Development of an Instructional Module for Beginning and Low-Intermediate English as a Second Language Students at the Borough of Manhattan Community College

Author

• Linda R. Markstein, Nova University

Date of Award

1-1-1987

Document Type

Practicum

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Department

Center for the Advancement of Education

Keywords

adults, borough of manhattan community college, bruner, courses, developmental area, diffusion, english as a second language, esl, evaluation, exposure, faculty council, field testing, formative evaluation, goals, instructional design, instructional materials, instructional package, instructional unit, installation, integration, learning module, levels, low intermediate, materials, model, needs assessment, print exposure, professional community, reading, recommendations, resolution, revision, staff survey, students, summative evaluation, systems approach, workshop, writing

Abstract

In 1985, the faculty Council of the Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) passed a resolution that severely limited the courses that English as a second language (ESL) students could take outside of the developmental area. As a result of this resolution, ESL students were getting much less exposure to print than they had previously: thus, a critical need developed for new materials that offered beginning and low-intermediate level ESL students significant exposure to reading and that integrated reading and writing so that theses students could efficiently and effectively develop their English skills.

The need for new materials meeting these criteria was particularly pronounced at the lower levels of ESL according to staff market survey of published ESL materials.

The goals of this practicum was to develop a learning module for adults learning English as a second language at the beginning ESL 061 and low intermediate ESL 061 levels at the Borough of Manhattan Community College, the practicum consisted of:

1. an instructional unit design plan based upon the game and Briggs model 1979 and
2. a sample of the instructional unit based on Bruner's 

Part of the practicum consisted of  a plan for formative evaluation, field testing, revision, summative evaluation, installation and diffusion.

Several recommendations were made, based upon the results of this study.

1. Four more learning modules should be prepared according to the same systems approach:
2. A second instructional package of five learning modules should eventually be prepared to avoid the problem of overuse of the first instructional package, and
3.  Information about the materials and the design specifications of the materials should be disseminated through articles, papers and workshop to the professional community.