Promoting Assessment for Learning in English Language Education

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Promoting Assessment for Learning in English Language Education

at Primary Level

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English Language Education Section Curriculum Development Institute Education and Manpower Bureau

Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

The materials in this resource package may be used freely for non-profit making educational purposes. In all cases, proper acknowledgements should be made. Otherwise, all rights are reserved, and no part of these materials may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior permission of the Education and Manpower Bureau, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

ISBN 962-8814-21-4

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Promoting Assessment for Learning in English Language Education at Primary Level —

Introduction ... i

How to use this resource package ...iii

Acknowledgements ...v

Presentation slides What is assessment? ...1

Purposes of assessment ...3

What is the difference between ‘Assessment for Learning’ and ‘Assessment of Learning’? ...5

What is formative assessment? ...7

Why do we need formative assessment? ... 11

When should formative assessment take place? ... 13

Who should conduct formative assessment? ... 15

What kinds of tasks are suitable for formative assessment? ... 17

How to develop a task for formative assessment ... 19

How to assess learners’ performance in the assessment task ... 43

Learning and teaching processes to facilitate effective formative assessment ... 47

Frequently asked questions ... 99 Appendices

Appendix 1 Assessment task ‘Merry Christmas’ — Copymaster

Appendix 2a Worksheet 1 for Activities 1 & 2 — Identifying the five features of a task and the generic skills for the assessment task ‘Merry Christmas’

Assessment is the practice of collecting evidence of student learning in terms of knowledge, skills, values and attitudes through various means when carrying out learning tasks, assessment tasks, tests, examinations, etc. Assessment serves different purposes, from measuring attainment to informing learning and teaching through providing quality feedback. In this resource package, we will focus on the role of ‘Assessment for Learning’ in enhancing English learning and teaching in everyday classroom practice.

The Basic Education Curriculum Guide — Building on Strengths (Primary 1 – Secondary 3) (CDC, 2002) and English Language Education Key Learning Area Curriculum Guide (Primary 1 – Secondary 3) (CDC, 2002) recommend that there should be a change in assessment practices and schools should put more emphasis on ‘Assessment for Learning’ as an integral part of the learning, teaching and assessment cycle. By using different modes of assessment, teachers can seek to identify students’

strengths and weaknesses, diagnose their learning difficulties, and provide quality feedback to students on how to improve their work.

At the same time, the evidence of student learning collected can help teachers review their expectations of students, curriculum design and content as well as teaching strategies and activities so as to enhance learning and teaching.

This resource package is a joint production of the English Language Education Section and the Native-speaking English Teacher Section of the Curriculum Development Institute, Education and Manpower Bureau, and the former Primary Schools English Development (PSED) Pilot Project of the Quality Education Fund in 2001-2002.

It is hoped that English teachers who will serve as facilitators of in- house professional development seminars or workshops can make effective use of this resource package and disseminate the key messages related to ‘Assessment for Learning’. All primary English teachers are also encouraged to view the resource package to gain a better understanding of the role of formative assessment in enhancing the learning and teaching of English.

Introduction

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Teachers’ feedback and suggestions on using the resource package are most welcome. Comments and suggestions can be sent to:

Chief Curriculum Development Officer (English) English Language Education Section

Curriculum Development Institute Education and Manpower Bureau Room 1206, Wu Chung House 213 Queen’s Road East

Wanchai Hong Kong

(E-mail address: ccdoe@emb.gov.hk)

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How to use this resource package

This resource package consists of a CD-ROM and a Facilitator’s Guide. It is intended to provide materials and references for schools to conduct their own in-house professional development seminars or workshops.

Schools are encouraged to identify an experienced teacher in the school’s English Panel to take up the role of facilitator and disseminate the key messages related to ‘Assessment for Learning’ in English Language Education.

The CD-ROM

The CD-ROM provides a set of slides similar to a PowerPoint presentation which includes video clips and activities to help teachers understand:

• the purposes of assessment;

• what formative assessment is;

• how formative assessment is effectively conducted in primary classrooms in Hong Kong;

• how teachers use effective questioning techniques to help learners develop their critical thinking skills as well as creativity; and

• how feedback is given and used to improve learning and teaching.

The Facilitator’s Guide

The Facilitator’s Guide provides the facilitators with notes and materials on how to use the CD-ROM in in-house professional development seminars or workshops. This guide includes detailed explanatory notes ( ) on the set of slides in the CD-ROM, commentaries on video clips ( ), descriptions of activities ( ) and suggested answers ( ).

An on-line version of the resource package is available at http://cd.emb.gov.hk/eng.

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The CD-ROM is auto-run and no installation is required. The following are the system requirements for the computer:

• Pentium II 350 MHz or above

• 128 MB memory or above

• Windows NT/XP/2000/98

• 12x CD-ROM drive or above

• 16 bit 800 x 600 display card

• Sound Blaster or compatible sound card

• Internet Explorer 5.5 or above

• Macromedia Flash Player 5.0 or above

• Adobe Acrobat Reader 5.0 or above

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to the heads, teachers and students of the following schools for their support and contributions in the production of this resource package.

