TOMI WARDANA14178077ELT CURRICULUM

NEEDS ANALYSISThe aim of this part of the curriculum design process is to discover what needs to be learned and what the learners want to learn. Needs analysis is directed mainly at the goals and content of a course. It examines what the learners know already and what they need to know. Needs analysis makes sure that the course will contain relevant and useful things to learn. Good needs analysis involves asking the right questions and nding the answers in the most eective way.Hutchinson and Waters (1987) divide needs into target needs (what the learner needs to do in the target situation) and learning needs (what the learner needs to do in order to learn). The analysis of target needs can look at: Necessities, Lacks and Wants. 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 t into present knowledge, Necessities t into required knowledge, and Wants t into subjective needs.

Needs Analysis Tools:1. NecessitiesThe rst thing to look at in necessities is the demands of the target tasks. That is, what will learners have to do when they do university study? Among the things they will have to do is listen to lectures, take part intutorials, write assignments and tasks, and sit exams.2. LacksAn important part of needs analysis involves looking at where learners are atpresent. How good are the learners at writing assignments now? One way to investigate this is to look at an assignment or two that the learners have just written.3. WantsLearners have their own views about what they think is useful for them. At the very least, information about this is useful in working out whether the learners views and the needs analysts views are the same or not.

Evaluating Needs AnalysisNeeds analysis is a kind of assessment and thus can be evaluated by considering its:1. reliabilityReliable needs analysis involves using well-thought-out, standardised 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 systematise the observation by using a checklist, or by recording and apply standardised analysis procedures. The more pieces of observation and the more people who are studied, the more reliable the results.2. Validity Valid needs analysis involves looking at what is relevant and important. Consideration of the type of need that is being looked at and the type of information that is being gathered is important. Before needs analysis begins it may be necessary to do a ranking activity to decide what type of need should get priority in the needs analysis investigation. The worst decision would be to let practicality dominate by deciding to investigate what is easiest to investigate!3. PracticalityPractical needs analysis is not expensive, does not occupy too much of the learners and teachers time, provides clear, easy-to-understand results and 30 Needs Analysiscan easily be incorporated into the curriculum design process. There will always be a tension between reliable and valid needs analysis and practical needs analysis. A compromise is necessary but validity should always be given priority.