Worksheet Designs and Task Evaluation

During this course we studied current research exploring how to evaluate teaching materials for Second Language Teaching (SLT), as well as how to evaluate our own materials. In this blog I will review the evaluation on my worksheet design called Interactive worksheet AS, targeted to private students, who are preparing for their Spanish A Level examination. In our session in TLM714, in week 8, we had to review and evaluate our materials with our peers. I found that within this course and especially in the last sessions, I gained a deep understanding of what, how and why my colleagues and I had created worksheets using digital technology. This was a rich, collaborative learning experience because we all designed our teaching materials by implementing theoretical backgrounds rigorously, such as Task-based Language Teaching (TBLT) with the use of digital technology.
According to Ellis (1998:226), who selected the definition of Task by Richards, Platt and Weber (1985:289)

A task “… is an activity or action which is carried out as a result of processing or understanding language (i.e., as a response to verbal or non-verbal input). For example, drawing a map whilst listening to a tape, listening to an instruction and performing a command, getting a partner to draw a concealed picture from an instruction, group completion of a demanding jigsaw puzzle, may be referred to as tasks. Tasks may or may not involve the production of language.”

Also, Tasks in SLT demand teachers to include detailed evaluation criteria of what makes a task successful. Ellis (1998:236) argues that task evaluation is equivalent to micro-evaluation. This is in alignment with the teacher’s own ideas of what evaluation entails and can also contribute to teacher development by promoting reflection on teaching.
As part of our course criteria we had to evaluate the strengths and weakness of materials utilizing a synthesis of current approaches applied to the material evaluation. During this session I felt fortunate to be able to share my peers’ thoughts and ideas about our worksheet designs and feedback. The level of my peers’ work was so inspirational, that motivated me to go back to my own work and enhance it further with some changes. In this post I will present my work and its evaluation.

The design process

I consider the principles that I have chosen to be the most relevant for my practice; some of them were drawn from the literature mentioned in my previous blogs; Principles and Frameworks for material design and Framework for language book evaluation.

Materials should encourage students to maximise their potential.

Materials should expose learners to language through authentic use.

(Tomlinson, 2011)

Materials should be clear and systematic, but flexible enough to allow for creativity and variety.

Materials should encourage learners to apply their developing skills to the world beyond the classroom.

As a novice designer, to deign worksheets that help the task’ effectiveness, I found that it was required task- targets. First target; why do students need to learn this Spanish language? Students need to be able to pass their Spanish A-Level exam to go to university. Secondly, what do students need to learn for their exams? They must experience analysis of a unit and learn topics prescribed for AS Level exams, in this case the topic was immigration and the use of the Subjunctive. With these targets in mind I designed my worksheets.

I decided to follow Jason Renshaw ,who uses MS Word (2007 version) to create ELT materials, using tutorials which show how to build professional teaching materials. However, I found watching the videos to be time consuming. Alternatively, I selected a book written by Karen Richardson (2012) ELT Teacher 2 Writer. Richardson (2012) includes concise instructions on how to write worksheets which include examples and questions such as: ‘why might using worksheets motivate our learners?’ She answers this question by explaining worksheets might motivate the learner as they are communicative; they are in a different format to that of the coursebook; they give further practice of the language/exam skill; and they bring news or current affairs into the classroom. Richardson (2012) also asks ‘What is the learning outcome?’, and explains that it is to practice recycling of a vocabulary set; discussion.

Richardson’s (2012) answers provide important suggestions for how to start writing materials I thought would motivate learners, which set an information gap to give further practice of the language; these are very important to put in my work. Moreover, I had to work in accordance with my framework and principles.

Underlying framework and principles

It is valuable to implement TBL in order to contribute to the achievement of the aforementioned principle, as (TBL) is an approach used in SLT. Ellis (2014) states TBL seeks to engage learners’ interactionally authentic language use by having them perform a series of tasks, with the aim of acquiring new linguistic knowledge. This proceduralized utilises their existing knowledge by treating language as a tool for making meaning, rather than as an object of study.
After a solid understanding of principles that underlying task-based learning, I have found a Criteria for a task that I refer is based on What is TBST?

