Environment Analysis

(Also called “situational analysis” or

“constraints analysis”)

Darixa Ardón.
Anner Rodríguez.
Daniela Baquedano.
Ashley Zuniga.
The aim of this part of the
curriculum design process
is to find the situational
factors that will strongly
affect the course.
 Environment Analysis
Involves looking at the factors that will
have a strong effect on decisions about
the goals of the course, what to include
in the course, and how to teach and
assess it. This factors can arise from
the learners, the teachers, and the
teaching and learning situation.
There are many factors that
could affect curriculum
design, so as a part of the
procedure of enviroment
The importance of a factor
analysis, the curriculum
designer should decide
depends on: 1 wether the
which factors are the most course will still be useful if the
important. factor is not taken in account 2
how large and pervasive the
effect of the factor is on the
course.
 ENVIRONMENT
CONSTRAINS
Some of the effects on curriculum design.
There are numerous other possible effects. In
the table the constraints have been presented
as questions that curriculum designers can ask.
Normally they would be framed as descriptive
statements. For example, the first listed
constraint could be expressed as “The learners
are interested in a limited range of topics”.
Environment Constrains and Effects
GENERAL PARTICULAR EFFECTS ON
CONSTRAINTS CONSTRAINTS CURRICULUM DESIGN
1. The learners 1.Are the learners interested 1.Take account of learners’
in all kinds of topics? interests
How old are they?
Can the learners do all kinds
of learning activities? Use appropriate activities

2. The teachers 2. Can they prepare some of 2. Provide ready-made activities

Are they trained? their own material? Use group work activities...
Can they handle group work,
individualised learning . . .? 3. Use group work activities
Use material that does not
3. The situation 3. Can the arrangement of the
require the students to have
Is there a suitable classroom? desks be changed for group
a course book
work?
Understanding
the constraints
Examine the nature of the
constraint in the
environment anad
previous research.
 Dubin and Olshtain´s ( 1986 )
model of sources of information
for
language program policy.
The Constraint
of Time In many courses the time constraint is very
important. The time may be severely limited,
or the desired goals might not fit into the time
available. The steps followed include (1)
examining the local environment, (2) looking
at previous research, and (3) considering the
effect of the constraint on the design of the
course.
Research information
According to Pimsleur (1980) Native English
speakers who wish to achieve a level of proficiency
in French or Indonesian require 240 hours of study
and for Hebrew or Japanese 360 ​hours. This is a
time estimate, there are different estimates for
students of certain languages.
The effect of time limitation on course design:

An environmental constraint can be addressed in two ways:

1 working within the constraint and overcoming the course objectives to fit the
time available.

AND

2 covering most language elements and skills while being able to use very
intensive study procedures the curriculum designer can offer self-study options.
study outside class hours if possible also increase the time available for the
course.
Steps in environmental analysis:

Environmental analysis involves looking at the local and

wider situation to ensure that the course fits and meets
local requirements. There is considerable research data
on many environmental factors such as class size,
motivation, mixed-skill students, and special purpose
objectives.
A good environmental analysis is based on both the analysis of the
environment and the application of previous research and theories.

1. Brainstorm and then systematically consider the variety of

environmental factors affecting the group.

2. Choose the most important factors that are no more than

five and classify them by putting the most important ones first.

3. Decide what information we need to fully take the factor into

account. The information can come from environmental
investigations, research and theories.

4. Consider the effects of each factor on course design.

5. Repeat steps 1 2 3 and 4 again

 CHAPTER 3

NEEDS
ANALYSIS
GROUP #3
 GROUP #3
Emily Soad Baquedano Garay 0501-2006-10180

Ana Ruth Martinez Osorio 1804-2004-00045

Henry Bladimir Pineda Zamora 0502-1979-00409

Rene Vladimir Velásquez Dubon

 WHAT IS THE
NEEDS ANALYSIS?
Needs analysis is “a systematic and
ongoing process of gathering information
about students’ needs and preferences,
interpreting the information, and then
making course decisions based on the
interpretations to meet the needs”
 THE VARIOUS FOCUSES OF
NEEDS ANALYSIS

Necessities Lacks Wants

Refer to what learners Are the gaps between Belong to the personal
need to know or be able what learners currently objectives, preferences,
to do to perform know or can do and what and interests of the
effectively in their they need to know or be students with respect to
target situations. able to do. their learning.
 TYPES OF NEEDS
Another way to look at needs is to make a
major division between present knowledge
and required knowledge, and objective
needs and subjective needs. Very roughly,
Lacks fit into present knowledge,
Necessities fit into required knowledge,
and Wants fit into subjective needs.
 DISCOVERING NEEDS
Steps to Discovering Needs:
Identifying the Target Population