Buddhist Wisdom Primary School

Chai Wan Kok Catholic Primary School (AM) CUHK FAA Thomas Cheung School

PLK Chee Jing Yin Primary School (AM) Sacred Heart Canossian School

Shak Chung Shan Memorial Catholic Primary School SKH Chi Fu Chi Nam Primary School

St Andrew’s Catholic Primary School

(the former Our Lady of China Catholic Primary School (AM)) St Paul’s Primary Catholic School

TWGHs Leo Tung-hai Lee Primary School

Special thanks are extended to the following teachers for giving us the permission to use the video clips included in this resource package.

Ms LEUNG Chui-chun, Jane (Buddhist Wisdom Primary School) Ms Silvia YU (PLK Chee Jing Yin Primary School (AM))

Ms Judy LAU (Sacred Heart Canossian School)

Ms CHAN Ka-ling (Shak Chung Shan Memorial Catholic Primary School) Ms CHOW Suet-wai (Shak Chung Shan Memorial Catholic Primary School) Ms WONG Kit-yan (SKH Chi Fu Chi Nam Primary School)

Ms HUNG Mei-wah (St Andrew’s Catholic Primary School) Ms CHAN Mee-lee (St Paul’s Primary Catholic School)

Mr CHAN Sing-hung, Jim (TWGHs Leo Tung-hai Lee Primary School) Ms LAI Po-shan, Label (TWGHs Leo Tung-hai Lee Primary School)

Last but not the least, we would also like to thank the colleagues from the Native-speaking English Teacher Section of the Curriculum Development Institute, Education and Manpower Bureau, and the former Primary Schools English Development (PSED) Pilot Project in 2001-2002.

Ms CHUNG Pui-ming, Hazel Ms DAI Shuk-ching, Cilia Ribbon Mr Trevor DAW

Ms Dawn IRVIN

Ms LAI Han-lan Sonya Ms Eilis MURPHY Ms Sandy SHUM Ms Stacey SVIESTRUP Ms TANG Yuen-chu

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Presentation slides

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1

Slide

What is assessment?

Assessment is the practice of collecting evidence of

student learning in terms of knowledge, skills, values

and attitudes through various means when carrying out

learning tasks, assessment tasks, tests, examinations,

etc.

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• Assessment is the practice of collecting evidence of student learning in terms of knowledge, skills, values and attitudes through various means, for example,

- asking for or eliciting learners’ response to learning tasks;

- observing how learners use language in class and in activities;

- noting how they interact in group activities;

- noticing their body language and facial expressions;

and

- marking learners’ work

when carrying out learning tasks, assessment tasks, tests, examinations, etc.

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Slide

Purposes of assessment

• Grading of learners’ performance and progress

• Diagnosis of learners’ strengths and weaknesses

• Provision of quality feedback

• Evaluation of teaching effectiveness, etc.

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• Assessment serves different purposes, from measuring what has been mastered (i.e. attainment) to informing learning through diagnosing learners’ strengths and weaknesses and providing quality feedback. At the same time, teachers can also adjust their teaching, as well as their plans and strategies, after considering the results of assessment (i.e. for learning and teaching purposes).

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Slide

What is the difference between

‘Assessment for Learning‛ and

‘Assessment of Learning‛?

Assessment for

Learning Assessment of Learning Why

assessment?

For improvement

• Identifying learners’

strengths and

weaknesses in order to enhance learning and teaching

For accountability

• Reporting learners’

attainment against the learning targets and objectives

Whom to inform? Mainly learners and teachers

Mainly school heads, teachers and parents

What is the focus?

Providing quality feedback for learners, which entails timely support and enrichment, and helping teachers review the learning objectives, lesson plans and teaching strategies

Assessing learners’

performance and progress against the learning targets and objectives

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Room for improvement in school practice

• As mentioned earlier, assessment serves different purposes. However, very often schools tend to assess learners’ performance and progress without making use of the evidence of learning to enhance learning and teaching; they stop at reporting on just the results of learning using grades or marks. What they do is merely

‘Assessment of Learning’.

What needs to be done

• Promote ‘Assessment for Learning’

In the Basic Education Curriculum Guide — Building on Strengths (CDC, 2002), it is recommended that schools should review their current assessment practices and put more emphasis on ‘Assessment for Learning’ as an integral part of the learning, teaching and assessment cycle.

- To enhance learning

By using different modes of assessment, teachers can seek to:

identify learners’ strengths and weaknesses;

diagnose their learning difficulties; and

most importantly, provide quality feedback for learners on how to improve their performance.

- To enhance teaching

By using the evidence of student learning collected, teachers can review:

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Slide

What is formative assessment?

