Organising the initial interview

Students are assessed to become part of the Morrison House Adult Literacy Program either as (a) students in Adult Community and Further Education (ACFE) or Office of Training and Further Education (OTFE) funded programs or as (b) students sent through Centrelink to join a Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs (DETYA) funded class. The appointment times are made either directly with the student or through an agency.

1. Students in ACFE or OTFE funded courses come to Morrison House via many channels. for example, from employment agencies such as Employment Plus, Employment National, VIP or YES Personnel. Students may also self refer in response to advertisements or verbal information passed on by friends or relatives about literacy programs. These learners are assessed accordingly to levels of the Certificate of General Education (Adult).

2. Learners who are sent through Centrelink for an assessment to be part of the Literacy and Numeracy Training program are assessed against the National Reporting System.

The assessment interview

(The assessment interview is conducted as an assessment for a place in adult literacy courses and not specifically the program entitled ‘A Skills Map for the Learning Journey’ which may be run as an integral part of the literacy program.)

For both groups the initial interview is similar in that it seeks to establish the current levels of literacy, numeracy, oracy and learning strategies of the prospective student and to identify as clearly as possible their specific learning goals and any training or vocational goals. For example, students who wants to work in the retail area may not know the type of maths or literacy involved and can then be placed in an appropriate class/program which will enable them to develop those skills. Many students arrive with a singular focus to learn spelling but the interview will allow that student to elaborate on their needs and clarify their goals.

The assessment interview is an extremely important time for the bulk of adult literacy students as it is often their first foray back into education and therefore sensitivity is paramount. For many students this interview is perceived to be a test and is therefore likely to evoke old fears, a sense of failure and highlight lack of confidence associated with education. 

Therefore after a relaxed atmosphere has been established, one way of alleviating the discomfort is to focus on the goals of the prospective student i.e. an attitude of what do you feel you need or what can we do for you rather than what problems do you have. Background and earlier problems can then be woven in later but the interviewee is immediately given a voice and is allowed to dream and discuss possibilities. Many times students have not had the chance to discuss their experiences and needs as a student and feel unheard from their previous educational encounters. The interview form needs to include these significant details to inform tutors and for the student to reflect upon later. The following questions have been recently added to the interview and recorded by the interviewer in the format shown here. The format is an adaptation of the one used by Delia Bradshaw in her recent publication, Transforming Lives, Transforming Communities. Whereas Delia designed the format for tutors and/or program designers, this has been adapted to allow the student to have a voice and to formally document ideas.

Student responses to these questions help to indicate Learning Strategies Levels and serve as a record for the student of his initial ideas and plans. It also begins the thinking about goals, outcomes and preferred methods of learning.

In order that a level can be assigned to a student he/she needs to be fairly and reliably assessed with a range of relevant, clearly explained tasks to be completed in a reasonable time frame and with appropriate reference materials. These tasks will need to give a clear indication of abilities across reading, writing, oral communication, numeracy and learning strategies.

Preparing the assessment documentation

The documentation for reporting on the assessment of the students varies depending who is funding the student place or referring the student. For most students the assessment is completed and filed in a confidential drawer. The report is shared with the tutors who will take the students. If the student has come through an agency, a Place Offer is sent to the agency indicating which certificate course the student has been enrolled in but the details of the interview remain confidential.

For students who have been sent through Centrelink the process is more involved. If the overall composite rating is one or two on the NRS then participants are eligible to take part in the language and numeracy program. However if the composite figure is three or above on the NRS, then they are ineligible. A set of proformas detailing the results of the interview and training details are sent to Centrelink and DETYA and an abridged version is given to the student. Students then join an appropriate class and class tutors are shown the results thus ensuring that the class program can cater for the needs of the student.