Evaluation on this Textbook Analysis & Design Course is continuous and student-centered. Assessment is absolute (not relative), and focuses on development and growth of materials-design skills, as observed by the participants in that growth - the course members.

The ongoing assessment focuses on four aspects of learning:

  1. regular attendance and active participation in each lesson (20%)
  2. make individual portfolios of assignments, class activities, self/peer-assessments, etc.(40%)
  3. give a presentation on a materials-design project made by them (20%)
  4. test-design: final test, made by course members (20%).
  • The aim of this method of assessment is to promote realistic assessment skills, which will be useful in life and in future careers.
  • Course members will evaluate their own progress and that of their peers (classmates), and will record their marks in the Class Journal.
  • Check out these links if you would like to read about "alternative assessment".


Attendance and active participation are good indicators of positive attitude and motivation.

  • In a performance-based course, they also predict improvement.
  • Imagine going to a swimming pool three hours a week, for 16 weeks.
  • If you spend all that time swimming, and ask the trainer (teacher) for advice on your swimming technique when you need it, then your swimming will improve.
  • We learn by doing.
  • The classroom offers the best chance for interactive communication and group collaboration.
  • You can work quietly by yourself at home.

Course members monitor their own attendance and participation (self-assessment) in the Classroom Journal. This will be available in each class and course members will enter their attendance, participation, assessments and other comments.

If you miss class, you lose attendance and participation marks. However, you can make these up by doing a make-up assignment.


Q: What does "active" participation mean?

A: It's what happens when everyone is:

  • on task (concentrating),
  • getting involved in the activities,
  • using the target language (English),
  • thinking about what is going on in the lesson,
  • discussing with classmates,
  • asking questions, and
  • thinking critically.

Q: What does non-participation look like?

A: Some examples of non-participation include:

    • being late for lessons
    • "forgetting" to bring resources (books, pens, notepads, portfolios)
    • using the mother-tongue (Korean, L1) excessively
    • not communicating with classmates
    • not preparing assignments

Q: So "active" participation really means going to class and doing your best?

A: That's right. Language learning is largely about beliefs and motivation. Positive beliefs (e.g. "I will do my best" "I am a good language learner" "I will be a good teacher") lead to positive results, so let's do our best for ourselves and for everyone else!

  • Course members will make various language-learning materials during the semester.
  • These will be designed individually, or in pairs, or in groups.
  • They will be peer-assessed in groups, and the marks will be entered online.
  • Assignments will be begun in class time, but will be completed outside of class time.
  • This gives opportunities for intensive self-directed work, along with development of time-management and cooperative skills (e.g. having group meetings to assign responsibilities).
  • Completed assignments are kept in the portfolio, where they are peer-assessed according to an assessment schedule.
  • First drafts and other materials showing every step of the design process can also be included in the portfolios.
    • The aspects of this course are interrelated.
    • Thus, regular attendance and active participation positively influence assignments and the final exam.
    • Assignments influence the portfolio mark, since they are kept in the portfolio.

  1. Course members will each make a portfolio, containing evidence of what has happened inside and outside of the classroom during the course.
  2. A large part of the portfolio grade goes to the assignments.
  3. The portfolio grade (40%) is also for:
    • organization (neatness, title page, contents, sections, headings, etc.) and
    • comprehensiveness (the completeness of the information it gives about your contribution to the course).
  4. There will be portfolio evaluation sessions (Portfolio Conferences) during the semester.
  5. At these times, course members will discuss their portfolios and peer-assess the contents.
  • Your portfolio shows your process of learning and your product of learning.
  • Organize your portfolio to make it look as professional as possible. This can be done by:
    • having a title page (name, course, student number, title, etc.)
    • having sections, each with a title page
    • using tabs or section dividers
    • using labels to highlight the main contents of the portfolios
  • Make your portfolio as good as you can, and remember to bring your portfolio to every lesson!

  1. The portfolios will be self-assessed and peer-assessed in Portfolio Conferences.
    • There are three (3) of these during the semester.
    • During a Portfolio Conference, course members look at the portfolios of people in their group, and assess them according to the portfolio criteria. They fill in a Portfolio_assess sheet and give it to the portfolio owner.
    • In the first Portfolio Conference (Week 5), students assess the portfolios of people in their own group.
    • In the second Portfolio Conference (Week 10), students assess the portfolios of a group of different people.
    • In the third Portfolio Conference (Week 15), students assess the portfolios of different people.
    • In this way, each portfolio is assessed by at least nine (9) different peers.
    • Each portfolio is also self-assessed, and finally assessed by the professor.
  2. Groups will decide on assessment criteria together, and will apply these criteria in the portfolio conferences.
  3. Course members perform the entire process of portfolio design and evaluation:
    • obtaining a folder or ring-binder
    • deciding on portfolio criteria
    • entering and organizing content in the porfolio
    • assessing each other's portfolios

  • Starting as soon as possible, three or four people each week will give a presentation.
  • In the lesson, students will explain their materials to the other students.
  • The presentations will be Self-Assessed and Peer-Assessed.
  • You will prepare your presentations in groups.
  • You need to meet together in your group and discuss about the lesson.
  • You need to:
    • choose the materials you will talk about (earlier assignments that you have done);
    • present the materials (PowerPoint);
    • explain the materials to the other students (aims and methods):
      • which textbook is it based on?
      • what are the learning goals?
      • what are the affective goals?
      • what are the cognitive goals?
      • what are the social goals?
      • how would the materials be used in class?

  1. Teachers have to make their own tests to use in their classes, often independently of the textbook.
  2. Test-design is thus a very important part of materials design.
  3. The best way to learn about test design is to design a test.
  4. Groups of students will each choose a (different) Chapter from Designing Tasks for the Communicative Classroom and make a test section about that chapter.
  5. The test section for each group will be worth 10 marks, and should take 10 minutes to complete.
  6. The test section can be Open-book or Closed book.
  7. Course members need to think about what sort of test section they want to make:
    • Closed book questions (students do not use the book in the test):
      • Fact-related questions
      • True/false questions
      • Multiple choice questions
      • Yes/no questions
      • Cloze questions (fill in the missing words)
    • Open book questions (students use the book in the test):
      • Skimming (finding information)
      • Filling in information on a chart (transferring information)
      • Open-ended questions (e.g. write a paragraph about ...)
      • Opinion-related questions

      The test is worth 20% of the overall grade. 10% is for making the test section, and 10% is for taking the test.

       

  • The Classroom Journal contains pages for attendance, participation, ongoing assessments, and presentations.
  • These marks are entered by students and by the teacher.
  • The Classroom Journal is "Common Property".
    • This means that it belongs to everyone, and is available for everyone to look at and to write in.
    • There are many empty pages for learner-comments, so course members should feel free to use the XClass Journal for their own notes (making notes for study groups, etc.).

We use the term authentic assessment to describe the multiple forms of assessment that reflect student learning, achievement, motivation, and attitudes on instructionally-relevant classroom activities. Examples of authentic assessment include performance assessment, portfolios, and student self-assessment.

O'Malley, J. M. & Valdez-Pierce, L. (1996) Authentic Assessment for English Language Teachers. USA: Addison Wesley Longman, p.4.