• An integral part of the learning, teaching and assessment cycle

• On-going evaluation of learners’ performance and progress

• Focused

• Criterion-referenced

• A useful means to enhance learning and

teaching

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Promoting Assessment for Learning in English Language Education at Primary Level — Formative assessment serves as a useful means to facilitate

assessment for learning.

Common misunderstanding

• Many teachers have the misunderstanding that in order to conduct formative assessment, an assessment task has to be developed. This is not necessarily the case as formative assessment can actually be carried out during the everyday learning and teaching process where learners’ performance is observed by teachers.

• Only when teachers feel the need to collect more information on learners’ performance against some learning targets and objectives, do they then need to design an assessment task.

Focused targets and objectives

• To facilitate learning and teaching, it is advisable to integrate formative assessment into the daily learning and teaching process and focus on 1 or 2 learning targets and objectives each time. By doing so, learners’ strengths and weaknesses can be identified more easily at an early stage and the provision of timely feedback becomes more manageable to teachers and more focussed for learners.

• However, when teachers feel that they need to collect more evidence of learning after some time, a more structured assessment task focusing on relatively more learning targets and objectives (especially when it is in written mode) can be designed. Yet it is not advisable to wait too long and assess too many learning targets and objectives through an assessment task for formative

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Using criterion-referenced principles

• Formative assessment should be based on criterion- referenced principles by which a learner’s performance is assessed and described in relation to criteria rather than how other learners perform.

• In daily classroom activities, teachers develop or agree with the learners on what they should be able to do in order to tell themselves how far they have achieved the focused learning targets and objectives. These criteria are referred to as the success criteria. (For more detailed explanation of success criteria, please refer to pages 43- 44.)

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• When the teacher finds that learners are looking at the dialogue on the blackboard, the teacher encourages them to challenge themselves by not looking at the blackboard.

• The teacher asks learners to speak louder and to provide more ideas instead of following the examples given by the teacher.

• When learners have made mistakes, instead of saying that they are wrong, the teacher indirectly corrects them by saying the correct answer and stressing the part where learners have made mistakes.

Formative assessment as an integral part of learning, teaching and assessment cycle

In this lesson, while the learners are working in pairs to practise the target language items and structures, the teacher observes their performance and provides feedback when necessary. Some groups are then asked to come out and present to the class. The teacher gives support and provides suggestions on how learners can improve their work.

• What suggestions does the teacher make?

• What strategies does the teacher use when providing feedback?

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Slide

Why do we need formative assessment?

To improve learning and teaching through:

• diagnosing learners’ strengths and learning problems or difﬁculties

• providing timely guidance and feedback to learners

• reviewing and improving teaching plans and strategies

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• Formative assessment can help to enhance learning and teaching.

• Through observation and other means, teachers can diagnose learners’ strengths as well as their weaknesses.

• Based on the evidence of learning collected, teachers can:

- provide appropriate feedback and give specific suggestions on how learners can improve their performance;

- help learners understand what they should try to achieve next, and how best they might do this; and - design and develop enrichment or intervention

programmes to help learners progress.

• For examples of effective strategies and activities in teaching English to young learners, please refer to the resource package ‘Strategies and Activities to Maximize Pleasurable Learning Experiences’ (SAMPLE) produced by the English Language Education Section, Curriculum Development Institute and issued to schools in 2000.

• It is also important that the feedback should be given at the right time. Sometimes, it is not desirable for teachers to interrupt during the process of student- student interaction or presentations even though learners have made mistakes as it will undermine their confidence in using English and possibly affect the rest of their performance or production.

• Teachers can also make use of the information to review and improve their teaching plans and strategies

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Slide

When should formative assessment take place?

Formative assessment forms an essential part of

everyday classroom practice, and evidence of learning

could be collected throughout the term or year to improve

learning and teaching.

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• Since formative assessment is the on-going evaluation of learners’ performance and progress to collect evidence of learning to improve learning and teaching, it is often informal and naturally happens in the day-to-day learning and teaching process.

• Only when teachers feel the need to collect more information on learners’ performance against some learning targets and objectives, do they then need to design a more structured assessment task.

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Slide

Who should conduct formative assessment?

• Teachers

• Learners

• Parents

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Learners

• Apart from teachers, learners should also be encouraged to assess their own work as well as the work of their peers so that they can take charge of their own learning.

• When learners are involved in self or peer assessment, they should have a clear understanding of what they should be able to do in order to achieve the learning objectives (i.e. the success criteria). Learners could be involved in setting the success criteria so that they could have a greater sense of ownership and commitment.

Parents

• As parents are also the stakeholders, they could be involved in conducting formative assessment of learners’

performance. However, they are not expected to give a grade or mark to the learners’ work.

• Instead, parents are encouraged to talk with their children about the activities they are engaged in school, understand how well their children are performing and the difficulties they have encountered. The information collected can help parents set reasonable expectations of their children.

