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Back to Modules HomePre course interviewing
Why interview
- To identify why a student wants to undertake a course and therefore what motivates them – and to make sure they are in the most appropriate course for them
- To identify any impacts a student’s disability might have on participation and learning and how issues might be overcome
- To find out what support they might need and what support they can get
- To assist with individual lesson planning
- To get to know the student and to start to develop a learning relationship with them.
When to interview
Ideally interviewing is started at enrolment or before the class starts. However, it doesn’t all have to be done at once and there is no reason why interviewing can’t be spread out over an appropriate period of time.
How to interview
It is a good idea to ask the student to bring along a friend or family member or support worker who knows them well.
It is also advisable to let the student know before hand what to expect: what sort of questions you may be asking and if he/she should bring certificates or other information with them.
Make the interview process as comfortable and non-threatening as possible:
- Make sure there is time to give your full attention without interruption
- Develop a conversational rather than an interrogatory mode
- Start very generally
- Test skills informally, for example:
Reasons and goals
It is sometimes necessary to ascertain if a student is doing an activity because it’s what they want to do or because it fits in with a timetable or it is what someone else wants them to do. Initial questions to ask are:
- What do you like doing best?
- What makes it interesting/fun?
- What do you think you might learn in this course?
- What would you like to be doing in the future?
Experience
- Have you done any (flower arranging/cooking/gardening) before? What did you like best about it?
- Who did you do it with? How did they help?
- What were you doing on your last course? What were the best things about it?
- Have you had a job? What did you do?
Work skills
Where possible work these into a conversation rather than as direct unrelated questions.
- Communication: verbal fluency is easy to assess during your conversation but take shyness into consideration. Watch for inattentiveness as a clue to listening skills. Writing skills of people with intellectual disability can sometimes be indicated by asking for a signature on the enrolment form, likewise numeracy skills by asking for a date to be written.
- Teamwork: who have you worked with (at work, at school or sports)? Do you like working with someone else? How did you work out who did what job? What problems did you come across?
- Problem solving: when you were doing (work/school/recreation) what did you do if something went wrong/ the taxi didn’t come/you made a mistake?
- Initiative: how do you feel if you have to try something new (make a suggestion); tell me about some of the good ideas you’ve had – how did you get them to happen?
- Planning and organising: how do you set about doing some of the things you have talked about? Do you make lists?
- Self management: how do you get yourself organised for the day? Are you usually on time for things? Do you usually have the right equipment?
- Learning: what have you learned recently? Do you like learning new things?
- Technology: can you use a telephone, mobile phone, computer, Facebook or a photocopier? What sort of things do you do with these pieces of technology? Do you have help?