Piloting – a publisher’s view

1. SHAHANA PARVIN2. ZOYNUL ABADIN3. KUDRAT-E-KHUDA

Contents

1. Who pilots and why?2. Benefits – who gets what from piloting?

Who pilots and why?Drawing Piloters

1. Publisher’s marketing staff or teaching consultants draw piloters from a range of teaching situations.

2. They know the piloters personally and so they can invite them to pilot when suitable opportunity arises.

3. Editorial center holds the information of piloters on file or database and communicate when necessary.

4. Interested teachers frequently make contact with local or central marketing or editorial staff and express interest in piloting.

5. Editors contact and invite piloters either directly or through local representatives.

Some criteria expected in a pilot center

1. Willingness to pilot2. Quality of previous feedback3. Availability at the right time4. Being representative of the target learners5. Teaching situations etc.

Why private language school, suitable for piloting

1. Easy to arrange piloting 2. Flexible teaching programmes3. Teachers having a free choice of materials4. Having fewer internal and external conditions of

syllabuses or examinations to be satisfied5. Flexible informal situations6. Direct contact with teachers or directors of

studies 7. Easy conduct for the publishers

Some drawbacks

1. Learners paying much expect a good standard of presentation in any materials used.

2. They expect full colour materials.3. They don’t expect incomplete form of

materials.

Overcoming drawbacks

1. Skilful intervention of teaching staffs2. Predicting benefits for future generations of

learners3. Supplying representative selection of unit

rather than a complete course

Some sensitive aspects regarding supplementary materials and course materials

1. In full time education piloting is sensitive.2. The market for supplementary materials has

declined for declining funding for education and increasing economic pressure on parents though it is easy to integrate them in main course. So, publishers may not eager to pilot supplementary materials.

3. Publishers are interested in piloting main course materials but constraints are almost similar.

Some constraints regarding main course materials while piloting

1. A full teaching year course including teacher’s materials and cassettes, established published course in full colour is suitable for a teacher.

But Unknown, untried, and largely unseen pilot edition in black and

white may not be easily accepted2. So, taking decision to pilot materials requires the consultations

of a group of teachers and director of studies which is not an easy task.

However, to reduce this constraints, goodwill, trust and a constructive relationship between piloters and publishers can play a great role. A proper motivation is also necessary.

How the most effective piloting and feed back come

1. An arrangement entered into freely on the part of the teacher and class results in effective piloting and feedback.

2. Some initial hesitation and skepticism can be healthy because this might replicate the situation with adoption of the final material.

3. Some very positive professional relationships can result.4. Formal and informal contact can serve to reinforce the

teacher’s feeling of being involved in a dynamic relationship in which their experience is valued and taken seriously.

Who are suitable piloters?

1. Successful involvement of the relatively ‘average’ teacher in an ‘average’ institution is the key to an effective piloting programme while high-flying teacher is less effective. Trialling and feedback is less likely to be influenced by the enthusiasms or ambitions of the more high flying teacher.

Benefits-who gets what from piloting?

Benefits of pilot centres, institutions, piloters and parents1. Receiving the attention of the publishing house2. Getting free materials3. Financial reward 4. Opportunity for contact with the people outside the day to

day world of the classroom such as publishers and authors5. Altruistic contributions to the success of future generation

of materials6. Being acknowledged formally in the final pulication7. Professional satisfaction

Benefits-who gets what from piloting? (Contd.)

Benefits of publishers, authors and their materials1. Getting the opportunity to validate materials before

publication2. Being able to avert the risk of big investment for

unpredicted success3. Getting confidence to commit the necessary

investment after piloting

Benefits-who gets what from piloting? (Contd.)

Publishers’ Getting information from macro and micro levels 1. Macro levels includes-i. the suitability of the overall approach for the target

audience.ii. the level of progression within the materials.iii. How well material fits into the number of hours available.iv. Material’s suitability for the age and interest of the learners.v. The success of the internal organization into units, lessons,

sections, etc.vi. How easy it is to prepare and teach.

Benefits-who gets what from piloting? (Contd.)

Publishers’ Getting information from macro and micro levels (Contd.)

2. Micro levels includes-i. enabling authors and publishers to ‘debug’ the

material at the next stage of editingii. Feedback on the on the success of individual tasks

and exercises

All the best.