Curriculum and

Assessment

MELİKŞAH UNIVERSITY, KAYSERI, 29-31 JANUARY, 2014

Dr. Simon Phipps

Outline

!  why curriculum is important !  assessment in universities in Turkey !  importance of beliefs !  case study of curricular change !  implications for assessment system

Overview of the 3 days

Wednesday 29 Thursday 30 Friday 31

09.00-10.00

Language assessment in Turkey: Issues/challenges

CEFR: Applying standards to testing

Curriculum and assessment

10.15-11.15

Principles of test design Test design & test writing Test development cycle

11.15-12.00

Workshop: Tests of grammar & vocabulary

W/shop: Tests of receptive skills

W/shop: Test of productive skills

13.00-14.15

Groupwork Groupwork Groupwork

14.30-15.15

Groupwork

Groupwork Groupwork

15.15-16.00

Group presentations & feedback

Group presentations & feedback

Group presentations & feedback

Why curriculum is important?

! Need to know what to test ! Validity - Measure what’s important

! EALTA Guidelines !  What is the purpose of assessment?

!  How does the purpose relate to the curriculum? !  Are there any test specifications? !  How well is the curriculum covered?

! Need to know levels !  Link to CEFR

English language assessment in Turkish universities: some challenges

!  How to decide the assessment system

!  What do we value? What do we want to test? !  EAP? !  Speaking? !  Formative assessment? !  Positive backwash?

2

A1 A2 B1 B2 intake university study

placement proficiency achievement

progress

Beliefs, curriculum and assessment

curriculum

testing

Beliefs

about language

about learning

about curriculum

about testing

objectives

Language & skills

levels Formative/summative

Task types

exit level expectations

Feedback on test performance

Test speaking?

A case study of curricular change 2012

Rationale: !  feedback from Ts - lack of:

"  ‘clear definition of each level’

"  ‘systematic development of strands within/across levels’

"  ‘link between skills and language’ (esp. lower levels)

Documents used: !  previous curriculum documents

!  CEFR specifications

!  in-house course-books books

!  commercial course-books

Stages we went through: specification of;

!  levels linked to CEFR !  defining features of each level !  outcomes for each skill

!  objectives for each level and each strand !  constructs for each strand at each level

!  level words

Further work included: !  choice of main course-books

!  identification of gaps in course-books

!  development of teaching ideas/suggestions

CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT TASK-GROUPS

GRAM VOC PRON READ LIST WRIT SPEAK

Elem

Pre Int

Interm

Upp Int

Pre Fac

Main changes

!  development of strands across levels

!  Elementary, Pre-Int (threshold levels, more focus on lexis/grammar)

!  identification of differences between levels

!  Intermediate, Upp-Int, Pre-Fac (more focus on skills, academic devt.) Level CEFR Approach to syllabus Orientation

Elem A1 Lexico-grammatical General English

Pre-Int A2 Lexico-grammatical General English

Interm B1 Skills-based Intro to academic

Upp-Int B1+ Skills-based Academic

Pre-Fac B2 Skills-based Academic

Curriculum booklet

Rationale – lack of shared understanding, local myths, etc

Content !  curriculum beliefs - for all strands !  specifications and constructs - for all levels, strands !  lexical specification - for levels, topics, course-book units !  outcomes - for all 4 skills

!  mid-level, end-of-level expectations - for all levels, strands !  teaching ideas - for all strands

Beliefs statements

Specifications Constructs

Outcomes mid-/end-

level expectations

Lexical specification

Teaching ideas

... aims to guide teachers in course preparation, lesson planning and teaching by briefly outlining our curriculum philosophy. It defines the fundamental characteristics of our teaching /learning context, outlines how language systems/skills interact, and highlights essential features of teaching each of these language systems and skills. Overview of strand across levels

A separate chart with more details •  construct •  sub-skills* •  type of texts •  type of topics and concepts •  strategies* •  supporting language work •  mid/end level expectations:

each chart is organised vertically acc. to •  skill development •  language consolidation •  model for writing/speaking

Prose statements for each skill at each level.

Accompany chart-form specifications 4 sub-sections: R/L/W/S •  development of strand across levels •  construct of strand at each level.

Constructs organised as follows: •  introduction •  texts/topics •  skill development •  supporting language •  reading/listening as model for writing/speaking •  outcomes

Guidance for Ts, sts, mats writers, testers - which words worth spending time on

- encourage sts to study outside class. - not expected to explicitly teach all items

Organised according to level Grouped according to topic

Indication of unit of course-book

Core EAP skills: •  Reading: textbooks and articles •  Listening: to lectures and taking notes •  Writing: structured essays/term papers •  Speaking: giving oral presentations •  taking part in seminars/tutorials Organised according to: •  operations: what sts are required to do •  conditions: factors which facilitate ops •  tasks: specific classroom activities

expectations for each strand/ level - ‘mid-course’ expectations. - ‘end-of-course’ expectations.

inform test writers (quiz/CAT/LP) guide Ts/TUs what to teach when

.

Teaching ideas for all strands

General suggestions Specific ideas for each

level

All strands/levels

Reading – all levels ! Reading – ELM ! Reading – PIN ! Reading – INT ! Reading – UPP ! Reading – PF

Listening Writing Speaking Grammar Pron

Reading – all levels ! Reading – ELM ! Reading – PIN ! Reading – INT ! Reading – UPP ! Reading – PF

Listening Writing Speaking

Test maps across levels

! 

PreInt LP Quizzes CATs ECA 5 x 5 = 25% 3 x 5 = 15% G/V

2 x 25 = 50% LRWGV Speaking 10%

100 LRWGV

Int LP Quizzes CATs ECA

5 x 5 = 25% 3 x5 =15% Lang/Skill 2 x 30 = 60% LRWGV

100 LRWGV

UppInt LP Quizzes CATs ECA 5 x 5 = 25%

3 x5 =15% Lang/Skill 2 x 30 = 60% LRWGV

100 LRWGV

PreFac LP Quizzes CATs COPE

5 x 5 = 25% 3 x5 =15% Lang/Skill 2 x 30 = 60% LRWGV

LRW, G/V, Speaking

Elem LP Quizzes CATs ECA 5 x5 =25% 3 x 5 = 15% G/V 2 x 30 = 60% LRWGV 100 LRWGV

Implications for assessment 1

Assessment matrix

Reading ELM PIN INT UPP PF mid end mid end mid end mid end mid end

Topics/texts Narrative Descriptive Informative Discursive Sub-skills/strategies

2

Test specifications for: #  each skill and sub-skill/text-type #  each language objective

Implications for progress & achievement tests

ELM Mid-course expectations (informing first progress test)

End-of-course expectations (informing second progress test and ECA)

Reading

Writing

Listening

Speaking

Grammar

Lexis

Pron

3

Test specifications for: #  each skill and sub-skill/text-type #  each language objective

Implications for test revision

Audit of existing tests needed: !  Revisions to some tests !  Creation of new tests !  Creation of new test types

!  Pronunciation through listening

!  Rethink of formative assessment !  Learning portfolio

!  Vocabulary journal

!  Project work

4

Importance of beliefs

curriculum

testing

Beliefs

Some useful resources

!  CEFR http://www.coe.int/T/DG4/Portfolio/?L=E&M=/documents_intro/common_framework.html

!  Manual for relating language examinations to the CEF http://www.coe.int/T/DG4/Portfolio/?L=E&M=/documents_intro/Manual.html

!  The European Language Portfolio http://www.coe.int/T/DG4/Portfolio/?L=E&M=/main_pages/introduction.html

Thank you! Dr. Simon Phipps