Receptive skills

TẬP HUẤN
ĐỔI MỚI KIỂM TRA, ĐÁNH GIÁ KẾT QUẢ HỌC TẬP THEO HƯỚNG PHÁT TRIỂN NĂNG LỰC HỌC SINH
Hà Tĩnh ngày 28-29/09/2014

TOPIC:


ASSESSING RECEPTIVE SKILLS
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

How do you assess your students’ language learning in receptive skills?
Types of tests:
- Diagnostic assessment:
to identify students’ strength and weakness.
- Achievement tests:
to examine students’ mastery over what was taught (not limited to paper-pencil)
- Proficiency tests:
to identify what sts know and can do with the language.
- Summative assessment:
to check what sts have learnt after a lesson, a unit, or a course.
- Formative assessment:
assess and give feedback to raise sts’ improvement
-Peer assessment
Aims of formative assessment





Feedback and information about the learners’ level and learning progress
Diagnosis of strengths and weaknesses
Exploring learners` potential( sts’ language ability.)
Feedback on teaching effectiveness, for planning and modifying next steps
Reflection by all participants
Motivation and improvement/development
Autonomy and learner participation
ASSESS FOR LEARNING (# ASSESS OF LEARNING)
Key characteristics of assessment for learning are:











- Using effective questions techniques
Using marking and feedback strategies
Sharing learning goals
Peer and self-assessment
High-level questioning can be used as a tool for assessment for learning
Use questions to find out what sts know, understand and can do
Analyze sts’response
Use questions to find out what sts’ specific misconception

- Use sts’ questions to assess understanding
USING MARKING AND FEEDBACK

Questions for discussion
How often do you give your feedback?
In what ways do you often do that?
Characteristics of effective feedback:












Feeback is more effective when it confirms that sts are on the right track and when it stimulates correction or improvement of a piece of work.
Suggestions for improvement should act as a “scaffolding” (e.g: sts should be given as much help as they need to use their knowledge. They should not be given the complete solutions as soon as they get stuck and should learn through for themselves)
Sts should be helped to find alternative solutions if simply repeating an explanation continues to lead to failure.
Feedback on progress over a number of attempts is more effective than that on one attempt treated in isolation.
The quality of oral feedback is more effective than written feedback
ACTIVITIES FOR READING/LISTENING SKILLS











Skimming to understand the gist( main ideas)
Scanning to locate specific information
Reading for main ideas and supporting details
Understanding meaning of words
Deducing meaning of unfamiliar words from the context
Understanding explicitly stated information
Understanding information when not specifically stated
Drawing inferences
Recognizing the communicative purpose of a passage
Recognizing a writer’s purpose, attitude and tone
Recognizing the organization of information in a passage
Distinguishing important information from minor details
Two types of comprehension.

 





 
Literal comprehension
refers to how one understands concrete information (which is concrete and explicitly stated) in a passage they read, or in something they hear. Literal comprehension questions start with “WH” words typically – “who, what, where, when”. Literal comprehension can be checked by asking sts questions after a story such as, “Who was the story about?” “Who was the main character?”, “Where did the story take place?”, “When did the story take place?”, “What happened at the beginning…middle…end?” 
Inferential comprehension
is a more sophisticated form of comprehension. The information is not directly stated.  Rather, the sts need to think about what they know from the story and draw conclusions to answer the questions. The “answer” to this comprehension question is not explicitly stated, rather it is implicitly formulated. The child must think about the prior knowledge or experience they already have with a topic and blend this with details they have learned from the story to answer the question. Many inferential comprehension questions begin with question words such as,“why, what if, how, do you think…”
Comprehension Activities






Auditory comprehension
involves reading a passage to sts, then asking questions. See if the sts can answer independently or with reminder. It challenges memory, understanding, attention and processing skills.
Function naming
is an activity that tests the person`s understanding of an item and its purpose; you name the item and ask the sts to explain its use.
Inferences
is an activity for higher level thinking skills; it is a test of the sts’ power of assumption. Auditory processing involves questions that check the person`s ability to listen carefully, comprehend and respond appropriately
QUALITY TEST CONSTRUCTION
Questions for discusion:

1. What are major characteristics of a good test?
2. How to plan a test?
3. How to write a test specification?
A good classroom test is valid and reliable




Validity
is the quality of a test which measure what it is supposed to measure.
Reliability
is the quality of a test which produces scores that are not affected much by chance. ( A test with many items is usually more reliable than a shorter test.)
Classroom tests can also be categorized based on what they are intended to measure. Traditional paper-and-pen classroom tests (MCQ, Matching, T/F) are best used to measure knowledge. Performance-based tests are best used to assess sts’ skill or ability.


