Assessing Student Learning Needs
A couple ways are: you can tell in they are paying attention in class or day dreaming. You can tell by their spelling on assignment. You can tell when they speak. If a student seems "out of place to me" I will pull him aside and give him extra help. This has seemed to work for me and the students involved.
What are some ways you can assess student learning needs?
A great approach, Jacenta! You obviously help students feel successful and see that they can attain their goals.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
I do the same. It is nice to know what the students have been through before, both education and career wise. It allows to me understand the knowledge and experience they may already have. I also like to see what area of career focus they want to go into so I can see the choices, maybe helping to emphasis certain topics in class more.
Dr. Anastasia, since there are so many online courses now being taught, it seems that instructors are experimenting with ways to better connect with students. I like your strategy for learning more about your students. Are you finding that online students are making more effort to post, blog, etc. with other students?
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
In an online environment, writing skills are critical for success. My classes start with an introductory Discussion Board posting. It is generally apparent even from this first post if there are potential writing issues. One of the first areas that I need to "teach" is to break them from using "texting" shortcuts and for them to understand that correct writing is a requirement. I can then see, from subsequent postings, if the issues were simply those of habit or if there are more important challenges that need assistance. Once this early assessment has been accomplished, I can work with each person to enhance their abilities.
This is an interesting question for the online environment. I read bios to get a feel for writing skills. I look at the level of writing skills. This gives me the opportunity to understand the different needs of online students.
I completely agree that the 'ahh hah' moments are the best! I am still having difficulty 'reading' my new students quickly, but I am getting better. I find that engaging them during the class helps to better gauge their progress and struggles.
At the beginning of a new semester I always ask students to tell me a little about themselves (after I share) & what they hope to get out of the class. I then hand out a 3 X 5 card and ask, as a new student, if there are any specific concerns they may have . Often students will say they are first generation college students, or their high school didn't prepare them to use technology, or reading fears regarding the amount of text required. All of these pieces of information help me to gauge levels and needs of differing students. It also helps to open dialogue so that I can continue to stay on track and be helpful in individual,as well as group, methods of instruction.
I ask the students how they learn best..visual, auditory etc..and try to incorporate all these ways into lab
by breaking into groups and talking to these students on a small stage can help with the interpretation and comfort level for all.
I sometimes use a survey at the beginning of a course, using questions like:
"What do you expect to learn in this course?"
"Are there any barriers you feel may prevent you from performing at your highest level in this course?', etc. The responses can be very telling about what they perceive as their strengths and weaknesses, and I am able then to work with them on a more personal level.
I really pay attention to the facial expressions of those in my class. Body language is a great tool! I often pretest to show me how much time and attention I need to spend on any particular subject especially if we are getting short on time.
Hi Heather!
What a GREAT way to get started with a new class! You are building trust and saying that you care about and are committed to each students learning experience. I would be interested in hearing some of the students' responses.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
Hello Joseph, I agree with your point of view. There is no "one size fits all" when in comes to adult education needs. At the beginning of each academic quarter, I hand out a 3x5 index card to each student and I ask them to put their name on it and describe 'what type of learner' they are (auditory, hands-on, visual, etc.) and what their goal(s) are for the course. I have received some interesting responses and the students and I discuss individually how we can both work as a team to enhance their academic experience. The students appreciate the teacher's concern for their needs and I have found that it fosters cooperation in the classroom environment. Heather Marcincin
On the first day of class each student gives a little bit of their background. I also open the door for students to express any difficulties or challenges they have encountered in the past that made school difficult for them. sometimes students will come to me on an individual basis and tell me about specific learning problem they have.
Greetings James!
WOW! This is the ideal way to address special needs students. But unfortunately we don't always have that luxury. I do recommend - at a minimum - that instructors are able to discuss students needs and help each other in making a plan.
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
Hi Carla!
I really like this approach for 2 main reasons 1) you are already connecting with the students, and 2) opening the door for them to ask for help because they know you are approachable.
Have you ever sent out your questionnaire prior to class start? I've never sent a questionnaire, but I do try to connect with students prior to start
Keep up the good work!
Jane Davis
ED106 Facilitator
Take time to get to know each individual student. Each is different and has different learning needs.
At our school, we have a strict policy that instructors in the classroom do not actually assess students to determine whether a learning disability exists. We can identify that there appears to be a problem and then the student is referred to a professional for actual determination of additional needs. Once the problem has been properly identified, we try to stick as closely as possible to the recommendations of the professional.