• Parents should show appreciation of their children’s efforts and whenever possible, provide appropriate guidance. The encouragement and support from parents play an important role in motivating their children to learn.

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Slide

What kinds of tasks are suitable for formative assessment?

• All kinds of learning tasks

• Assessment tasks with speciﬁc focuses

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• As formative assessment can be carried out during the day-to-day classroom learning and teaching where learners’ performance is observed or noted by teachers, all kinds of learning tasks can be used.

• Teachers can also develop more structured assessment tasks focusing on specific learning targets and objectives to see if learners can demonstrate the application of knowledge, skills and strategies.

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Slide

How to develop a task for formative assessment

• Determine the learning targets and objectives to be

focused on, and the expected learning outcomes

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• Throughout the key stages of learning, teachers should ensure that adequate opportunities are provided to let learners demonstrate their performance and progress towards the different learning targets and objectives.

• When it comes to formative assessment, apart from the learning tasks, teachers may also design more structured assessment tasks focusing on relatively more learning targets and objectives to collect evidence of student learning.

• While the learning targets and objectives set out what learners are to learn and use at each key stage, the expected learning outcomes describe more specifically the expected level of attainment of learners for each of the four language skills (i.e. listening, reading, speaking and writing). (Please refer to the English Language Curriculum Guide (Primary 1 – 6) (CDC, 2004) for the explanation on the learning outcomes. The learning outcomes used in this resource package are only the initial drafts and are subject to further revision. The consultation document on these learning outcomes will be released in due course.)

• In designing the assessment tasks, teachers have to consider the abilities of the learners and determine the specific level(s) of the learning outcomes at which the assessment items are targeted.

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Slide

How to develop a task for formative assessment

• Design the task to help learners progress towards the selected learning targets and objectives, incorporating

- ﬁve features of a task - generic skills

- integrative language use

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• The design of a learning task and an assessment task is basically the same. Both are task-based and provide appropriate contexts for learners to apply their language knowledge, skills and strategies, generic skills as well as values and attitudes.

A learning task

• However, when teachers use a task for learning and teaching purpose, teachers need to conduct appropriate pre-task and while-task activities to help learners complete the learning task.

• Information on learners’ performance in the learning task is collected throughout the learning and teaching process so as to help teachers design post-task activities to extend or stretch learners’ application of the target language items and skills in meaningful contexts as well as provide language support whenever necessary (i.e.

using learning tasks for formative assessment).

An assessment task

• For an assessment task, teachers will not provide pre-task and while-task activities to help learners complete the task. They require learners to carry out the assessment task independently. Based on the evidence of learners’

performance in the assessment task, teachers then develop appropriate plans and strategies to enhance learning and teaching (i.e. using assessment tasks for formative assessment).

• In Appendix 1, an exemplar assessment task ‘Merry Christmas’ is provided for teachers’ reference.

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Slide

Five features of a task

1. Purpose 2. Context

3. Process of thinking and doing 4. Product

5. Framework of knowledge and skills

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When designing either learning or assessment tasks, the following five features should always be borne in mind:

• A task should have a purpose. It involves learners in using language for the kinds of purposes that are described in the Learning Targets and Objectives in the English Language Curriculum Guide (Primary 1 – 6) (CDC, 2004).

• A task should have a context from which the purpose for using language emerges.

• A task should involve learners in a mode of thinking and doing.

• The purposeful activity in which learners engage in carrying out a task should lead towards a product.

• A task should require the learners to draw upon their framework of knowledge and skills.

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Slide

Five features of a task Activity 1

Identifying the ﬁve features of a task for the

assessment task ‘Merry Christmas’

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Activity 1

• The facilitator distributes to the participants the task

‘Merry Christmas’ (Please refer to Appendix 1).

• The task serves to illustrate the five features of a task.

• Teachers reads through the task.

• The facilitator briefly describes what the task is about and shows the participants how to identify the five features of a task for Part 1.

• The facilitator makes use of the questions and suggested answers given on pages 27-37 to guide the discussion. The extent of guidance provided depends on the knowledge of the teachers.

• After the guided discussion, participants go on to identify the five features of a task for the other parts and write down their answers in the columns under ‘Five Features of a Task’ of Worksheet 1 in Appendix 2a. (For suggested answers, please refer to Appendix 2b.)

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Slide

Five features of a task Purpose

• A task involves learners in using English for the kinds of purposes that are described in the Learning Targets of the three Strands.

• What are the learning targets covered in Part 1?

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Five features of a task

Learning targets covered in Part 1 of

‘Merry Christmas‛

Slide

Merry Christmas

Part 1

Purpose

• Recognize some obvious features of the English Language in simple spoken texts (KSf)

• Interpret and use simple given information (KSb)

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Slide

Five features of a task Context

• A task should provide a meaningful context for learners to use language for purposeful communication.

• What is the context provided in Part 1?

