Simmering Ideas on Assessment in Oman’s General Foundation Programme

Having taught and managed educational programmes in Oman for almost five years now, I have seen a staggering amount of institutional change. This has included several great leaps forward at national level, some of which have been successful even despite the “change fatigue” that afflicts education here following roughly thirty years of constant reform. A landmark of progress in higher education in Oman, in my humble opinion, is the Oman Academic Standards for General Foundation Programs, which holds all Foundation Programs across the country to a set of principled standards.

While this document is the road map for the work of the bulk of foreign English language teachers in this country, it is surprising (or shocking) that few are aware of its existence. Having closely observed and participated in its development between 2007 and 2009, I am delighted that such a coherent and educationally sound policy document has emerged as the yardstick by which all national higher education institutions will be measured for accreditation purposes. Yet, although I am one of the many teachers who is responsible for my current institution’s successful accreditation, I am positively stunned that among the barrage of largely irrelevant accreditation data that has been thrown our way, this key document was omitted.

This is particularly relevant to me, since I am working on an article that questions the assessment techniques used in the Foundation Programme nationally. My reasoning is that summative written assessments (aka exams) neither support student learning nor address the unique strengths and weaknesses of Omani students, and are, moreover, not an appropriate measure of attaining the national learning objectives. Since the colleges adhere so fiendishly to these exams, I had thought I would have to take on the national policy document. Not so. According to the Foundation Standards document, formative, continuous assessment using a variety of assessment mechanisms is desirable. In fact, it would seem that the colleges are in grave violation of national policy. Especially if we dig deeper to find that these hallowed written exams not only have limited validity and reliability, but that instances of guessing and cheating inevitably slip through the cracks… and after all that, students have been “helped through” in marginal cases – so-called – with marks as low as 36%. By the local powers that be.

Rediscovering the Foundation Standards that are intended to light our way, I was gravely disappointed by its underground status. Although the professionalization of teachers is a goal of the local accreditation process (Carroll et al., 2009), the withholding of core policy documents, whether through omission or commission, the current situation is a further de-skilling of drones.

And I never did make a good drone.

References:

Carroll, M., Razvi, S. & Goodliffe, T. (2009). Using Foundation Program academic standards as a quality enhancement tool. International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education Conference 2009. Retrieved from http://www.inqaahe.org

Oman Accreditation Council. (2009). Oman academic standards for national foundation programs. Muscat: OAC.

Image: The Oman Coat of Arms. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Official_Coat_of_Arms_of_Oman.png

In the Works

It is unusually late at night for me to be blogging. I am a professed morning person, but when something really enthuses me, there is just no stopping. At the moment I am forging ahead with three projects that offer really exciting possibilities.

Wiki in the Works
The first, as mentioned in the previous post, is developing more electronic resources for the course I am teaching. Although my college provides server space and a best-kept-secret Virtual Learning Environment, these do not yet offer the collaborative options needed for a dynamic teacher-generated resource base. For this reason I have started a wiki, where materials will eventually be hosted. Since materials will only apply to the coming session, this is on ice and will be up and running at the end of April.

UnPluggEd! Workshop
My upcoming workshop at the Oman International ELT Conference is beginning to take shape. UnPluggEd!: Chalkface Recollections of E-Learning Dreams explores the possibilities of e-learning principles for enhancing learning in classrooms without educational technology infrastructure. A fully functional online version is under construction as a new tab on my T42 Hub website. Nothing conquers sloth quite like online visibility, and this is sure to keep my preparation on track well ahead of schedule.

Product Versus Process Article
The editor of my college’s new English Language Teaching journal is a supportive mentor who has no qualms about pushing me to be a better professional – whether I like it or not. One result of this is that I am working on an article for the first edition. Product Versus Process: The Role of Assessment in the Oman General Foundation Programmes investigates the influence of current assessment practices on learning and considers more beneficial alternatives. Researching this article has given me newfound respect for the saintly visionaries behind academic accreditation in Oman, as well as staggering insights into the role of assessment in learning. Hint: it is a grossly misunderstood and under-utilised learning tool. Yes, I said learning, believe it or not. I also said misunderstood.

Although I am looking forward to branching out of ELT, and these projects may well be my swansong in the field, I am a firm believer in transferrable skills. While these little projects may be small stepping stones within a language teaching career, they provide significant foundations for the great wild blue beyond where I set my sights. It is thrilling to be learning, and I am very lucky to be doing so at the comfortable skirttails of a job. At least for the moment!

Image: Dragon CV is a MindMap I created many years ago as an outline for my CV. Now that there are many new things to add, it is clear to me that what goes on paper in a CV is only a shadow of the experience gained.

Suddenly E-Learning

In recent months I have frequently mentioned that my current teaching environment was “more slate than smartboard”. Two events in the past week have overhauled the truth behind this statement, and made me aware just how steep the e-learning curve can be for teachers.

LCD Projectors Hit the Wall!
The first event was the unexpected and unannounced installation of LCD projectors in each classroom. In the past, I have always had to reserve and collect a projector, and then haul it to class along with my laptop, speakers and usual teaching equipment. Now that the equipment is available, huge possibilities open up. However, none of this can be made real without a great deal of preparation, not to mention the daily 2.5 km walk with my laptop. Yet, it will be worth every minute. Watch this space for some ways the projector has (hopefully!) transformed our classroom.