Arrange the following steps in order of planning a test

a, administering the test
b, scoring and rating
c, determining the purpose of the test
d, report the test result.
e, analyzing the test items and task
f, planning the test
g, improve the course and the teaching methods.
h, selecting items and task
The order of planning a test
-determining the purpose of the test
-analyzing the test items and task
-selecting items and task
-planning the test
-administering the test
-scoring and rating
-report the test result.
-improve the course and the teaching methods.
Some examples of MCQs and other selection item types:
A discrete point multiple choice item:
The singer ended the concert…..….her most popular song
A by B with C in D as
2. A text-based multiple choice item:
Then I saw a violin in a shop. It was such high quality that even top professional players are rarely able to afford one like it. “ I’d never felt money was important until then”, Colin explained. “Even with the money I’d won, I wasn’t sure I could afford to buy the violin, so I started to leave the shop. Then I thought I should try it, and I fell in love with the beautiful sound it made. I knew it was perfect both for live concert and for recordings”
When Colin first found the violin, what did he think?
He might not have enough money to buy it.
He should not spend all of his money on it.
He was not a good enough player to own it.
He could not leave the shop without it
What are the rules for writing discrete or text-based MCQs?
The rules for writing MCQS
1.The item should measure one important point
2. Items shouldn’t be interdependent (the answer to one item should not influence the answer to another).
3.There should be only one correct option and its status as key must be clear and unambiguous
4. The distractors, while incorrect, should be reasonable enough to distract weak sts.
5. Options should form a coherent set of alternatives; There should not be three similar- looking options and one which stands out as different from the others.
6. Grammatically nonsensial forms should not be invented as distractors
7. Each option should be as close in length as the others as possible
8. To reduce the reading load, any information which is repeated in each option should be taken out of the options and placed in the stem.
9. Options should have an approximately equivalent grammatical structure and level of complexity to one another.
10. Negative form should be avoided as much as possible. But if a negative form is included in the stem, it should be emphasized by putting it in bold print, and all the options should be positive
11. Verbal cues which direct the sts to the correct option should be avoided
ANALYZE THE FOLLOWING SENTENCES
Eg. 1. His belongings were…….a lot of money
A. priced B. worth C. valued D. evaluated
2. My sister………….as a nurse.
A. working B. job C. works D. she works
3. They set off early to avoid………….in the traffic jam
A. being caught B. to be caught C. they were caught D. catching
4. I wonder …………
A. where he lives now B. where does he live now
C. where he lived now D. where is he living now
5. Which of the following options is not mentioned in the passage?
A. money B. health C. happiness D. luck
6. Which of the following is mentioned in the recipe for Rich Fruit Cake?
A. almonds B. apples C. milk D. dried fruit
7. I’m going out and_________
A. have cut my hair B. have my hair cut
C. cut my hair D. have someone that is skilled to cut my hair
OTHER WAYS OF SETTING TESTING QUESTIONS





T/F statements
2. Gap-filling with multiple choice options.
3. Gap-filling with selection from the bank
4. Gap-filling at paragraph level.
6. Matching
7. Extra word error detection
5. Open gap- fill
The text below is extracted from English 12. Your task is to invent a set of testing questions of 5 at least
More and more women are now joining the paid labor force worldwide. They
represent the majority of the workforce in many sectors. Even in countries
which have low proportions of women paid workers, such as Arab countries,
the number of women who have jobs is rising. In Southeast Asia, women
represent up to 80% of the workforce. In the labor-intensive textile, toy, shoe
and electronic sectors. In Latin America and the Caribbean, women make
up 70% of the workforce in service industries.
Paid employment has undoubtedly brought economic and social gains to
many women. In the past, they were often excluded from many paid jobs.
and thus economically dependent on their husbands or fathers. Women are
now better educated and can promote themselves much more easily than in
the past. The access to education and the change in economic status have
given women more freedom. There are many famous women in the areas
which used to be reserved for men and some women have ever become
prime minister.
1. Đấu trường La Mã (Italia)

6. Khu di tích Chichen Itxa (Mêhicô)

3. Đền Tajơ Mahan (Ấn Độ)