The last plenary in our TEAM 2014 event.

1. Dr. Simon Phipps
Curriculum
and
Assessment
MELİKŞAH UNIVERSITY, KAYSERI, 29-31 JANUARY,
2014

3. Outline
!
why curriculum is important
!
assessment in universities in Turkey
!
importance of beliefs
!
case study of curricular change
!
implications for assessment system

4. Overview of the 3 days
Wednesday 29
Thursday 30
Friday 31
09.0010.00
Language assessment in
Turkey: Issues/challenges
CEFR: Applying
standards to testing
10.1511.15
Principles of test design
Test design & test writing
Test development
cycle
11.1512.00
Workshop: Tests of
grammar & vocabulary
W/shop: Tests of
receptive skills
W/shop: Test of
productive skills
13.0014.15
Groupwork
Groupwork
Groupwork
14.3015.15
Groupwork
Groupwork
Groupwork
15.1516.00
Group presentations &
feedback
Group presentations &
feedback
Group presentations &
feedback
Curriculum and
assessment

5. Why curriculum is important?
! Need
to know what to test
! Validity
- Measure what’s important
! EALTA Guidelines
! What
! How
! Are
is the purpose of assessment?
does the purpose relate to the curriculum?
there any test specifications?
! How
! Need
! Link
well is the curriculum covered?
to know levels
to CEFR

6. 2
English language assessment in
Turkish universities: some challenges
!
How to decide the assessment system
placement
intake
achievement
A1
A2
B1
proficiency
university study
B2
progress
!
What do we value? What do we want to test?
!
EAP?
!
Speaking?
!
Formative assessment?
Positive backwash?
!

7. Beliefs, curriculum and assessment
about language
about learning
Feedback on test
performance
Beliefs
about curriculum
about testing
Test speaking?
Task types
testing
Formative/summative
levels
curriculum
objectives
Language & skills
exit level
expectations

8. A case study of curricular change
2012
Rationale:
!
feedback from Ts - lack of:
"
‘clear definition of each level’
"
‘systematic development of strands within/across levels’
"
‘link between skills and language’ (esp. lower levels)
Documents used:
!
previous curriculum documents
!
CEFR specifications
!
in-house course-books books
!
commercial course-books

9. Stages we went through: specification of;
!
levels linked to CEFR
!
defining features of each level
!
outcomes for each skill
!
objectives for each level and each strand
!
constructs for each strand at each level
!
level words
Further work included:
!
choice of main course-books
!
identification of gaps in course-books
!
development of teaching ideas/suggestions

10. CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT TASKGROUPS VOC PRON READ LIST WRIT SPEAK
GRAM
Elem
Pre Int
Interm
Upp Int
Pre Fac

11. Main changes
!
development of strands across levels
!
Elementary, Pre-Int
!
identification of differences between levels
!
Intermediate, Upp-Int, Pre-Fac (more focus on skills, academic devt.)
(threshold levels, more focus on lexis/grammar)
Level
CEFR
Approach to syllabus
Elem
A1
Lexico-grammatical
General English
Pre-Int
A2
Lexico-grammatical
General English
Interm
B1
Skills-based
Intro to academic
Upp-Int
B1+ Skills-based
Academic
Pre-Fac
B2
Academic
Skills-based
Orientation

12. Curriculum booklet
Rationale – lack of shared understanding, local myths, etc
Content
!
curriculum beliefs - for all strands
!
specifications and constructs - for all levels, strands
!
lexical specification - for levels, topics, course-book units
!
outcomes - for all 4 skills
!
mid-level, end-of-level expectations - for all levels, strands
!
teaching ideas - for all strands