Virtual Learning Environments: Reality at Last
The second event was a completely accidental meeting with the staff responsible for the college’s e-learning facilities. My ignorance of the great work done by these staff proves that the word has not spread to my remote frontiers of the campus. Their most exciting contributions include the online presence of the library, online examination services and, perhaps most thrillingly, the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). The VLE is not officially open to my department, but the representatives were only too happy to sign me up on the spot.

Implementing E-Learning, Mid-semester and On the Fly
Despite my infatuation with technology-enabled learning, suddenly implementing it with no significant experience or preparation is slightly daunting and potentially very time-intensive. Though I do aim to be efficient, the learning curve is inevitable and setting things up will take time. In the coming blog posts, I hope to track ways of implementing these technologies effectively for in- and out-of-class learning. Never before have I sympathised this much with teachers obliged to learn new technologies in mid-air. It’s going to be a most fascinating ride.

Picture credit: Desk Chairs by Huberton at the Creative Commons Group on Flickr.com. I'd love to link the photographer's profile, but a painfully slow connection is preventing it :(.

Using Web 2.0 with Language Learners

Being technically free to do as I please now that the study is done, the habit of hammering away at some kind of work or another is a hard one to break. A question on the T42 Hub caught my attention and prompted the following basic ideas for Web 2.0 use in the language class.

Justification of Web 2.0 Use
Web 2.0 tools make rich, interactive language learning through social construction of meaning possible. Since learners can meaningfully and authentically interact, these tools can be ideal. Perhaps the most important reminder about Web 2.0, like any other teaching tool, is that its use should be justified by learners' needs and learning objectives. With technology, we should, naturally, also consider what equipment is realistically available. Finally, for successful use, the teacher's expertise, participation and guidance are essential.

Learner Needs and Resources
For teachers wanting to try out Web 2.0 platforms in the class, it may be wise to first ask what learners' needs are, and what resources (time, materials and equipment) are available to meet these needs. In terms of Web 2.0, learners' existing proficiency is another important consideration. Learners may also prefer certain platforms, and using these can make them feel more comfortable.

In Class or Out-of-Class Learning?
Where computers are available in the classroom, web tools can be a great asset. In some teaching situations, Web 2.0 materials for at-home use may be a better option, provided learners have the necessary equipment available at home or in computer labs.

A Few Examples
1. Social Networks:
A social network can provide a meeting place where learners can authentically use the language. (For classes I would recommend Ning, since sites like Facebook provide so many distractions!).
-With the teacher's guidance, discussions can be directed to encourage use of certain language usage or vocabulary areas.
-By adding rich media and hyperlinks, new language can be made more meaningful and memorable.
-For even more language learning power, learners can debate their posts with each other. For example, during a lesson covering restaurants and food, the teacher can open a forum post asking students to write about their favourite restaurant and foods.
-By adding pictures or hyperlinks to their answers, meanings become clear and memorable to others.
-Again, discussion with others can be extremely helpful.

2. Twitter:
Twitter is a way to communicate with and among students.
To organise Twitter info, add a #hastag that students can easily access to all tweets.
-For vocab practice, a word of the day can be posted with links to definitions, examples of use and even concordances. (Thanks to Henrick Borger for the idea).
-For grammar practice, the teacher can post a question eliciting use of the target language.
-Tweets can also be used simply for authentic communication, linking to suggested sites etc.

3. Wikis:
Wikis are outstanding tools for online collaboration. They can be used for any number of learner-generated projects, and learners can negotiate content, form and of course, language within the wiki. Clear guidelines are recommended, and teachers may choose to intervene for final editing to ensure language accuracy and quality. A few possibilities:
-Learners create their own language and usage dictionary using rich media and online concordances.
-Learners create projects on a topic that interests them.
-Learners collaborate to write a story.
-Learners collaborate to write the script for an audio, video or live presentation or performance.
-The final product can be published for the real world, and even for profit, at Amazon or Lulu's online bookstores.

4. Blogs:
Language learning journals are nothing new, but blogs are so much more. Their online presence gives blogs a real, interacting audience, rich media options and full searchability.
-Blogs can be used for free writing, adding rich media and hyperlinks for meaning.
-Students can add online photo albums to write about their daily activities, environment or a trip.
-Hyperlinks to maps and external information can enrich blog posts.
-More formal blogging assignments can also be given to students if there is a specific language learning goal.
-Learners can benefit tremendously from reading and commenting on each other's blogs. -This elevates a writing assignment to a critical reading and thinking assignment, which develops higher order thinking skills.
-Blog exchange programmes with students in other classes, schools or countries can be a thrilling way to make the value of the language real. This can be with native speakers, or non-native speakers with a different mother tongue, to ensure use of the target language.

4. Audio and Video Recordings and Podcasts
While any recording can be great fun, optimal language learning is supported if the final recording is the result of recursive negotiation and editing among peers. For a truly meaningful recording, the following steps can be followed.
-students brainstorm and draft the script, constantly negotiating the best content and form (a wiki is a great way to do this)
-peers or teacher edits for accuracy
-students rewrite to ensure optimal accuracy and quality
-students rehearse
-students record
-students edit and produce
-students share with others, in class or online, and comment on each other's work
-students analyse feedback and construct guidelines for future work.
an awards ceremony is never a bad idea!
-some of these steps, such as editing, rehearsing and recording, can be repeated for an optimal product.

Well, that makes for quite a mouthful. Most of these ideas can be used if students have access to a computer lab, even if they don't have computers in class. The bottom line, though, is that the use of Web 2.0 depends on the needs it intends to meet.

What Web 2.0 platforms have you used with students? I would love to hear about your experiences.

Picture credit: the Internet is This Way (c)(c)by Mike Le Org, Flickr.com.