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Five features of a task

Context provided in Part 1 of

‘Merry Christmas‛

Slide

Context

Peter Chan and his mother are doing Christmas shopping at the Fun Fun Shop

Purpose Merry Christmas

Part 1

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Slide

Five features of a task

Process of thinking and doing

• Learners are not only provided with opportunities to develop language proﬁciency but also the 5 fundamental intertwining ways of learning and using knowledge (communicating, conceptualizing, inquiring, problem-solving and reasoning) through the task.

• What is the process of thinking and doing

involved in Part 1?

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Five features of a task

Process of thinking and doing involved in Part 1 of ‘Merry Christmas‛

Slide

Process

• Communicating: Learners listen to conversations about shopping

• Conceptualizing: Learners

organize their knowledge about letter-sound relationships, the appearance of people and the different aspects of Christmas presents

Purpose Context Merry Christmas

Part 1

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Slide

Five features of a task Product

• The purposeful activity in which learners are engaged in carrying out a task should lead to a product or some products.

• What is the product for Part 1?

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Slide

Five features of a task

Product for Part 1 of ‘Merry Christmas‛

Product

Learners have to identify the Christmas presents that Peter and his mother buy.

Purpose Context Merry Christmas

Part 1

Process

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Slide

Five features of a task

Framework of knowledge and skills

• A task should require the learners to draw upon their framework of knowledge and skills, which mainly includes learners’ knowledge of the language items and communicative functions as well as their language skills.

• What are the language items and communicative functions involved in Part 1?

• What are the language skills involved in Part 1?

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• When designing learning or assessment tasks, teachers should make sure that learners are required to draw upon their framework of knowledge and skills, which mainly includes learners’ knowledge of the language items and communicative functions as well as their language skills.

• Later when the learning outcomes are developed, teachers can also decide on the expected learning outcomes for different parts of the tasks in order to better understand the performance and the progress of the learners.

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Slide

Five features of a task

Framework of knowledge and skills involved in Part 1 of ‘Merry Christmas‛

Purpose Context Merry Christmas

Part 1

Framework of knowledge and skills

• Language items and communicative functions - Use nouns/noun phrases to refer to objects, sizes

and prices

- Use adjectives to describe people and objects

• Language skills – Listening

- Discriminate between different initial sounds in words - Locate speciﬁc information in response to simple

questions

Product

Process

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Generic skills

• Collaboration skills

• Communication skills

• Creativity

• Critical thinking skills

• Information technology skills

• Numeracy skills

• Problem-solving skills

• Self-management skills

• Study skills

Slide

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Slide

Generic skills Activity 2

Identifying the generic skills involved in the

assessment task ‘Merry Christmas’

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Activity 2

• The facilitator discusses with the participants the generic skills that are involved in Part 1 of the task ‘Merry Christmas’.

• Participants go on to discuss and write down the generic skills that are involved in the other parts of the task in the last column of Worksheet 1 in Appendix 2a. (For suggested answers, please refer to Appendix 2b.)

• The facilitator asks the participants to refer to the exemplars in the English Language Curriculum Guide (Primary 1 – 6) (CDC, 2004) for more ideas on developing the generic skills.

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Slide

Integrative language use

The assessment activities conducted throughout the year should have:

• a balanced coverage of the learning targets (KS, IS, ES)

• integrated use of language skills (L, S, R, W)

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• At present, schools have a tendency to focus on the Knowledge Strand. There should be vertical coordination across year levels within the English panel to ensure that throughout Key Stages 1 and 2 there is a balanced coverage of the learning targets in the Knowledge Strand, Interpersonal Strand and Experience Strand.

• Language use in real life situations is almost always integrative:

- in the three Strands: Interpersonal Strand, Knowledge Strand and Experience Strand;

- in the major language skills: Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing;

- in the major language forms and functions; and - in language development strategies and attitudes.

• In order to assess whether learners can use the language in an integrated manner, sometimes it is essential that the learning or assessment tasks involve more than one Strand, more than one major language skill, more than one major language form and function, and involve language development strategies and attitudes.

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Slide

How to assess learners‛ performance in the assessment task

• Work out the success criteria Success criteria:

• are what learners should be able to do in order to tell themselves how far they have achieved the focused learning targets and objectives

• should correspond to the expected learning outcomes and be applied in assessing learners’

work

• are not absolute and can be adjusted according to

learners’ abilities and teachers’ expectations of the

learners

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• When teachers design assessment tasks for formative assessment, they need to work together and agree on the task-specific success criteria (i.e. what learners should be able to do in order to tell themselves how far they have achieved the focused learning targets and objectives).

• When using learning tasks for formative assessment, teachers should also involve learners in setting these success criteria so that they can have a clear understanding of the teachers’ expectations as well as develop a sense of ownership and commitment to their learning.

• The success criteria should correspond to the expected learning outcomes and be applied in assessing learners’

work. The criteria are not absolute and can be adjusted according to the abilities of the learners in different classes and teachers’ expectations of the learners.

