Full Case Study: Designing a scalable system that provided value from day one
Piloting a University-Wide ESL Support Program
Can you relate?
Your boss asks you to develop a comprehensive, high-quality, bespoke training program and tells you learners are ready to start next week. What do you do?
The Real-Life Situation
McMaster University received funding to build a campus-wide ESL support program for grad and undergrad students who had met English proficiency admission requirements but were still struggling academically, socially, or both. We were given two years to prove it was worth long-term investment.
We got the go-ahead in late July, with services expected to launch in September.
The Role(s) I Played
I was responsible for designing and managing the new program including shaping the vision, defining services, coordinating development, and rolling it out.
Approaching the Challenge
Identify Greatest Needs
There wasn’t time for a full needs analysis, so I tapped into ESL specialists and faculty to identify likely gaps in language and cultural skills. I cross-referenced these with my own knowledge of what students need to succeed.
Choose What to Develop First
I mapped each skill gap to the most suitable service format (e.g., in-person workshops, conversation circles, pronunciation clinics, one-on-one tutoring) and categorized each according to development investment (low, medium, high), semester stage (early, mid, late), and audience (broad vs. targeted)
I prioritized services that were easy to develop, met early-semester needs, and would benefit the widest group.
Build Out a Full Curriculum
After launching high-priority services, I developed a schedule for rolling out the rest. I designed a modular curriculum of 45-minute workshops grouped by theme (e.g., grammar, email writing, group work), which could run independently or as a series.
Respecting How People Learn
Students needs changed over the course of the school year. The first couple weeks of culture shock and settling in probably weren’t the best time to focus on tricky academic skills. However, as assignments piled up, their ability to take the time to build social skills would likely ebb. So I scheduled services according to these rhythms to optimize learning.
Facilitating Application
Our SMEs initial instincts were to design high level content suitable for a semester-long course introduction. I challenged them to focus on one or two specific skills in each workshop. This ensured students would walk away with something they could remember and immediately apply.
Outcomes That Matter
Most comparable programs focused exclusively on academic skills. The outcome that mattered was student’s ability and willingness to continue in their studies. I recognized that their resilience was as much about feeling welcome and confident as it was being able to write grammatically. So I chose to incorporate conversations circles and workshops on cultural nuances about things like friendship and group work.
Check out the ongoing evolution of this program on McMaster University’s website.
So What Happened?
We were able to launch several services as the semester began. By the end of the pilot, we were offering a robust curriculum, having developed over 50 modular workshops. The pilot was deemed successful and the service became one of the university’s core offerings.
See the related mini case study: Using Data to Eveolve a Campus-Wide ESL Program
Actionable Insights
- When facing a tight deadline, look for partial solutions that meet immediate needs while laying groundwork for the full vision.
- Define clear prioritization criteria to guide development and build stakeholder trust.