Contact Information
Email: katebarba10@gmail.com
Phone: (267) 261-4551
Learning Outcome 5
"Students will demonstrate knowledge of the principles of course
design, curriculum development, and language assessment."
A large part of being a successful Peace Corps volunteer is the ability to create projects which as an English volunteer often involved designing courses, clubs, or language camps. Over the course of my two-year service, I relied heavily on the knowledge I gained in the Course Design, Testing, Evaluation, and Assessment in ESL course. Each of the courses that I designed was created based on a needs assessment that I performed in order to determine the interests and English level of the students. After identifying the goals and objectives of the course, I was able to begin the more detailed planning. I followed the process of course design that I learned at Gonzaga University for my English clubs, the TOEFL preparation course, the English language summer camp, and for my Recycled Art English Club.
The most challenging aspect of the course design process during my Peace Corps service was the lack of structure in the school. I created a syllabus that I intended to follow but would have to constantly adapt due to classes being cancelled or students changing classes. Despite facing these challenges on a weekly basis, designing the course helped me to achieve the goals I set and the students were aware of what was expected of them.
Below, you will can find a link to the course design and diagnostic test for the English Recycled Art Club for students between the age of 12 and 15. The language level varied a little but the majority of the students were beginner level English language learners. At the end of the semester, the students presented their work at an Open House competition where they won first place. In the slideshow below, you can see pictures from the club.