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Slide

How to assess learners‛ performance in the assessment task

Activity 3

Working out the success criteria for the assessment task

‘Merry Christmas’

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Activity 3

• The facilitator goes over the success criteria for Part 1 of the task ‘Merry Christmas’ with the participants.

• In groups, the participants discuss and write down the success criteria for the other parts of the task in Appendix 3a based on the expected learning outcomes given.

(Participants need not identify the learning outcomes at this stage as they are being developed. The consultation documents on learning outcomes will be released in due course.)

• The facilitator invites each group to present their work.

After the presentation, the facilitator can refer the participants to the suggested answers in Appendix 3b.

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Slide

Learning and teaching processes

to facilitate effective formative assessment

1. Sharing learning intentions and success criteria with learners

2. Observation

3. Effective questioning to elicit learners’ responses 4. Conferencing

5. Teachers’ reﬂections

6. Providing quality feedback

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Learning and teaching processes to facilitate effective formative assessment

Sharing learning intentions and success criteria

with learners

Teachers’ reﬂections

Conferencing

Effective questioning to elicit learners’ responses Providing

quality feedback Observation

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Slide

Sharing learning intentions and success criteria with learners

• The learning intentions and success criteria should be clear, unambiguous and easily understood by learners.

• The success criteria should be the basis for

providing feedback.

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• Research shows that learners will become more motivated and task-oriented if teachers share the learning intentions (i.e. what pupils are going to learn) and the success criteria with them.

• To share the learning intentions of a lesson/task/activity effectively with the learners, teachers should try to make them clear, unambiguous and easy to understand so that learners know what they are trying to achieve.

• Learners should also be informed of the success criteria or better be involved in the discussion of what the criteria are. Examples of how the criteria can be met should also be provided so that learners can know what is expected of them.

• For example, if the learning intention in the teaching plan is to help learners explore the narrative structure through identifying and mapping out the main stages of a story, to ensure that learners can get the message, the teacher has to phrase it in language that learners are able to understand.

• When sharing the learning intention with the learners, the teacher may say, ‘Here are 6 pictures and sentences about the story “_______”. They are not in the correct order. Let’s look at these pictures and sentences and try to put them in the correct order to tell the story.’

• To share the success criteria with the learners, the teacher may say, ‘When you are able to put these pictures and sentences in the correct order, you know you have understood the story.’

• Teachers should display the learning intentions and success criteria in the classroom so that both the

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Sharing learning intentions and success criteria

You are going to watch 2 video clips on how teachers share the learning intentions and the success criteria with the learners.

— Exemplar 1

In this part of the lesson, the teacher shares the learning intention with the class by telling them that they are going to write about themselves. Some guiding questions are provided to help learners with the writing task. Through the shared writing activity, the teacher shares the success criteria with the class.

• What success criteria does the teacher set for the writing task?

• Would you set the same criteria for your writing tasks?

Why/Why not?

• Learners are told to write in paragraphs and provide more ideas. They are also reminded not to provide only one sentence to each of the guiding questions.

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— Exemplar 2

At the beginning of this poem-reading lesson, the teacher shares the learning intentions with the learners by telling them that they are going to read a poem in front of the class in groups.

Before learners come out for the presentation, the teacher also explicitly explains to them the success criteria, i.e. what they should be able to do in order to achieve the learning objectives.

• What success criteria does the teacher set for reading aloud the poem?

• What other success criteria can you set for reading aloud?

Why?

• When reading aloud a poem, learners should speak loudly and clearly. They should try to read with rhythm and do some actions.

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Slide

Observation

• Informal and spontaneous

• Recording may not be necessary

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• By observing learners’ body language, their facial expressions, how they use language in class, how they respond to learning tasks and how they interact during group work, teachers can gain insights into learners’

affective, linguistic and cognitive development.

• Teachers watch learners participating in class activities, contributing to class discussions and interacting with other learners. Much of the information gained in this way is used immediately to inform learning and teaching, and to respond to learners’ special needs and to add to the overall picture of a learner’s progress.

• In some cases, teachers may want to design simple feedback sheets to record learners’ performance.

For examples of feedback sheets, please refer to the English Language Curriculum Guide (Primary 1 – 6) (CDC, 2004).

• However, recording of these observations is not always necessary. It is most important that based on the evidence of learning collected during observation, teachers give timely feedback to help learners improve their work.

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Slide

Effective questioning to elicit learners‛ responses

• Variety of question types

• Wait-time

• Cues

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Variety of question types

• Teachers should try to employ a variety of question types to gather information about learners’ knowledge and skills in the language, develop their critical thinking skills as well as their positive values and attitudes.

Wait-time

• Research on ‘wait-time’ shows that teachers need to allow time for learners to process the question and formulate the answer after asking them a question.

However, most teachers tend to wait for about one to two seconds only and then they either ask another child or answer the question themselves. If this goes on, most learners will not attempt to answer the questions.

