[NIFL-WORKPLACE:2832] re:testing

From: Rachelle Lehner (rdlehner@lexhealth.org)
Date: Tue Jul 13 1999 - 09:53:16 EDT 

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From: Rachelle Lehner <rdlehner@lexhealth.org>
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Subject: [NIFL-WORKPLACE:2832] re:testing
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	Fiona-
	> 
	> Thank you for your thoughtful response.  As an adult educator, I
know the
	> impact of testing situation on many of the adults we are trying to
reach - I
	> guess in my desire to proceed, and feedback from the local
experts, I had
	> not thought of another option.  Your interview approach will
certainly be
	> presented with my suggestions to administration.  Thanks!
	> 		Rachelle Lehner
	> 		Staff Development Consultant
	> 		Health Directions
	> 		Lexington Medical Center
	> 		2720 Sunset Blvd.
	> 		West Columbia, SC  29169
	> 		(803)791-2113
	> 
	> 		...and the day came when the risk to remain tight in
a bud
	> was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.
-anais nin
	> 
	> 
	> 
	> 	-----Original Message-----
	> 	From:	Frank, Fiona [SMTP:f.frank@lancaster.ac.uk]
<mailto:[SMTP:f.frank@lancaster.ac.uk]> 
	> 	Sent:	Monday, July 12, 1999 6:54 PM
	> 	To:	Multiple recipients of list
	> 	Subject:	[NIFL-WORKPLACE:2827] re:testing
	> 
	> 
			> 	> :
		> 	> 
		> 	>   1) Applicant assessments needed - URGENT!
		> 	> 	.......
	> 	"Who did you test (everyone,
	> 		specific targeted employees, volunteers)? "  
	> 
	> 		Dear Sherri, Rachelle,  and everyone
	> 
	> 		Have you considered whether you might actually think
about
	> 'what
	> 	employees/applicants might like to learn' rather than
'testing' them
	> to find
	> 	out how they perform in blanket test situations?  In the UK
	> Workplace Basic
	> 	Skills Training Network we have been considering the
implications of
	> testing,
	> 	as the new 'Moser Report' on the future of post 16 basic
skills in
	> the UK
	> 	recommends tests/assessments as part of initial setting up
of
	> programmes.
	> 	Here's a quote from one very experienced basic skills at
work
	> organiser:     
	> 
	> 	"We were persuaded by the TEC [training and enterprise
council, i.e.
	> funding
	> 	body] here four years ago to introduce pre and post testing
in order
	> to provide
	> 	quantitative evaluative outcomes.  We introduced testing at
the herb
	> and spice
	> 	factory Training Needs Interviews.  The first person who sat
down
	> for the test
	> 	went red in the face and started shaking.  The second burst
into
	> tears.  As the
	> 	news of testing spread through the factory the word was that
it was
	> probably a
	> 	scheme to filter out certain employees and our stream of
applicants
	> just dried
	> 	up.  We scrapped the testing straight away and had to work
hard to
	> repair the
	> 	damage."  
	> 
	> 	Does this strike a chord with others?   
	> 
	> 	You don't HAVE to TEST.... you can carry out individual,
	> confidential,
	> 	INTERVIEWS to ask people the kind of reading, writing, maths
and
	> computing they
	> 	do at work and at home, and where there are 'skills gaps' or
where
	> there is
	> 	interest in taking up further training.  Adults won't come
forward
	> for further
	> 	training unless they WANT TO DO SO - so you may as well ASK
them
	> what they want
	> 	rather than TEST them on what they want.
	> 
	> 	best wishes, sorry to give you the 'wrong answer', as it
were
	> 
	> 	And greetings from England.... I'll be in Canada at the end
of
	> August and it
	> 	seems will be meeting up with some of you on the list then!
More
	> info about
	> 	our work over here shortly....
	> 
	> 
	> 	Fiona Frank
	> 	Fiona Frank
	> 	Research Fellow
	> 	Coordinator, Workplace Basic Skills Training Network
	> 	CSET (Centre for the Study of Education and Training)
	> 	Lancaster University, Lancaster, LA1 4YL, England
	> 	email: f.frank@lancaster.ac.uk
<mailto:f.frank@lancaster.ac.uk> , tel 01524 592679, fax 01524 844788
	> 	website http://www.lancs.ac.uk/alpha
<http://www.lancs.ac.uk/alpha> 
	> 
	> 
	>

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