Individual assignment #2: Educational Challenge Scenario
Video N°1: Guest Speaker University of Wolverhampton Professor John Traxler
Video N°2: Guest Speaker USC Professor Guilbert Hentschke
Write a description that tells a story of a real or hypothetical educational challenge or problem scenario. You can research and describe a real learning/training challenge facing a school or organization, or you can make one up of your own. Describe the learners, the learning needs, the ecosystem, infrastructure and resource factors that influence implementation, and any existing learning program (if applicable).
Introduction
An important company in the beer business located 100 km from the Federal District in Argentina needs to implement an urgent English Language Training Program.
As part of their expansion program, they have started an Exportation Plan with customers in China.
There are 100 employees working in the production line, 5 in managerial positions and 4 owners.
As part of their expansion program, they have started an Exportation Plan with customers in China.
There are 100 employees working in the production line, 5 in managerial positions and 4 owners.
Language Training Program – The Real Challenge
This project involves the total number of employees and owners, which results in interesting challenges:
- Different needs of the learners
- Different levels of language competence
- Different levels of digital literacy
- Different learning styles
Who are the learners?
- Workers in the productions Line: Low ability to describe technical issues regarding their job and low language competence in general, average digital literacy
- Managers and Owners: Good digital literacy level. Can write in English but with limited competence and low oral communication skills. They can hardly make active use of the language in the real business world, they describe themselves as “stressed” when doing business in English
Learning Objectives and Goals
The plan is really ambitious, considering the urgent need of customer and the goals which have been agreed with the owners of the company, after interviewing the whole list of employees
General Goals:
To improve their ability to write emails and to be able to engage in video conference meetings they will have with their clients.
Workers in the production line
Goals:
- To improve their ability to respond any kind of question regarding the process
- To be able to engage in discussions with clients both by emails and video conferences in English.
Develop ability to explain details regarding the production of the product and discuss how to they can improve processes as well as the quality of the products
Learn about culture differences. As the company will be doing business with different countries, (China, being the first challenge). Learn how to cope with communication with people who also speak English as a second language. (grasping accents, pronunciation, and styles)
Writing emails and presentations is essential
Develop their ability to make hypothesis, participate actively in discussions in English
Improve the oral skills related to negotiations and presentations
Improve their ability to deal with phone calls
Learn about culture differences. As the company will be doing business with different countries, (China, being the first challenge). Learn how to cope with communication with people who also speak English as a second language. (grasping accents, pronunciation, and styles)
Writing emails and presentations is essential
Develop their ability to make hypothesis, participate actively in discussions in English
Improve the oral skills related to negotiations and presentations
Improve their ability to deal with phone calls
The Ecosystem
The company has an efficient internet connection. Classes will be conducted online mainly due to the location of the company.
The level of motivation is high as the owners have decided to introduce a “Sharing Benefits” plan, which means that all employees will receive compensation at the end of each year.
They have also expressed additional motivation to acquire skills related to other potential uses of English Language like: travelling, getting information from the web, watching the news, etc – to be included as Secondary goals.
They have also expressed additional motivation to acquire skills related to other potential uses of English Language like: travelling, getting information from the web, watching the news, etc – to be included as Secondary goals.
Constraints:
- As the business agreement is under way, there is extreme urgency on developing and implementing the language training plan.
- The plan includes 6 hours a week. 2 hour class three times a week.
- Language plan needs to consider: Plan A is for workers in the Production Line and Plan B: for Managers and Owners.
- Owners have paid for an External Assessment of English as a Second Language before I got this job. There’s a need to check their real level as the assessment provided is very general (mainly due to the type of assessment chosen to measure level, Multiple Choice type)
Implementation Factors – My personal scenario
I am a freelance Educator. I have been selected as provider for the Language Training Program after bidding. Needs Analysis Stage and Language needs have already been agreed with client.
Challenges:
Selecting the most suitable virtual platform for conducting classes online, building up a team of teachers with complementary abilities and styles, developing the actual curriculum.