Syllabus: Designing Needs Assessment

Syllabus Designing Needs AssessmentThe both terms of meridian focus of this study atomic offspring 18 Syllabus and Needs. This chapter includes a literature review on different aspects of computer program scheming and ineluctably assessment .The characteristics and numerous faces of program Development/ Syllabus Design be presented in addition to involve assessment, reasons for conducting needfully assessment, steps in needs assessment and the relationship amongst course of study designing and needs assessment.2.1 CurriculumA key term of this study is-Curriculum, hence this section aims to confound clarity on the meaning, stage setting and dish out of programme. A common error that comes into notice while perusing course of instruction intermitment operate is the synonymous use of the words- course of study and platform. This section also attempts to demarcate and differentiate these deuce words so that the take to the woods designers and developers may sys tematic completelyy initiate the work in context to SGBAU.2.1.1 Definitions of CurriculumAlthough the idea of curriculum is not new and has been extensively used by education planners yet on that point remains considerable dispute as to meaning. The word is from the Latin root currere. It means a course or race. It term originated from the running/chariot tracks of Greece. It was, literally, a course. In Latin curriculum was a cannonball along chariot currere was to run.Throughout the history of second- nomenclature programmes, the concept of curriculum has been important. However, there is little widely distributed agreement on actual spurt, function, and scope of curriculum. Before discussing the theory of curriculum ontogeny, some definitions of curriculum as quoted by Finch, A.E. (2000)1 are presented belowStenhouse (1975) portrays Curriculum as an attempt to communicate the essential properties and features of an educational proposal in much(prenominal) a form that it i s open to critical scrutiny and capable of effective translation into practiceEisner Vallance 1974, describe curriculum as what can and should be taught to whom, when, and howNunan 1988 adds to his curriculum elements designated by the term course of study along with considerations of modeological analysis and paygradeWhite et al. 1991,see curriculum as concerned with objectives and methods as well as national. Such a definition involves consideration of the philosophical, social and administrative factors of a programme.Richards, Platt ,and Webber 1985, definition of curriculum focuses on the components necessary for delivering precept and evaluating the success or failure of the curriculum. An educational programme which states (a) the educational purpose of the program (the ends) (b) the message, teaching procedures and ontogenesis experiences which will be necessary to come through this purpose(the means) (c) some means for assessing whether or not the educational ends bewilder been achievedTanner, 1980 define curriculum as The planned and guided learn experiences and intended breeding outcomes, formulated through and through the systematic reconstruction of intimacy and experiences, under the auspices of the school, for the learners continuous and willful growth in individual(prenominal) social competence.Celce-Murcia and Olshtain,2000, offer the following definition of curriculum A language curriculum can be viewed as a document that provides guidelines for textbook writers, teacher trainers, language teachers, developers of computerized and hi-tech teaching aids, language testers, and many other populations that might function as stakeholders in the language teaching context. As such a curriculum should express the cultural, social and political perspectives of the society in spite of appearance which it is to be implemented. It combines past and present ideologies, experiences, philosophies, and innovations with aspirations and expect ations for the future. It serves as the major framework within which educational conclusion making is carried out with respect to goal condition and teaching methodological analysis, teacher develop and text book selection.The term curriculum is generally seen to include the unblemished teaching/learning process, including literals, equipment, examinations, and the training of teachers and the syllabus, are therefore subsumed by this definition.From the above definitions and interpretations of curriculum , there step to the fore cardinal broad perspectives correspond to the first of these, the term curriculum has a narrower scope and refers to the substance of a programme of studies of an educational system.In the second (and more recent) meaning, curriculum includes the entire teaching/learning process, including materials, equipment, examinations, and the training of teachers.2.1.2 Curriculum ComponentsDespite the different perspectives on the meaning and scope of curriculu m, Stern (1983) identifies three major curriculum components, which are further amplified by Breen Candlin (1980) and Stenhouse (1975) as presented in table 2.1 below TABLE 2.1 MAJOR curriculum COMPONENTS OF SECOND LANGUAGE PROGRAMMESStenhouse (1975)Breen Candlin (1980)Stern (1983)i) planning ii) empirical studyiii) justification.i)language teaching(what is to be learned?)ii) methodology(how is the learning to be undertaken and achieved?)iii) evaluation (to what extent is i) appropriate and ii) effective?).i) purposes and content ii)instructioniii) evaluation.Source STERN 1983 According to Richards, Platt ,and Webber (1985) the most important components of curriculum development are (a) the study of the purposes for which a learner needs a language(needs analysis) (b) the setting of objectives, and the development of a syllabus, teaching methods, and materials (c) the evaluation of the effects of these procedures on the learners language ability.Brown (1989) concentrates on the f ollowing curriculum components needs analysis, instructional objectives, tests, materials, teaching, and evaluation.TABLE 2.2 Curriculum Process ModelNEEDS abbreviationEVALUATIONOBJECTIVESTESTINGMATERIALSTEACHING(SourceBrown 1989) in that respect are some components that are common in all the above perspectives and they areNeeds analysisSetting of objectivesTeachingEvaluationHowever, it is important that the twain prime of life stakeholders should be involved in the curriculum development process. As Hills 1976, puts it- no teaching/learning