The Assessment Planning Implementation Evaluation (APIE) model is a good planning approach for Educational Therapists of all levels – beginner to advanced. The APIE cycle is a “systematic manner of approaching intervention planning, implementation and evaluation of programmes for students with special needs.” (K.K. Poon, J. Khaw, and J-Y. Li, 2008, p.1). 

Structured in a circular way, the APIE cycle begins with assessment, followed by the planning and implementation of strategies to support students, and then the evaluation of the strategies used. Each step is important in providing information on what to do in the next step (K.K. Poon, J. Khaw, and J-Y. Li, 2008, p.2). If applied consistently, the APIE cycle ensures that the intervention strategies chosen for the student are relevant to his or her needs (K.K. Poon, J. Khaw, and J-Y. Li, 2008, p.7).

The APIE model is a tool Educational Therapists can consider if they are looking to plan intervention which is progressive, balanced and emotionally sound. Let us look at these aspects in depth. 

Managing expectations and making progress 

As educators, when we first meet a student requiring intervention, with the best of intentions, we set expectations for both ourselves and the child. Setting the bar too high or too low may frustrate both the educator and student. 

By using the APIE approach, during the Assessment and Planning stage, the educator can better identify the areas of strengths and weaknesses the student faces and use that as the starting point of the intervention plan. The intervention plan that the educator prepares will focus on the identified areas of weaknesses. The educator will set achievable and measurable goals which the student will be able to meet. If the educator is not aware of the student’s areas of weaknesses, they may not set study goals which are realistic and achievable. By setting SMART goals through the APIE model, educators will be able to allow the students to make improvements progressively and at a comfortable pace.  

Striking a balance 

The APIE model emphasises the importance of assessment and monitoring checklists which have to be used at the beginning and throughout the intervention right up to the completion of desired learning objectives (the implementation stage in the APIE cycle). These assessment and monitoring checklists can range from psychological reports, tables which measure short-term and long-term objectives, oral fluency charts or tables illustrating SMART goals and objectives. 

Using these tools allows educators to make formative assessments at intervals, so that they can adjust learning objectives as they go along. This will have a positive impact on the student as well who may be too shy to speak up and tell the teacher the challenges s/he faced during the learning process. The APIE model thus provides a good balance in setting measurable and realistic learning objectives and monitoring the progress the student makes in achieving them. 

Being emotionally sound 

The APIE model, which requires the educators to constantly evaluate the implementation of their intervention strategies, can lead to them modifying their instructions, learning materials, learning duration, re-teaching content as well as creating an emotionally sound learning environment for the student. 

The educators constantly check-in with themselves on whether they can help the students in some other way, if they do not respond effectively to the existing approach or strategies. This reduces the stress which students feel and also allows them to witness the teacher trying various methods and using varied learning tools to help them. They would then feel more motivated in trying to achieve the learning objectives in a non-judgemental and conducive learning environment.  

My experience

The APIE cycle was useful to me when I was supporting and working with my students with learning challenges. During the assessment stage, it was necessary for me to look at the students’ psychological reports, teacher observations, progress reports and do my own personal observations at the beginning of the term. I learnt about the students’ strengths and weaknesses, why the desired learning objectives were not being met, possible barriers to learning and the difficulties they were facing. 

An example of an intervention strategy which I planned and implemented was providing students with access to the Google speech-to-text recorder if they had difficulty writing complete sentences or a full paragraph. Letting the students use the Google speech-to-text recorder, allowed them to verbalise their thoughts and see their thoughts translated into writing. Errors in grammar, spelling or syntax could then be corrected by both me and my students. Hence, I consider this a good tool as it allows my students to get down to writing what they had thought of or wanted to write before they forget. 

We have seen how the APIE model, a structured approach, can be applied to the teaching of any subject and any student. The students learn in a supportive environment and are patiently taught until they can independently carry out the learning objectives. At the same time, the educators will also feel more confident and empowered by their teaching and lesson planning abilities, as they are better able to evaluate what worked and what did not, and re-apply their experience in the teaching of future students.

Premadevi D/O Perumal
Educational Therapist
RETA Associate Fellow

Learn more about Premadevi!

Reference

K.K. Poon, J. Khaw, and J-Y.Li. (2008)’The Assessment, Planning, Implementation and Evaluation (APIE) Cycle as a Linked System of Support’, in K.K. Poon, J. Khaw, and J-Y.Li. (eds.) Supporting students with special needs in mainstream schools: a linked system of support. Singapore: Pearson/Prentice Hall, pp. 1-10