It helps to identify learner’s current levels of ability and their need for support in functional skills and personal and social skills. This is the time where will get to learn my learner, every learner has to start somewhere. Initial assessment it provides a chance to assess my learner’s current knowledge and experience and will enable me to ensure the learner is enrolled on the correct course to suit their needs.
During this initial assessment process I can find out if the learner has any individual needs they may have and the support that may be required and ascertain the learning preference if there is one. The Equality Act (2010) stipulates that education providers are legally obliged to make reasonable adjustments in order to help learners with disabilities participate and achieve in education. It is not just about me though, the learning process should be based around the learner and this initial assessment stage will allow the learner to indulge any concerns or worries about the course.
Using this initial approach and by being proactive I can then help me to plan the course to suit the learners needs and requirements. By using initial assessment can then begin to lay the foundations for my learners learning journey. Ann Gravels and Susan Simpson state in Passing Stalls Assessment (2011) initial assessment can also be useful in establishing preferred learning styles. Learning styles are based on individual ability and desire to learn, the three main learning styles are visual, auditory and kinesthesia.
Many learners are multi model which simply means they have no preferential learning style, I am inclined to think through experience that learning styles can also be task motivated and could depend on previous experiences the learner has. Diagnostic assessment is the process that helps me to discover and target which particular areas of learning need developing to achieve their learning goals. An example could be a learner has problems with math’s but after diagnosis it’s discovered he has a weakness understanding fractions, which would then highlight what needs to be concentrated on to achieve the final goal.
Initial and diagnostic assessment could be compared to a mechanic looking at car that has broken down, his initial assessment shows there is something wrong with the engine but after a diagnosis he discovers the engine has no oil and so the repair can be made. Examples of Initial and Diagnostic assessment. Initial Diagnostic Interview & Discussion PARK Learning Preference Application form / Checklist
Test online Multiple choice Observation Activity Initial test Assign meet One of the main reason we undertake initial and diagnostic assessment is to plan our teaching methods that will inevitably help us to meet the needs of our learners. The best teachers constantly monitor what is happening to students as they set about learning and investigate when things do not proceed as planned or expected. They also enquire their own practice so they might get better at ensuring that their students learn successfully. Demos 2004. About learning, Report of the Learning Working Group, Demos, London
In my role in teaching Functional Skills to Approved Driving Instructors I have reflected upon the fact that the initial assessment have is usually a telephone conversation, I have come to the conclusion that this is not suitable as a means of assessment as it does not portray the skills of the Instructor , I have also come to conclude that the needs of filling the course has over ridden the the need for a better initial assessment process, this has unfortunately resulted in some learners not being able to complete the course and therefore dropping out.
My conclusion based on my own practice is that Initial assessment is an integral art of the learning and planning strategy, it is essential that is sufficient to discover whether a learner is suitable to enroll on the course, it will give me a set of answers that enable me to proceed with the course and meeting the individual needs of the learners concerned. Petty (2009, IPPP) states: “Each learner is unique and has individual needs. If the needs of our learners are discovered and met, the chances of success are greatly increased. 2. 3 Explain how own planning meets the individual needs of learners. Planning a lesson well to meet the individual needs of learners is of the utmost importance, specially in my role as an approved driving instructor (DAD). In order to be able to do this I need to know my learner, this is usually achieved in the initial assessment phase. During this initial assessment can find out what my learner requires for me to be able to facilitate their learning to drive programmer.
An example of this was Julia, she told me that she had a very strong learning preference which was visual, she said she found this out during course work at her college, she finds text hard to follow and hates lectures, I devised a plan for her that used resources that were highly visual such as picture books and videos, he also liked to watch something done before doing it herself, to which I devised her lessons with plenty of opportunities for me to give practical demonstrations first. This proved highly successful in her learning progress.
Learning needs can be extensive or very little it depends on the individual. Let’s look at planning an individual’s learning needs by comparing it to removing a brick wall. The brick wall being the object stopping the learning from happening. Some of these brick walls will contain many bricks others just a few and some possibly none. How can we plan a teaching session without having any information about the earner? The answer not very effectively. So what do we need to know about our potential learners to make the planning easier?
Learner needs How to implement Why to implement Initial assessment Ask questions and have a chat or fill in an online or paper based form Find out goals and establish what barriers are in the way to achieving those goals Emotional needs Look for body language clues nerves, fear low esteem over confidence Emotions drive behavior Learning difficulties Observe and listen to learner and look for clues Could pick up a learning disability that the learner hasn’t disclosed SEEN dyslexia , hysteria , autism etc.
This type of question can be answered non form if learner is conscientious To ensure learning and training aids are suitable for learners needs Learning styles PARK Questionnaire This may give clues to learning preferences Prepare resource types to suit Past experiences good and bad In car or out car Ask questions Bad experiences can build impenetrable barriers.
Good experiences can be good starting points to build on Driving experience Ask open questions Establish starting point and level Arrange suitable training environment to match level of experience Timing of lessons Are certain times of day better Egg during Ramadan it is generally more effective to deliver training early in the day, due to fasting.
Payment Types of payment method When to pay What is best for learner Online banking, cash or cheeses Beginning of each lesson Block booking May not be able to pay May not have online access Set payment options to avoid non payment Contact details Cancellation How the learner can cancel Terms and conditions ( both Ways) Late cancellation To avoid unnecessary cancellation Discuss at beginning , does learners job mean they may be called out at short notice Who should pay There are many barriers to learning, removing these at an early stage can overcome some of the problems later on in the driving course so that the driver training can be planned and maximized to help the learners potential. The purpose of education for all learners is the same; the goals are the same. But the help that individual learners need in progressing towards them will be different. DES 1978) Identify ways in which teaching and learning plans can be adapted to meet the individual needs of learners Unit 2 2. 4 As a tutor it is vital for me to recognize that learners are individual, I agree with the Warnock Report (DES 1978) although the learning goals of individual learning ND teaching sessions, and indeed courses, are the same, the support individual learners need to achieve those learning goals varies from learner to learner. With this in mind it is therefore important for my own practice that I am flexible with preparing my session plans to cater for differencing needs in a driving lesson. Let me first explain the function of a session plan, I use both a scheme of work and session plans to deliver training.
The scheme of work is a holistic plan of action for the entirety of the course from beginning to end, my session plans are a more detailed account of each session and what learning will be undertaken and how it will be achieved. According to Kola (1984, 38) “Learning is the process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience”, if we take this as a base for our teaching that experience can only be gained when we are in rapport with our learners way of learning. I also recognize that one session plan may not be effective for all lessons so it is important that the plan can be flexible and adapted to suit my learners needs.