13. .
Beliefs
statements
... aims to guide teachers in course preparation,
lesson planning and teaching by briefly outlining our
curriculum philosophy. It defines the fundamental
characteristics of our teaching /learning context,
outlines how language systems/skills interact, and
highlights essential features of teaching each of
Overview
Prose statements for each skill these language systemsof strand across levels
at each
and skills.
Reading – all
All strands/levels
level.
A
Core EAP skills: separate chart with more details
levels
• construct articles
Reading – all
Accompany chart-form specifications
• Reading: textbooksReading – ELM
! and
• sub-skills*
levels
4 sub-sections: R/L/W/S
• Listening: to lectures and taking
! Reading – PIN
• type of texts
! Reading – ELM
• development of strand across levels
notes
! R
– INT
Guidanceeach level. Writing: structured essays/term concepts
for – PIN • mats writers,• type ofeading and
Ts, sts,
topics
! Reading
• construct of strand at
! Reading – UPP
testers
• strategies*
! Reading – INT papers
! R
Constructs organisedwords worth spending time supporting language work
- which as follows: • Speaking: giving oral eading – PF
• on
! ReadingforUPP
– all
Teaching ideas
presentations
• introduction - encourage sts PFstudy outside class. strand/ levelexpectations:
to expectations for each Listening
mid/end level
! Reading –
strands
•
taking• part in seminars/
• texts/topics - not expected to explicitly teach expectations.
Writing
‘mid-course’ all
General suggestions -tutorials
each chart is organised vertically
Listening
• skill development
items
‘end-of-course’acc. Speaking
expectations.
Specific ideas for each-Organised according to:
to
Writing
• supporting language
• to level
Organised accordingwriting/ writersskill development
• (quiz/CAT/LP)
inform test
Speaking
• reading/listening levelmodel for operations: what sts are required to
as
Grouped accordingdo topic
to
• to teach when
guide Ts/TUs whatlanguage consolidation
Grammar
speaking
Indication of unit of • conditions: factors which writing/speaking
course-book • model for facilitate
Pron
Specification
s
Outcomes
Constructs
Lexical
specification
Teaching
ideas
mid-/endlevel
expectations

14. 1
Implications for assessment
Test maps across levels
Elem
ECA
3 x 5 = 15% G/V
2 x 30 = 60% LRWGV
100 LRWGV
LP
Quizzes
CATs
ECA
3 x 5 = 15% G/V
2 x 25 = 50% LRWGV
Speaking 10%
100 LRWGV
LP
Quizzes
CATs
ECA
5 x 5 = 25%
UppInt
CATs
5 x 5 = 25%
Int
Quizzes
5 x5 =25%
PreInt
LP
3 x5 =15% Lang/Skill 2 x 30 = 60%
LRWGV
Quizzes
CATs
100 LRWGV
100 LRWGV
LP
3 x5 =15% Lang/Skill 2 x 30 = 60%
LRWGV
Quizzes
CATs
5 x 5 = 25%
3 x5 =15% Lang/Skill
LRW, G/V,
Speaking
LP
5 x 5 = 25%
PreFac
2 x 30 = 60%
LRWGV
ECA
COPE

15. 2
Assessment matrix
Test specifications for:
# each skill and sub-skill/text-type
# each language objective
Reading
ELM
mid
Topics/texts
Narrative
Descriptive
Informative
Discursive
Sub-skills/strategies
end
PIN
mid
INT
end
mid
UPP
end
mid
end
PF
mid
end

16. 3
Implications for
progress & achievement tests
Test specifications for:
# each skill and sub-skill/text-type
# each language objective
ELM
Reading
Writing
Listening
Speaking
Grammar
Lexis
Pron
Mid-course expectations
End-of-course expectations
(informing first progress test) (informing second progress test and ECA)

17. 4
Implications for test revision
Audit of existing tests needed:
!
Revisions to some tests
!
Creation of new tests
!
Creation of new test types
!
!
Pronunciation through listening
Rethink of formative assessment
!
Learning portfolio
!
Vocabulary journal
!
Project work

18. Importance of beliefs
Beliefs
testing
curriculum

19. Some useful resources
!
CEFR
http://www.coe.int/T/DG4/Portfolio/?L=E&M=/documents_intro/
common_framework.html
!
Manual for relating language examinations to the CEF
http://www.coe.int/T/DG4/Portfolio/?L=E&M=/documents_intro/Manual.html
!
The European Language Portfolio
http://www.coe.int/T/DG4/Portfolio/?L=E&M=/main_pages/introduction.html

20. Thank you!
Dr. Simon Phipps