优化教学评价体系，有效提高学生的自主学习能力 --- 以英语专业《高级英语》课程为例 云南农业大学外语学院院长、教授 资谷生 北京外研社国际会议中第五会议室

Improving Students’ Independent Learning Ability Through Optimizing Teaching and Learning Assessment --- With Advanced English for English Majors as an Example Outlines I. Major existent problems at present and chief reasons for them II. Ways to deal with them and achievements made so far III. Suggestions for similar practices

I. Major existent problems at present and chief reasons for them Problems: Surface learning: tense learning before term exams cue-seeking / rote-learning passive learners and assessees Reasons: Conventional practices of assessment involve: 1. excessive value on summative assessment while insufficient attention to formative assessment 2. too much use of objective tests, especially multiple- choice tests, true or false statement judgement. 3. only teachers as assessors so that most Chinese students develop a strong preference for, even a meek reliance on teachers’ assessment and feedback.

II. Ways to deal with them and achievements made so far Ways: Renewed practices of assessment involve: 1. formative assessment (50+ %) vs. summative assessment (50-%) 2. various formative assessments: self-assessment, peer assessment 3. criterion-referenced assessment: subjective assignment, e.g. favorite selection, reading, annotation, review, argumentation 4. class box as a workshop

Criteria for Self- and Peer Assessment of Finished Assignments of Favorite Articles

1. Favourite Articles: (Total score: 10 points) 1) your selections should be your favorite, latest and most authoritative; 0.5 2) attach your selection with the source, even website and the like; 0.5 3) notate the new words and useful phrases in both English and Chinese; 2 4) write a review related to the your selected article, which includes a brief summary of the article (2), why it is your favorite (1), what you or we can learn from it (1); ( = 4) 5) all students except the first one to have ed his or her finished work should cross-reference the class public box to see whether their selected articles had been previously chosen. If it had been pre-selected, the affected student(s) had to look for another one and fulfill the due work; otherwise your finished assignment is void and the score for it is zero;

6) your finished work is expected to be delivered via to the two boxes: and through attachment entitled student number, hyphen, Chinese name, lesson mark, e.g., 张三 -Lesson One Comments on the strong and weak points of the assessed work, and suggestions for improving the work, ratings on a ten-point scale Strong Points: Weak Points: Suggestions for Improvement: Score out of 10:

OrderItem and Score AllocatedScore Gained 1your selections should be your favorite, latest and most authoritative; 0.5 2attach your selection with the source, even website and the like; 0.5 3notate the new words and useful phrases in both English and Chinese; 2 4write a review related to the your selected article, which includes a brief summary of the article (2), why it is your favorite (1), what you or we can learn from it (1); ( = 4) 5all students except the first one to have ed his or her finished work should cross-reference the class public box to see whether their selected articles had been previously chosen. If it had been pre-selected, the affected student(s) had to look for another one and fulfill the due work; otherwise your finished assignment is void and the score for it is zero; 6your finished work is expected to be delivered via to the two boxes: and through attachment entitled student number, hyphen, Chinese name, lesson mark, e.g., 张三 -Lesson One. 1 Total10

Criteria for Self- and Peer Assessment of Finished Assignments of Argumentation

1. Composition of Argumentation (Total score: 10 points) 1) An introduction to current situation 1 2) statements of existent problem(s) 1 3) a reasonable and logical analysis of such problem(s) 2 4) some feasible or possible solution (s) to the problems 2 5) argument for the feasibility of your proposed solution(s), which usually includes presenting and justifying an opinion (1), comparing and contrasting evidence and opinions (1), evaluating and challenging ideas, evidence or argument (1). 3 6) conclusion (summary/ restatement, prospect and further studies or recommendation) 1

2. Comments on the strong and weak points of the assessed work, and suggestions for improving the work, ratings on a ten-point scale Strong Points: Weak Points: Suggestions for Improvement: Score out of 10:

Achievements or benefits Deep learning: read the lines read between the lines read beyond the lines Most of the students have regularly carried out some cordial peer assessment of their classmates, and critically practise criterion-based subjective assessment gradually changed the misconceptions and make assessment conceptualized as a collaborative process where they share responsibility with peers and teachers learned to explore wider knowledge, test more methods, use more creative perspectives to answer open-ended questions, discuss about topics or tackle problems

Achievements or benefits consciously cross-checked what they have been doing and how well they have been doing it, and then become highly activated to monitor their learning, diagnose their progress, become more critical thinkers and self- regulatory learners, with specific and reasonable criteria frequently made some reflective self assessment of their own work, enthusiastically make timely remedial efforts and progress made the best of assessment to better their routine learning, and retake their due responsibility for learning the course to improve their general proficiency more than to get high marks expediently. raised awareness of and a need for students’ professional development and life-long learning →independent / autonomous learning

张娜 -Reply to Questionnaire (January 8, 2012 ) 1. The requirements for learning Advanced English and criteria for evaluating your performance throughout the course are somewhat different from your previous experience with other courses, and so, students like you are expected to adjust their learning strategies in order to meet the innovative requirements and criteria. How have you been doing it? In my opinion, independent study is very important. We should pay attention to self-learning. Indeed, what most of us learn during university life is a kind of method of learning. It’s more important and beneficial for us to learn how to learn, learn how to solve problems, learn how to think critically and deeply.

2. What do you think of our reinforcing formative assessment (50%), involving self-study tasks (half in assignment and assessment, e.g., six lessons for self study, six topics for extended study, and the like, which are required to be finished individually outside of class, and are to be taken into consideration in the teacher’s designing exam papers)? As far as I am concerned, all the tasks are very appropriate. However, I prefer to learn the things I am really interest in.Thus, I will spend much time and energy on them. 3. What change(s) have you made with your attitudes towards assessment (i.e. self-assessment, peer assessment, objective assessment, subjective assessment, formative assessment and summative assessment)? Why and how? These assessments are really complicated, but they are very helpful for our improvement. After finishing all these assessments, I have a better understanding of my merits and demerits. Of course, I will keep my merits and change my demerits in order to make further progress.

2 Boxes Being Used at Present

2010 级英专 - 高英作业教师电邮

2010 级英专 - 高英作业班级电邮

III. Suggestions for similar practices 1. Good assessment encourages students to adopt deep learning strategy, master and apply what has been taught and learned, while poor assessment misleads students to use surface learning expedient just for getting high marks or passing a course. 2. Don’t just wait for something better than what is available or accessible to us, but make the most of whatever can be used. 3. Do not complain about our undesirable facilities, our poor students, but ask ourselves what we can do to better our teaching and students’ learning.

Thank you very much for your attention! Best wishes to you For all You’ve been doing!