Ask students to list their learning needs. The first, and most important, question that you must ask when giving a learning needs assessment is what needs the learner has. Ask the learner to list five to ten specific things he requires when learning. To assist him in creating this list, give him some examples. For instance, you could tell him that when you learn you require visual aids, or perhaps a review of material before you commit it to memory. After providing your examples, allow him to craft his own list.
Instruct learners to describe their best teachers. Though you may never reach the same level of excellence as the learner's favorite teacher, asking her about this important educator tells you much about the learner and the way in which she learns. By having the learner describe this teacher that she feels was most effective, you can ascertain more information about what she looks for in a teacher, giving you additional insight into her learning needs.
Inquire as to what the learner would like you to know about her. Teachers can best educate their students when they know information about these pupils. Ask your assessment taker to tell you what you need to know to educate him properly. Tell the assessment taker that the information that he provides could be about his personal background, allowing you to see what he brings to the table as far as prior experience, or it could be about his previous experience in the world of education, allowing you to better determine how he views education.
Complete a post-assessment ranking. If conducting a learning needs assessment for a group of individuals instead of just one learner, it is important to see how the learning needs of the individuals that make up the group are similar and different. To gather this information, create a list of all of the learning needs that your group members listed on their individual assessments. Create copies of this list and distribute them during your next day in class. Ask each group member to rank the needs from 1, being the most important need for him, down until all the needs have been ranked. Collect the papers and determine the average score for each need listed to see which needs are most common among your group members.