• Why do you think learning English is so important these days?
• Imagine that I am a visitor to your country. What advice would you give
me?
14. Tutorials
• Originally long-term students only, on paper
• Too unwieldy
• Working group across continents: agreed on
format
• Pastoral and linguistic content
• Online; activated week before Tutorial week
• Students fill in answers, goes to teaching data
base
• Discussed and negotiated in face to face tutorials
with main class teacher
• Objectives and action plans are set, with SMART
targets
15. Tutorials: on paper
Which areas of your language learning do
you think you need to work on? (√ if yes)
Skills:
o Reading
o Writing
o Listening
o Speaking
Language Points:
o Grammar
o Vocabulary
o Pronunciation
How much extra study / practice do you do at home?
(√ if yes)
o I read books / newspapers / magazines
o I watch TV and / or DVDs
o I listen to the radio
o I keep a diary in English
o I review my notes after lessons
o I review new vocabulary
o I have my own grammar / vocabulary exercise book
16. Tutorials: p. 2, SMART goals
Reading 1. Read a reader and answer the questions that come with it.
2. Read an article and present it to the teacher – summarise new vocabulary.
3. Read the daily lessons in the ilab and summarise what you’ve learnt.
4…
Writing 1. Bring your corrected writing from class to discuss with your teacher.
2. Write a summary of an episode of a TV show and bring it to the teacher.
3. Set up ‘Sentence Diary’ – write three sentences every day.
4…
Listening 1. Listen to 6 talks from TED.com. Write the summary of each of the talk.
2. Watch an episode of a TV show and bring a written summary to the teacher.
3. Watch the evening news and write a report on a story of your choice.
4…
Speaking 1. Teach someone a skill/custom from your country.
1. Prepare a mini presentation (1-2 mins) on a topic of your choice.
1. Interview a proficient speaker. Bring the summary to your teacher.
4…
17. Tutorials: more SMART goals
Grammar 1. Do additional grammar activities – based on your teacher’s feedback.
2. Find a song that has this week’s grammar point in it and explain the usage.
3. Use the grammar lab to practice a grammar point –explain it to your teacher.
4…
Vocabulary 1. Write down two new words every day. At the end of the month write an essay.
2. Set up ‘Vocabulary Diary’ – record word formation, synonyms and antonyms.
3. Create your own flashcardsusing the notebook in iLab and test yourself.
4…
Pronunciation 1. Watch a ‘British accent tutorial video’ on YouTube and practice imitating it.
2. Record yourself speaking and analyse it.
3. Use the PronunciationLab to practise word and sentence stress.
4…
21. English Guides
• Can-do’s
• Pronunciation charts
• Grammar, Words and phrases
• Additional language practice
• Study Skills
• Living Abroad
• Culture
28. Student feedback
0
50
100
150
200
250
(a) needs analysis (you
filled this out at the
beginning of your course
or when you took the
placement test)
(b) tutorial (c) English Guide (d) progress tracker
At EF, we are trying to find ways to help you with your learning. Which of the following tools do you find helpful or
not so helpful to gain a better understanding of your own learning?
very helpful
helpful
not so helpful
useless
30. Student feedback on tutorials
• That you can analyse your progress
• Ask the teacher to learn specific topic on grammar
• To know what my teacher thinks about me and to know what my
weaknesses are and things I have to work on.
• Explain what is the most difficult for you
• The help given by the teacher, specially because he guides you in order to
improve the skills you need to improve with different resources like book,
websites, etc.
• The possible solutions that are provided by the teacher And the
identification of my weaknesses in the language
• You can ask the teacher to work on your weak point.
• Speak with the teacher about what we want to improve, and in what we
need help.
• Teachers make their teaching plan based on our opinion.
• Talking about what I want to focus on
31. More student feedback on tutorials
• If I have a problem and I'm afraid to speak , I can just write and speak with my teacher
personnally
• my teacher give me a lot of website for studies in my home is really good .
• I think it's very helpful because you can tell your teacher if you feel comfortable or not, and
what you would like to change.
• Our teacher asks about what we want focus more, after he give us any advice, he show
how or what we have to do.
• Give some good advice to what there can help with that you want to getting better with. It
could be website you could look at.
• It is helpful to know our strengths and weaknesses to work on them.
• The advices that the teacher gives you. they help you to concentrate yourself on your
weaknesses.
• to see in what do i need to focus and study more and talk about me and my progress
• I think the tutorial is very important to know how is my progress going and what can I do to
improve my English every day. The teacher everyday say me new ways and methods to
improve my reading and listening
• Is very important for me because the teacher explain me what i have to do to improve my
English, he tell me which kind of mistake i do and with that base he teach me all the things
that i need.
32. Student feedback on Language Guide
How often does your teacher use the Language Guide in class or for homework?
(a) every day
(b) several times per week
(c) once per week
(d) once per book
(e) almost never
(f) never
33. Student feedback: Language Guide
use on their own
0.0%
5.0%
10.0%
15.0%
20.0%
25.0%
(a) every day (b) several times per
week
(c) once per week (d) once per book (e) almost never (f) never
How often do you use the Language Guide on your own?
34. Next steps
More training:
• What tools are available
• How to use them
• How to conduct an effective Tutorial
• How to use English Guides more
efffectively, from the beginning
• More detailed rubrics for different
spoken interactions to increase
effectiveness of Progress Tracker
• Rating trainings
35. Summary
• Presented different tools for the differentiated classroom
and student (self) assessment
• Surveyed students and teachers as to usefulness and
effectiveness
• Found that more training is needed for both students and
teachers as to functions of tools to enhance use and
effectiveness, especially on self-guided learning, English
Guide, Individual Learning Journal and Progress Tracker.
