EVALANG: Development and Use of Multimodal Tools and Techniques for Profiling Oral Language Proficiency
A blended-learning professional development programme for teachers of second and foreign languages in the upper secondary schooling (ISCED 3) in the main stream education in Finland and Scandinavia with special focus on documentation, analysis and assessment of oral language performance.
The programme consists of four working phases:
I EVALANG - INTRO:
* General introduction into theoretical backgrounds and the profile and structure of the programme
* Introduction into development and use of the ICT-tools utilized througout the programme, i.e. a) an individual language (acquisition) profile, b) immersive, multimodal computer simulations (cf. LangPerform), c) online-lab for analysis and assessment of language performance gained through participation in the simulations mentioned above
* Overview of the general goal-setting and the main objectives of the programme
II EVALANG- EXPERIMENT:
* Implementation of LangPerform- language simulations in selected learner groups / foreign language classes in all participating schools (ISCED 3) either during classes or in the free-time (in a "homework-setting") including (cf. above) a) the construction of individual language acquisition profiles and b) participation in a series of computer-based language simulations in selected target languages
III EVALANG-EVALUATION:
* A thorough analysis and self- and peer-assessment of simulation performance also in cross-boarder co-operation settings utilizing the documentation and assessment tools of the LangPerformLab- online laboratory
* External assessment of students' language performance through participating teachers of foreign languages also in cross-evaluation settings (i.e. teacher A assessing the performance of teacher B's pupils and vice versa)
* Meta-evaluation ("evaluation of evaluation" / "assessment of assessment") through international experts of language performance assessment incl. discussion and reflexion phases in video-correspondence.
IV EVALANG-REPORT:
* A compilation of analyses and reports provided by participating teachers throughout the diverse working phases
* Feedback from participating students on the portfolio-based profiling instruments, the language simulations and the assessment tools
* Experts' feedback from the "meta-evaluation" experts on the assessment competencies of the teachers involved, on the contents of the simulations as well as on the overall programme profile
kim.haataja@uta.fi;
haataja@idf.uni-heidelberg.de