They may simply wait for the answer from the teachers because they are unwilling to risk making mistakes in public.

Cues

• Teachers can provide some cues to help learners understand the questions or stimulate them to think (e.g.

pictures or guiding questions).

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Slide

Effective questioning to elicit learners‛ responses

Variety of question types

• Questions to motivate learners

• Questions to check learners’ knowledge and comprehension

• Questions to stimulate learners’ higher-order

thinking

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Questions to motivate learners

Questions to stimulate learners’

higher-order thinking Questions to check learners’ knowledge

and comprehension

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Slide

Questions to motivate learners

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• Taking into consideration the abilities, interests, feelings and experiences of the learners, learner-centred questions are often adopted to enhance learning motivation and draw in personal experiences to enhance effectiveness in learning.

Learner-centred questions

This time, you are going to watch 2 video clips on how teachers use learner-centred questions to motivate learners by helping them relate their learning to their own experiences.

Pay attention to the questions the two teachers ask.

— Exemplar 1

To arouse learners’ interest in the topic on ‘Shopping at the Supermarket’, the teacher asks a series of questions which are closely linked to their experience.

— Exemplar 2

At the beginning of the lesson on ‘Shopping at the Fast Food Shop’, learners are encouraged to share with the class the kind of fast food that they like.

• What questions do the two teachers ask to elicit learners’

experiences?

• How effective are these questions?

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Slide

Questions to check learners‛

knowledge and comprehension

• Knowledge

• Comprehension

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• Very often, closed questions are used to check learners’

knowledge and comprehension. Usually, short, direct and uncomplicated answers are required and the teacher has got particular answers in mind.

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• The two teachers ask simple and straightforward questions to elicit learners’ knowledge about the different kinds of seafood and some places in Tsuen Wan.

This gives the teachers some idea of learners’ previous knowledge about the topics and facilitates planning of the lessons.

Questions to check learners’ knowledge

Usually teachers ask questions to check learners’ knowledge before introducing the topic or setting the scene for the tasks. You are going to watch 2 video clips. What questions do the teachers ask?

— Exemplar 1

In the lesson about ‘Shopping at the Supermarket’, learners are encouraged to draw on their general knowledge and suggest the various kinds of food items that they can buy from the different sections in the supermarket.

— Exemplar 2

In the lesson on the module ‘My Neighbourhood’, the teacher tries to elicit from learners some places in Tsuen Wan.

• How do the two teachers check learners’ knowledge?

• Are the questions effective? Why/Why not?

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Questions to check comprehension

You are going to watch 2 video clips on how teachers use questions to check comprehension. Pay attention to the questions the two teachers ask.

— Exemplar 1

After reading the storybook From Trash to Treasure, the teacher asks a series of questions to check the learners’

comprehension of the story.

— Exemplar 2

After reading the storybook Moving House, the teacher asks questions to see how much learners know about the major characters in the story.

• What are the two teachers trying to elicit from the learners through their questions?

• What kind of questions do the teachers ask to check comprehension?

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Slide

Questions to stimulate learners‛

higher-order thinking

• Application

• Analysis

• Synthesis

• Evaluation

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• Questions requiring learners to apply, analyze, synthesize or evaluate can stimulate learners to develop their higher-order thinking skills.

• Very often, open-ended questions are used to help teachers understand learners’ thinking process and promote discussion or student interaction. As there are no definite answers, teachers should be ready to accept any reasonable answers.

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Questions to stimulate higher-order thinking: application You are going to watch 2 video clips in which learners are stimulated to think and are engaged in higher-order thinking.

Pay attention to the questions the two teachers ask.

Questions to stimulate higher-order thinking: application

— Exemplar 1

In the lesson on ‘Shopping at a Fast Food Shop’, the teacher introduces the following letter-sound relationships: s as in sundae, m as in milk and c as in coffee. Then the teacher tells the learners the names of some other food items, and asks them to identify the beginning letter of the word and produce the sound of the letter.

Questions to stimulate higher-order thinking: application

— Exemplar 2

After the teacher has discussed with the class how to reduce the use of paper, learners are asked to apply their knowledge in a new context.

• What do the two teachers try to find out through their questions?

• In the first video clip, the teacher wants to find out whether learners can apply their knowledge of letter- sound relationships and produce the sound of the beginning letter of the food items.

• In the second video clip, the teacher wants to check whether learners can apply the idea of ‘Reduce’ in a new context and make suggestions on how to reduce the use of tissue paper.

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Questions to stimulate higher-order thinking: analysis In this part, you are going to watch a few video clips. Which higher-order thinking skills do the three teachers want to elicit from the learners? How do the learners demonstrate their higher-order thinking skills?

Questions to stimulate higher-order thinking: analysis

— Exemplar 1

In this lesson, the teacher reads a letter from Uncle Paul to the learners and tells them that Uncle Paul, who lives in Singapore, is going to visit Hong Kong. Learners are then asked to suggest places where they will take Uncle Paul and give reasons.