Determining the Purpose

Collecting Data

Analyzing Data

Interpreting Results

Making Recommendations
 NEEDS ANALYSIS TOOLS
Needs analysis in education utilizes a range of tools
to identify necessities, lacks, and wants, ensuring
that educational programs meet learners'
requirements effectively. This process can be
illustrated by examining an English for Academic
Purposes (EAP) course designed to prepare students
for university study.
EVALUATING NEEDS ANALYSIS
Needs analysis is a kind of assessment and thus can be
evaluated by considering its reliability, validity and practicality.
Reliable needs analysis involves using well-thought-out,
standardized tools that are applied systematically. Rather than
just observing people performing tasks that learners will have
to do after the course, it is better to systematize the
observation by using a checklist, or by recording and applying
standardized analysis procedures.
 ISSUES IN NEEDS ANALYSIS
Needs analysis is a crucial process in Common Core vs.
education, aiming to identify and Specialized Language
address the learning needs of
students to improve educational Narrow Focus vs.
outcomes. However, there are several Wide Focus
issues and debates surrounding
needs analysis that educators and Critical Needs Analysis
researchers must navigate:
 CONCLUSIONS

Needs analysis is a systematic

process used to determine what Needs analysis serves as a critical
learners need to know, what they foundation for curriculum design by
already know, and what they want providing insights into learners'
to learn. It involves gathering and necessities, lacks, and wants. By
interpreting information to ensure employing various methods such as
that educational programs are interviews, questionnaires,
relevant, effective, and aligned with observations, and proficiency tests,
learners' goals. educators can develop a well-rounded
understanding of learners'
requirements.
 MONITORING
AND ASSESSMENT

GROUP #7
 MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT

Monitoring and assessment can provide a teacher and learners with

information about the learners’ present knowledge and progress, and it can
also be a means of encouraging involvement and participation

The purpose of the monitoring and assessment part of curriculum design is

to make sure that the learners will get the most benefit from the course
TYPES OF MOTITORING AND ASSESSMENTE

This involves carefully observing the learners and the course, and
suggesting changes to the course and the way it is run.

o Placement assessment
o Observation of learning
o Short-term achievement assessment
o Diagnostic assessment
o Achievement assessment
o Proficiency assessment
 placement assessment

Placement assessment is used to decide what level of the course a learner

should enter, what class the learner should join, and whether the learner
should join the course at all.

A placement assessment is a type of evaluation conducted to determine a student's

appropriate level or position in a particular course or program. It is designed to
match the student's current knowledge, skills, and abilities with the curriculum's
requirements to ensure they are placed in the most suitable learning environment
 OBSERVATION AND LEARNING

Monitoring learners’ progress in a course can occur at the level of the learning
activity

Observation of learning involves the systematic and intentional watching and

recording of students' behaviors, actions, and interactions in the learning
environment. This method is used to gain insights into how students learn, how
they apply knowledge, and what challenges they face.
 Short-Term Achievement Assessment

Short-term achievement assessment looks at the product of activities or a

small set of activities.
Daily or weekly tests like: speed reading, written composition, extensive
reading and dictation.

The purpose of this assessment is to see if the learners are making progress
on a daily or weekly basis.
 DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT
Diagnostic assessment is useful to know where learners’ strengths and
weaknesses lie and where there are gaps in their knowledge.

Diagnostic assessment can take other forms, these include: analysis of language
use such as written compositions, reading tasks, spoken performance,
observation of learner performance such as the process of writing, notetaking, and
conversational activity.
 ACHIEVEMENT ASSESSMENT

Achievement assessment measures both the achievement of learners during

a course and the effectiveness of the course.

They can take various forms including: multiple-choice tests, essays, performance
tasks, or practical exams.
 PROFICIENCY ASSESSMENT

A proficiency assessment tries to measure a learner’s language knowledge.

This assessment is similar to the achievement assessment but this one
cover a large range of items and skills.

Better known proficiency test:

o TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language)
o IELTS (International English Language
Testing System)
 GOOD ASSESSMENT

Including the tools for needs analysis, course evaluation procedures, and tests
and other measures for assessment can be examined by considering three criteria-
reliability, validity and practicality

ReliabilityAssessment is crucial for ensuring its effectiveness and

minimizing unnecessary work. Three criteria can be considered for
assessing a test: reliability, validity, and practicality.
 GOOD ASSESSMENT

Validity A valid test measures what it is supposed to measure. A valid

achievement test measures what has been learned on the course. Face
validity refers to how a test looks like a specific type of test, such as a
reading or vocabulary test. It is important because it reflects how learners
and teachers will react to the test.

Practicality A test must be both reliable and practical, considering factors

such as cost, time, marking, number of people, and ease of interpretation.