method however innovative or systematic can succeed without a proper consideration of the two main participants, the student and the teacher. every learner will bring a different set of knowledge and experiences to the learning process, and will construct in different ways, their own sense of the situation with which they are faced. (Williams meat 199796)It is therefore necessary to involve teachers and students in the process of curriculum design and to allow for individual differences in learners (Breen Candlin 198094) and for changes in self-perceptions of these differences as the courses progress. In the light of these considerations, important questions about curriculum content to be intercommunicate areHow do the learners perceive themselves as language learners?What effect do their personalized constructs have upon the process of learning a new language?How do individuals go about making sense of their learning?How can teachers assist learners in making sense of their learning in ways that are personal to them?(Williams Burden199796)2.1.3. The Stages of Curriculum DesignCurriculum designing is a systematic process and every stage needs to be followed sequentially. Tabas outline (196212) of the steps which a course designer must work through to develop typeface matter courses has become the foundation for many other writers suggestions. Her list of curriculum processes includes the following clapperclaw 1. Diagnosis of needsStep 2. Formulation of objectivesStep 3. Selection of contentStep 4. Organization of contentStep 5. Selection of learning experiencesStep 6. Organization of learning experiencesStep 7. Determination of what to judge, and the means to evaluateCited in Yordanova Svetlana, 2000According to Long Richards quoted by Johnson, 1989 IX language curriculum design is regarded as a decision making process and involves indemnity making.Needs assessment.Design and development.Teacher preparation and development.Programme management and evaluation.a) Policy makingBased on the information collected about learners , educational objectives and strategies have to constructed.According to Breen (1980) -The communicatory curriculum defines language learning as learning how to communicate as a member of a particular socio-cultural group. The social conventions governing language form and behavior within the group are, therefore, central to the process of language learning. For Nunan 1994 the aim of communicative language learning is achieving language proficiency based on the development of the four macro skills. The take of language proficiency therefore ,vary for different groups of learners and will depend on learners needs.Thus this a crucial stage of curriculum development as it spells out the scope of the curriculum as well as the strategy to be used for curriculum design and implementation.b) Needs assessmentOn the basis of the identified aim it is possible to make an analysis of the learners both lingual needs (expressed in structures or functions) and communicative needs expressed in communication situations. Needs assessment is discussed in detail in a subsequent section of this chapter.c) Curriculum designWith the aims of the curriculum identified and the needs of the learners analyzed, the specific learning goals can laid for the different levels of the course (year/term). These learning objectives can be reason as followsProduct objective- speci fying the learners target language proficiency and performance.Process or pedagogic objectives- specifying the the learning process and methodology that shall be adopted to the learning outcomes.While deciding the learning framework the following are usually ascertainedObjectives or what is intended.Means or what is to be done to achieve the objectives planned.The results or evaluation of what is achieved.L. M. KamyshevaIt is important that there is a logical relationship between the ends and the means. If there is a gap or discrepancy between the objectives and the process adopted in the classroom language curriculum would fail to achieve the desired result. It is this problem that constantly challenges language planners and often results in failure of many well-conceived curriculum.Just as there are product and process objectives there are product-oriented ( additive evaluation) and/or process-oriented (formative evaluation) approaches to evaluation Weir Roberts, 1994. Evaluatio n usually attempts to compare sure performance with desired performance by means of testing. The evaluation can be quantitative (based on quantitative criteria) and/or qualitative (based on qualitative criteria). Sometimes a intermixture of both may also be adopted to obtain valid findings.d) Teacher preparation and developmentTeachers are a vital part of the jigsaw puzzle of curriculum development and the curriculum designing process would be incomplete without their active involvement during development and implementation stages. Moreover, they are the ones who experience the curriculum in the class and their inputs are invaluable in subsequent curriculum improvements and innovation.e) Curriculum evaluation lineage evaluation acts as a measure of the effectiveness of the curriculum and also provides indicators for further improvements and innovations. Evaluation is specify by Brown as the systematic collection and analysis of the relevant information necessary to prove the impr ovement of a curriculum and access effectiveness and efficiency. Johnson, 1989 223 According to Johnson, curriculum development would consist of a process of continuous adjustments or fine tuning. Curriculum evaluation consists in the interaction of formative (process) and summative (product) evaluation.2.2 SyllabusA syllabus outlines what will be taught and thus helps the teacher and the learner to work unitedly towards the objectives of the curriculum. Breen offers a very general definition of syllabus the meeting point of a perspective upon language itself, upon using language, and upon teaching and learning which is a contemporary and commonly accepted interpretation of the harmonious associate between theory, research, and classroom practice. (1987a83)Hutchinson and Waters (198780) cited in Rabbini Roberto, 2002, define syllabus as followsAt its simplest level a syllabus can be described as a direction of what is to be learnt. It reflects of language and linguistic performan ce. This definition focuses on outcomes rather than process. However, a syllabus can