— Exemplar 2

After reading the first chapter of the book Trash to Treasure, the teacher discusses the character Zap with the learners.

— Exemplar 3

In the lesson on ‘Shopping at the Supermarket’, the teacher names a few items and asks learners to provide a collective noun for them.

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• In the first video clip, learners have to consider what Uncle Paul likes to do. They also have to compare Hong Kong with Singapore and find out the places which are special to Uncle Paul. After going through this process of analysis, learners can then make appropriate suggestions about the places where they will take Uncle Paul during his visit to Hong Kong.

• In the second video clip, learners have to discover and differentiate between Zap and people on Earth before they can point out the special appearance of Zap and relate it to the place where he comes from.

• In the last video clip, learners have to analyze the nature of the different food items mentioned by the teacher and then group them under the right category.

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Questions to stimulate higher-order thinking: synthesis In this lesson on the cross-curricular module ‘Wonderful Water’, the teacher first helps learners recapitulate why water is wonderful. Then, learners are asked to write a new story about the journey of the water drops in the next water cycle. They are also encouraged to refer to the books displayed which are related to the theme for more ideas.

• To do the writing task well, what must the learners be able to do?

• Which higher-order thinking skill does the teacher want to elicit from the learners?

• To do this writing task, learners have to synthesize what they have learnt about water from both the English and General Studies lessons as well as the knowledge they have gained from reading books related to the theme.

They also have to understand the development of the story and exercise their imagination in order to write a story about the journey of the water drops in the next water cycle.

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Questions to stimulate higher-order thinking: evaluation

— Exemplar 1

After sharing with the class the success criteria for writing a story about the adventure of an object of trash, the teacher shows learners two stories and asks them to judge which story better fits the success criteria.

• By asking the learners to judge which is a better story, what learning can the teacher check?

• Learners have to analyze the main ideas of the two stories and see whether they have incorporated the idea of 3Rs before they can evaluate which story better fits the success criteria set by the teacher.

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Questions to stimulate higher-order thinking: evaluation

— Exemplar 2

In the previous lessons, the teacher and the class have chosen some learners with good performance to be the ‘gold stars’

in the class. During this lesson, the teacher asks learners to suggest other ‘gold stars’ and explain why.

• Which higher-order thinking skills does the teacher want to elicit from the learners?

• Learners have to make value judgements against the criteria for being the ‘gold stars’, identify the person who satisfies the criteria and provide justifications.

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Slide

Effective questioning to elicit learners‛ responses

Variety of question types

Have you used a variety of question types to stimulate the learners to think as well as to help you ﬁnd out how well the learners are able to exercise their higher-order thinking skills?

Share the experiences among yourselves.

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Conferencing

• Developing rapport

• Reviewing progress

• Dealing with speciﬁc problems

• Setting individual learning goals

Slide

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• Conferencing is generally held for the purpose of giving feedback and opening up communication between the teacher and individual learners or a small group of learners with similar learning difficulties. Effective conferencing is focused and has specific achievable goals.

• During conferencing, teachers ask open-ended questions that encourage discussion and give learners ample opportunities to ask questions and bring up issues. It is necessary to create a trusting atmosphere to facilitate effective conferencing.

• Teachers and learners can talk about the strategies the learners are using and those that they should be developing.

• Before ending the conference, it is important to summarize what has been covered and set plans for follow-up action.

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Conferencing

You are going to watch 2 video clips on conferencing. How do the teachers help learners improve their work?

Conferencing

— Exemplar 1

The teacher discusses with a group of learners the strengths and weaknesses of their work, and guides them to write better steps for making sandwiches.

• Have you ever held any conferences with learners?

• What was the focus of the conferences?

• Were you able to help the learners improve? Why/Why not?

Conferencing

— Exemplar 2

During the shopping activity, the teacher has identified that some learners have difficulty in telling the prices. So, after the activity, the teacher gets the learners together and helps them talk about prices correctly.

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Teachers‛ reﬂections

• Evaluating learners’ performance

• Reviewing

- lesson plans

- learning and teaching activities - teaching strategies

• Planning follow-up or extended activities

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• Teachers are always encouraged to do self-reflection as this can help to enhance teaching effectiveness. They can do self-reflection on their own or in groups.

• By evaluating learners’ performance against the success criteria, teachers can

- diagnose learners’ strengths and weaknesses;

- analyze the causes of the learning difficulties; and - work out ways to help learners improve their learning.

• Apart from providing feedback to help learners improve their work, teachers can also make use of the evidence collected to review their own effectiveness in teaching in terms of the lesson plans, learning and teaching activities as well as the teaching strategies and make necessary adjustments or further improvements. They can also plan extended activities or follow-up activities, if necessary.

Promoting Assessment for Learning in English Language Education