Module 2 - Orientation and Assessment
Enrollment Options
Orientation and assessment are directly affected by the process through which students enter and exit adult learning programs. Some programs are structured such that students are able to join a class on any day on which it meets. This may put the responsibility for all orientation tasks on the classroom instructor, and assessment may be scheduled for a later time or worked into the instructor’s lesson plan. Often such programs have no formal exit or end date; students voluntarily “drop in” and then “drop out” as fits their schedule.
Another option is called “managed enrollment.” At a minimum, managed enrollment indicates that students may only join a class on certain days. This allows instructors to plan for new student entry and assessment. At its most formal, managed enrollment classes could have a specific beginning and end date, be of a certain length, and cover specific curriculum at a specific pace – similar to a college course or training workshop.
Some programs have created orientation sessions of a specific length where orientation and initial assessment tasks are addressed, after which the student’s intake information is passed along to the instructor and the student joins the class on a particular day or date. This provides the instructor with much of the information needed on which to base instruction.
Think back through previous jobs you have held. Pick one where you can clearly remember someone who assisted you during the first few days (or weeks) on the job.
- Did you have a formal orientation or training process before independently performing the duties of your job? Or did you “jump right in?” By what process did you learn the duties and skills required? Who assisted you in learning the job?
- Consider the feelings of the person who assisted you. How comfortable were they? Did a formal orientation/training procedure make their job easier? Could it have made it easier?
On your worksheet, make some notes about open-versus-managed enrollment. Think about how often, and when, students initially enter your classroom. State why this is an important factor in planning your daily instruction.
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