•Meaning is Primary: The learners will acquire a new pragmatic meaning in when performing the task. Discussing in pairs.
•There is a communicative goal: Students will struggle to communicate in the same condition as in they expose in the real world. They need to know about immigration.
•Activity measured by outcome: quick correcting feedback from the teacher and peers.
•Focus in format as needed: The learner will acquire new vocabulary and structure by fostering incidental acquisition.
•Real-world relationship: will be able to use in the real communication outside the classroom.
Based on Skehan, P (1998) Task-Based Instructions Aral.(18.p268)
My PowerPoint link TASK Evaluation

The evaluation of a task

Having the principles is a good foundation, though they have to match the requirements as I framed my TBLT design based on the following context:

Language level: Spanish A level Advanced

Learner Type: Sixth form Students, age 17+ and Adults

(All the students have private tuition )

Time: 60 minutes

Task: Preparation for Oral examination Task A level

Topic: Immigration

Language: Sophisticated vocabulary -Grammar- Use of Subjunctive

Material: Interactive- worksheets

The aim: The students will be able to discuss and express their opinion with new vocabulary, on a relevant topic for their exams.

The objective:

Critically evaluate the art form- Banksy’s Graffiti as for & against immigration.

To be exposed to authentic Latin American accent by listening activity and watching YouTube video .

Read aloud and discuss in pairs by using new vocabulary and the Subjunctive structure. Hubiera/Hubiese pasado si…?

To be able to complete the worksheet and extension activities independently.

Learner’s needs

To be able to use new vocabulary and expand their knowledge on the topic with evidences given in the worksheet(extract from the media, TV news, newspaper requirements for exams)

To be able to discuss in pairs and express their opinion.

To be able to self asses and provide peer-review.

Evaluation checklist

CRITERIA SCORE

1.Materials maximise learners’ potentials. 6
2.Language in authentic use 4
3.Are the materials clear/systematic 5
4.Meaning is Primary 5
5.There is a communicative goal: 5
6.Activity measured by outcome: 5
7.Focus in format as needed: 6
8.Real-world relationship: 6

COMMENTS

1.Even Though ,the learners were challenged to using grammar structure, it benefits.
2.The accent was difficult to understand
3.The instructions are clear.
4.The learners learn vocabulary when performing the task.
5.Oral participation is as if students were in the real world.
6.The immediate correcting feedback benefits performance.
7.The learner use new structure when it’s needed/ incidental
8.Use of vocabulary and structure outside the classroom.
Worksheet link: Interactive worksheet AS

To conclude

Having to evaluate a task seems to be considered as daily routine in teaching. I have found that applying the methods of evaluation given by Jolly & Bolitho (1998) very useful. By using some of the evaluation techniques, I was able to ascertain whether the task had accomplished its aims. For example, I found that the listening activity was quite difficult for some of the students and I had to provide a script alongside the listening. The evaluation at the end of each lesson helped me to focus on what to alter or add in future tasks. Adding a further point, I have to take into consideration that this target students had to pass their A-Level exams. Their aim was to gain confidence in their speaking task an the materials allowed them to be creative, because they used IPad to compare their worksheets. They adapted their worksheet to a more sophisticated level so they able to use it during their independent learning time. I think that the principles matched with the aims of the lesson.
I realised how arduous was the  procedure to prepare a worksheet with its evaluation. Yet, It is essential to follow a  framework to  achieve results. In this study I gather evidences for what activities were beneficial during the task, and what can be used in future lessons to keep consistency and task’s effectiveness.

References

“Black Box Videocast 9: What is Task-Based Language Teaching …” 2015. 19 April. 2016 <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TPIwbu47WTg>

Ellis, R. (1998) The evaluation of communicative tasks. In: Tomlinson, B. 1998, Materials development in language teaching, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge; New York;. Pp 217.

“Jason Renshaw’s Videos on Vimeo.” 2015. 20 April. 2016 <https://vimeo.com/user3250934/videos>

Karen Richardson(2012)Smashwords – How To Write Worksheets – a book by Karen Richardson. Accessed  2015. 19 April. 2016 <https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/533350>

Tomlinson, B. (1998) Materials development in language teaching. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge; New York;.

“UCLan’s Video Library Server – Sorting out Misconceptions about Task …” 2014. 21 May. 2016 <https://vls.uclan.ac.uk/Play/9795>