Date of Award
8-1-1987
Document Type
Dissertation - NSU Access Only
Degree Name
Doctor of Education
Department
Center for the Advancement of Education
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 these 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 a staff market survey pf published ESL materials. The goal of this practicum was to develop a learning module for adults learning English as a second language at the beginning (ESL 060 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 Gagne and Briges model (1979), and 2. A sample of the instructional unit based on Eruner’s serial curriculum design model. 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. For more learning modules should be prepared according to the same system 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 workshops to the professional community.