Assessment of English Learners Module 1 Activity 1

Welcome! In this course, you will learn how to review and develop English language tests, and be prepared to share what you have learned with other teachers. To help you do this, you will develop two tools: a glossary of key terms and concepts in language assessment, a checklist to guide review and development of English language tests

8 Course Modules – 1 Every Week Introduction Reading Listening Speaking Writing Test Design and Statistics Professional Development Review of Key Concepts

8 Course Objectives Overall Understand and apply key concepts of assessment Understand bottom-up and top-down subskills involved in reading, listening, speaking, and writing Identify text features of reading and listening passages Identify key aspects of rubrics for speaking and writing tasks Understand how questions relate to test design Understand features of good questions and prompts Identify online assessment-related resources Understand how to review English language tests

Scenarios, Activities, & Assignments Modules begin with a language testing story we call a “scenario.” The scenario puts the main ideas into a teacher’s life. Each module also contains activities. Activities are PowerPoint presentations and articles for you to read and think about. Assignments are for you to practice and critically reflect upon what you are learning. Assignments are discussion board conversations, exercises, quizzes, and self-assessments.  

Vocabulary There is a lot of new vocabulary in this course. Do not worry! Every new word will be defined, and you will practice these new words, and you will create a glossary. Use these new words in your discussion board conversations. This will also help you remember them. One day, you will be teaching these words to other teachers.

Checklist You will also learn a lot about English tests. Again, do not worry! You will create a checklist to review English language tests. The checklist will include information about what makes a test good. The checklist will also help you remember what you have learned about tests.

Syllabus & Calendar Before you begin the course, you should do the following: Read the syllabus, and Read the course calendar.   The syllabus and calendar will help you manage your work. The calendar includes deadlines for assignments and discussion boards.

Syllabus The syllabus also tells you the order that you should follow to complete the activities and assignments. Each module is designed to follow a progression. If you try to do the activities and assignments out of order, you may become confused.

Diagnostic Assessment In Module 1, you will take a survey and a test. This is called a “diagnostic assessment.” The purpose of the diagnostic assessment is to learn about you and your students. Do not worry if you cannot answer all of the questions on the diagnostic assessment. You will learn everything on the assessment in this course. The diagnostic assessment will help you track your progress.

Optional Extension Activities and Assignments Most modules will offer optional extension activities or assignments. These are not mandatory, but they will give you more practice with the topics and vocabulary covered in the module. They are a bit more advanced, so they are a good way to really challenge yourself.f

Contacting the Instructor If you have any questions, contact your instructor. Use Canvas messages for all communication with your instructor.

Class Environment Remember that everyone in this class comes from very different backgrounds and experiences. Our goal is to work together and share our knowledge with each other. To do this, we must always be respectful of each other. Please use polite language to make our class enjoyable and comfortable.

Next Steps Now, you will introduce to your classmates. Go to the discussion board and complete assignment #1.