Meeting 07 • 19 April 2011

Version:
4/19/11
Today • my deadline page

numbers in ( ) = minutes planned for activity/ topic
√ = topic / activity that was adequately dealt with during the class
+ = topic needs more attention & will be resumed at next / subsequent meeting(s)
- = a topic / activity that was proposed but not carried out (but will be taken up later)
N = a topic / activity that was proposed but not included / is not going to be taken up after all
Red italic text like this = comments after the meeting
Main topic(s): Introduction to Assessment; the FL and AL Cultures

(5) Review of previous meeting: main points; thoughts in the meantime?

(5) (possibly a regular feature:) assessment (or language learning or just education) in the news! Oregon may close 30 schools. Or else (just for today):

First 15-30 minutes: Group discussion without me - I'll be at an IAC (Institutional Assessment Council) meeting that starts at 3:30 pm in SMSU 258 (you are welcome to attend). Suggested topic: validity and reliability of the OPI

(30) More about OPI technique: role-play situations; advantageous prompts for the IH/AL level. Comment about the French interview of me on 14 April: not enough prompting for description of people and things (think: family, personal life, everyday environments and activities). Supplementary resources (some pages may overlap): Level check cards, the "Desperate 10", and some role-play situations (0344); more role-play situations (0261); checklist for good interview technique, topic suggestions (0266)

(20) Formal activation of Assignment 3

(20) "Backwash": implementing oral testing in language programs; some references: 0054 My 1984 article in Unterrichtspraxis; 0391 Swender, "Oral Proficiency Testing in the Real World" (2003, abstract); 0651 Laplan & Sinclair, "Oral Proficiency Testing and the Language Curriculum: Two Experiments in Curricular Design for Conversation Courses" (1984, abstract)

(10) backgrounds and professional interests of instructor; embarrassing example of one of his old tests (0347), for which he pleads the excuses of youth and lack of training

(20) Maybe: validity and reliability of the OPI. Maybe: a trial scoring guide about something other than language learning
Upcoming class meetings

19 & 21 April: more about OPI; the next topic (weeks 4 & 5) is rubrics; after that: probably testing in other modalities (writing, listening, reading, culture) - at least one meeting per modality, maybe more on writing

During the final weeks of the quarter we'll get into other assessments related to language learning: textbooks, courses, curricula, departments, institutions, and other subjects areas as they might relate to languages (example: Content-Based Instruction)
Upcoming assignment(s)

This section offers a PREVIEW, not activated assignments. Assignments are made, with announcement of their deadlines, both in class and on the "schedule" page. Deadlines are also posted on the general "Assignments & Deadlines" page that is linked from my homepage (and here).
Announcements

There was NO separate page for the previous meeting.
Misc.

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