also be seen as a summary of the content to which learners will be exposed (Yalden.1987 87). Yalden sees it as a design of what will be taught and that it cannot accurately predict what will be learnt.Prabhu gives a more specific definitionspecification of what is to be learnt (198789). For Allen HYPERLINK http//www.finchpark.com/afe/appends/(1984), the syllabus is that subpart of curriculum which is concerned with a specification of what units will be taught (Allen 198461), whereas for Yalden (1987), it is primarily a teachers statement about objectives and content, with formal and functional components in a dual progression of linear and spiral learning (cf. Stern 198414). Brumfit (1984d) specifies content (linguistic, sociolinguistic, pragmatic, cultural, substantive), and also sequences the learning that takes place, while NunanHYPERLINK http//www.finchpark.com/afe/n.htmNunan (1988c) takes a w ider, non-specific view of a framework within which activities can be carried out a teaching device to facilitate learning (1988c6), and Prabhu (1987) proposes a form of support for the teaching activity that is planned in the classroom and a form of guidance in the construction of appropriate teaching materials (198786). In contrast, Kumaravadivelu sees the syllabus as a preplanned, preordained, presequenced inventory of linguistic specifications oblige in most cases on teachers and learners and claims that this is a widely recognized perspective (1993b72).The above definitions rather than rescue clarity, add to the complexity of understanding the term syllabusevery syllabus is a particular representation of knowledge and capabilities. And this representation will be shaped by the designers views concerning the nature of language, how the language may be most appropriately taught or presented to learners, and how the language may be productively worked upon during learning. (Bre en, 1987a83)2.2.1 Curriculum/SyllabusThe two termscurriculum and syllabus, are often used synonymously with each having areas and functions not distinctly defined. The discussion and confusion between the two terms continues since these can at times be very close in meaning, depending on the context in which they are used (Nunan 1988c3).However for course designers and developers a distinction between the scope, objectives and functions of the two terms- curriculum and syllabus is necessary.Stern (1984) defines syllabus as connected with content, structure, and establishment, while curriculum development is viewed as connected with implementation, dissemination and evaluation. For Yalden (1984) syllabus is connected with learners needs and aims. Syllabus along with selection and grading of content specifies and grades learning tasks and activities. While syllabus design refers to the what of a language programme, methodology is concerned with the how (p. 7). Nunan, 1994.Candlin (198 4) as cited in Nunan, 1994,states the fact that while curriculum is connected with language learning, learning purpose and experience, evaluation, and the role relationships of teachers and learners, syllabus is a more concrete term, referring to the actual events in the classroom, i.e. the application of a syllabus to a given situation.Breen (1980) sees syllabus as a part of the overall curriculum Curriculum can be distinguished from syllabus in that a syllabus is typically a specification of the content of teaching and learning and the organization and sequencing of the content. Content and its organization is subsumed within a curriculum as a part of methodology. A syllabus is therefore only part of the overall curriculum within which it operates.Stenhouse (19754), and Allen (1984) proposes a clear distinction, similar to that which has been prevalent in Europe, the curriculum being concerned with planning, implementation, evaluation, management, and administration of education programmes, and the syllabus focusing more narrowly on the selection and grading of content. (198461, cited in Nunan 1988HYPERLINK http//www.finchpark.com/afe/n.htmc8).The position presented in Dubin and Olshtain (19863)A curriculum is a document of an formalised nature, published by a leading or central educational authority in ensnare to serve as a framework or a set of guidelines for the teaching of a subject area-in our case a language- in a broad and varied context. Thus , a state at the national level, aboard of education at the district level, a community at the municipal level or a university or college at the local academic level may choose to furnish a document stating the scope and goals of its program for teaching a second or foreign language. Accordingly, such a curriculum will present broad overall perspectives that can agree to large number of different programs within the specified context. At the state level, the document will be concerned with goals that apply to all types of schools and segments of the population. At the district level it will apply to all schools within the district and at a given university to all the language courses-even though they may be taught in different departments.A Syllabus, in contrast to the curriculum, is a more particularized document that addresses a specific audience of learners and teachers, a particular course of study or a particular series of textbooks. Ideally, in this sense, a curriculum should be implemented through a variety of syllabuses and each of these syllabuses should be compatible with the overall curriculum. At the state level this would mean that the curriculum provides general guidelines for all educational planners and policy makers and all material and courseware developers. All textbooks, supplementary materials, tests and courseware would be designed so as to fit the goals specified in the general curriculum.The above definitions and perspectives on syllabus and curriculum thus mak e it clear that curriculum has a broader scope and starts with deciding course objectives and ends with evaluation to judge whether the course objectives have been met.The term syllabus is seen as a part of curriculum which specifically refers to content selection and classroom delivery.2.2.2 Classifications of Syllabus and Approaches to Syllabus DesignThere are at present several proposals and models for what a syllabus might be . Yalden (1983) describes the major current communicative syllabus types which were summarized by J.C. Richards and T.S. Rodgers (1986) with reference sources to each modelType