Program Planning/Content/Delivery

LBS/OBS college programs have both an academic and an employment focus. They prepare learners for entry into post-secondary and apprenticeship programs, and they help prepare learners to improve their job opportunities. Practitioners therefore need to be familiar with the programs their learners advance to and with the kinds of job opportunities their learners seek. This information will help shape the learner’s program and determine course content.

Because the LBS Program is learner-centred and goal-directed, the learner too must have a role in planning what s/he wants to learn and how to learn it. Consequently the program must take into account the student’s learning style preferences. Proficient practitioners will be able to use a variety of teaching styles. Their ultimate teaching style will be an integrated one. The program must also consider the learner’s background, experiences, needs and fears. Sensitive practitioners will be able to design and deliver a program that is culturally sensitive and supportive.

Most colleges offer LBS Levels 3, 4 and 5 and OBS. Subject areas include reading, writing, speaking, listening, mathematics, science, computer, employment, personal/career development and study skills. LBS/OBS programs may be structured quite differently from college to college, but most colleges offer a blend of group-based and individualized instruction. Group instruction is provided through courses with a specific focus such as orientation, study skills, employment preparation or career development. Other colleges offer group instruction through a series of workshops related to the development of speaking and listening skills or of self-management/self-direction skills.

The main delivery method is through individualized instruction which responds to students’ needs for flexible schedules and continuous entry to the program. Individualized instruction accommodates larger classes with mixed LBS levels. Because individualized instruction generally involves a heavy reliance on print format, two important conditions must be met to ensure that the individualized instruction approach is effective: