A Preparation Course for Online Testing Methods and Materials for Multi-level Programs

Targeting TOEFL iBT Practical exposure Practical practice What does each part of the test look like? What computer skills do students need? Practical practice Which skills are tested? What do certain question types target? How much practice material is available? Academic skills development Why target TOEFL online testing?  most widely used Internet based test, most widely accepted test Student “needs” in a preparation course: Practical exposure to the test format (structure of test sections + delivery via computer) - make students comfortable with test knowing what to expect/what they will see - help students effectively use tools at their exposure during the test (computer skills) Practical practice with test materials - materials that model skill areas evaluated through testing (reading, listening, speaking, and writing) - materials that model appropriate question types - materials that reinforce test strategies through thorough practice Materials that look beyond test alone to develop academic skills (aim of TOEFL developers as well)

Practical Exposure Using iBT practice materials Harder to find sites that allow flexible timed sections More expensive Requires computers for all students Using CBT practice materials Easier to control and fit time schedules Cheaper for repeated practice Requires computers for all students When setting up a course for online testing preparation, what kind of materials are available? iBT practice materials Pro: mimics delivery and format of actual test Con: difficult to use in classroom setting + expensive + requires computer lab + limited materials available * best used as “final exam” for course CBT / CD Rom practice materials Pro: controllable by teacher + relatively cost effective Con: requires access to computer lab + teacher required to have some “tech” skills to effectively lead class

Can a book simulate online testing? Practical Exposure Using PBT materials Easier to control and fit time schedules Cheaper for repeated practice Requires textbook for all students Can a book simulate online testing? PBT practice materials Pro: most appropriate for classroom use + cost effective Con: Can paper-based materials simulate the test? - design of practice test in iBT Skills series models screens of online test - audio materials model listening, speaking, and writing question formats Students should have few surprises when actually taking the test after going through Skills for the iBT materials.

Practical Practice Reading Practice Listening Practice “Reading to learn” skills Vocabulary Reading speed Listening Practice Note-taking Discourse styles Speaking Practice Brainstorming Note-taking Summarizing Writing Practice Connecting ideas Paraphrasing and summarizing Supporting ideas Materials that will provide the most practical practice for an iBT preparation course should include the following considerations for each skill area found on the test… (info shown on slide) - Reading to learn: Comprehending ideas of a text and connect them into a coherent whole Understanding relationships between ideas

Reading Practice Academic discourse Question skills Broad areas of concern that online test prep courses should take into consideration related to reading practice include the following: Academic discourse = materials that read like passages from textbooks (not general interest or journalistic passages) Organization = passages that classify information, compare or contrast information, present cause/effect relationships, present problems/solutions Question skills = information questions + inference questions + “reading to learn” questions (summary / chart sorting) Patterns of organization

Listening Practice Attention/ Focus Comprehension Note-taking Broad areas of concern that online test prep courses should take into consideration related to listening practice include the following: Attention/Focus = practicing with audio materials of sufficient length to simulate the test materials; build up student focus to sit through 6 3-4 min recordings Note-taking = prepare students for typical organizations of lectures and conversations; provide a repertoire of useful note templates Comprehension = lower affective filter while listening (due to nervousness); familiarize students with situations of conversations; develop academic vocabulary Note-taking

Speaking Practice Planning Question Skills Extended speaking Broad areas of concern that online test prep courses should take into consideration related to speaking practice include the following: Planning = developing habit of brainstorming/preparing outline to speak from Extended speaking = developing habit of providing examples and details so that speaking samples for each question are long enough Question skills = modeling of 6 speaking tasks presented in test + practice speaking into a microphone (record self as part of practice, audio files emailed to teacher as required practice) Extended speaking

If you’re interested in having students email audio files as practice, they can use Sound Recorder (included free with windows). Here is how to find your Sound Recorder.

This is what your Sound Recorder will look like. Students just hit the record button and start speaking. The timer shows how long they’ve been speaking. When they’re done, they just save the file and email it. A 1-min recording will be about 2-3 megabytes, so you might take that into consideration if you think it will overload your email.

Feedback and Evaluation Form The response ... 1 2 3 4 C O N T E addresses the topic well has appropriate details connects ideas clearly L A G U uses accurate grammar and appropriate words makes good use of verbal stress and pausing uses clear pronunciation How to evaluate audio files: Assign students a speaking topic. (Use one from class to reinforce what they’ve been practicing.) Tell student to email the file before a certain time (usually noon on Friday works well). For sending file, student receive participation points. DON’T listen to each students file. Select a few students to evaluate (4 or 5 per week, or whatever number works to do 1 or 2 evaluations per student per month). Don’t tell students who will or will not be evaluated each week. Use a simple evaluation form (as show here). Listen and score responses. Email feedback form to students. Alternative suggestion: Set up evaluation partners. Students email recording to each other and use the feedback form to evaluate. Students just CC you a copy of the evaluation form when they return it to their partners.

Writing Practice Planning Typing skills Question skills Broad areas of concern that online test prep courses should take into consideration related to writing practice include the following: Planning = developing habit of sketching an outline to write from Extended speaking = developing habit of providing examples and details so that speaking samples for each question are long enough Question skills = modeling of 2 writing tasks presented in test (supporting personal opinion or explaining experience, citing sources of information) Typing skills = actually making students type each week (email) Question skills

Feedback and Evaluation Form The response ... 1 2 3 4 C O N T E addresses the topic well has appropriate details connects ideas clearly L A G U uses accurate grammar makes good use of word choice/vocabulary uses correct punctuation Suggestion for emailing writing responses: Email writing prompt to students (so they have to open their email accounts). Since the emphasis of assignment is on typing practice, it’s OK to recycle prompts from class (students just type something they’ve written previously). Students should email back their response by a certain time (to receive participation points). DON’T read each student’s writing. Select a few students to evaluate (4 or 5 per week, or whatever number works to do 1 or 2 evaluations per student per month). Don’t tell students who will or will not be evaluated each week. Use a simple evaluation form (as show here). Read and score responses. Email feedback form to students. Alternative suggestion: Set up evaluation partners. Students email writing to each other and use the feedback form to evaluate. Students just CC you a copy of the evaluation form when they return it to their partners.

Program Concerns Students have various levels. Only offer classes for high-intermediate students? There are four skills to teach. Spend three weeks per skill? The books don’t have enough material. Find supplemental materials on my own? For programs setting up online test preparation courses, the following questions may be of concern: 1. What can we do with our lower level students? 2. How should the skills be divided in our classes? Teach all four skills in one class or offer separate classes for each skill? 3. Which book is going to get us all the way through the course? Compass has taken these questions in particular into consideration when we were developing our Skills for the TOEFL iBT series.

Various Levels Beginning Intermediate Advanced Compass offers material at three levels to accommodate students who aren’t quite ready to tackle the test up to students who need to excel in their test scores. Building Skills  written for high-beginning students (score of 60 if they really took test) Developing Skills  written for intermediate students (score of 90 if they really took test) Mastering Skills  written for advanced students (modeled on actual level of TOEFL materials) Beginning Intermediate Advanced

Four Skills For programs that want to offer separate classes by skill, Compass offers split editions for all three levels of the Skills for the TOEFL iBT series: Building Reading, Building Listening, Building Speaking, and Building Writing Skills Developing Reading, Developing Listening, Developing Speaking, and Developing Writing Skills Mastering Reading, Mastering Listening, Mastering Speaking, and Mastering Writing Skills The split editions are also useful for self-study students who want to really focus on just one skill area. For example, some pharmacy schools in the US require quite high TOEFL Speaking scores for admission for international students. The speaking book allows those students to just practice in that skill without having to buy materials for the other skills that they’re not interested in.

Enough Material Reading Listening Speaking Writing More than 50 hours of practice material Listening More than 40 hours of practice material Speaking More than 30 hours of practice material Writing

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