SLT 290 - Assessment and SLT

COURSE DESCRIPTION

SLT 290 Second Language Assessment introduces students to strategies for using assessment to facilitate second language development. SLT 290 students begin by examining issues associated with assessing content-area language needs of students. Then the students examine issues associated with assessing materials appropriate for facilitating language development of students in content-area classrooms. The students also do a study of language needs and activities in a content-area classroom.

This online course consists of lectures, online group discussions, readings, research, service learning, a major course project and report, and other activities.

SLT 290 Second Language Assessment is an elective course in the A.A. curriculum and a required course in the A.S. degree for Educational Paraprofessionals with an emphasis in SLT. SLT 290 is designed to assist students in the educational paraprofessional program and pre-Education students to explore strategies for using assessment to facilitate second language development. Students examine standards-based assessment and issues associated with assessing content-area language needs of students. The students explore issues associated with assessing materials appropriate for facilitating language development of students in content-area classrooms. In addition, SLT 290 helps educational assistants and potential teachers develop the skills necessary to assess language needs and activities in a content-area classroom.

COURSE OBJECTIVES/ COMPETENCIES

Upon successful completion of SLT 290 Second Language Assessment, the student should be able to:

• Describe language standards at the national, state and local levels
• Describe the various types of language assessment conducted in the content-area classroom
• Conduct assessments of materials that are appropriate for facilitating language development in content-area classrooms
• Conduct various types of survey research on language in content-area classrooms including:
  • Educational Standards
  • Student, Institutional and Community Needs
  • Language Skills
  • Peer and Self-Assessment
  • Language Development
• Compile a portfolio that contains materials assessments and survey research on language, including a detailed report

General Education and Relationship to other Courses

This course supports the following college competency areas:

• Computation and communication abilities
• Problem-solving and decision-making abilities
• Career choices and life-long learning
• Study in a selected program

This course also supports the following Associate in Arts degree SLOs:

• Make effective decisions with intellectual integrity to solve problems and/or achieve goals utilizing the skills of critical thinking, creative thinking, information literacy, and quantitative/symbolic reasoning.
• Ethically, compose, convey, and interpret varied perspectives with respect to an intended audience using visual, oral, written, social, and other forms of communication.
• Evaluate one's own ethics and traditions in relation to those of other peoples and embrace the diversity of human experience while actively engaging in local, regional, and other forms of communication.
• Explore and synthesize knowledge, attitudes, and skills from a variety of cultural and academic perspectives to enhance our local and global communities.

This course also satisfies the following Associate in Science degree competencies:

• Employ skills and understanding in language and mathematics essential to fulfill program requirements.
• Understand attitudes and values of various cultures and examine their potential for improving the quality of life and meaningfulness in work.
• Understand contemporary issues and problems and respond to the impact of current conditions.
• Demonstrate proficiency in conceptual, analytical, and critical modes of thinking.
• Develop insights into human experience and apply them to personal, occupational, and social relationships.
• Recognize relevance of career choices to life-long learning.
• Demonstrate competence in a selected program of study.

SLT 290 Second Language Assessment supports the following SLOs for A.S. degree for Educational Paraprofessionals with an emphasis in SLT:

• Use informed decision making to function effectively in the classroom, school, local, and professional communities.
• Use communication skills to work effectively with students, their families, school administrators, teachers, staff, and other related personnel.
• Use instructional and behavioral management strategies to facilitate a positive learning environment for students.
• Demonstrate professionalism and ethical practices in the classroom, school, local, and professional communities.
• Demonstrate knowledge and skills specific to the instruction and support of ELL students in a variety of settings.
• Demonstrate an ability to effectively facilitate the language development of students based on individual language needs.

COURSE TEXTS

Diaz-Rica, Lynne T. 2012. A course for teaching English learners, Second Edition. Boston: Pearson. ISBN 0-13-249035-8

Egbert, Joy. 2005. Bridge to the classroom: ESL cases for teacher exploration, Volume 2. Secondary School. Alexandria, VA: TESOL, Inc. ISBN 193118520-4

Egbert, Joy. 2005. Bridge to the classroom: ESL cases for teacher exploration, Teacher’s Guide for Volumes 1 and 2, Elementary School and Secondary School. Alexandria, VA: TESOL, Inc. ISBN 193118522-0

Additional materials as supplied by the teacher.

COURSE TOPICS:

➢ Institutional needs assessment

➢ Student needs assessment

➢ Language assessment

➢ Materials assessment

➢ Survey research

COURSE CONTENT

Language assessment

Concepts

• Standards-based assessment

• Needs assessment

• Formative assessment/ summative assessment

• Skills-based assessment/ holistic assessment

• Peer assessment/ self-assessment

Issues

• What are the language needs in a given context?

• What are student language needs in a given context?

• How do we appropriately assess institutional language needs?

• How do we appropriately assess student language needs in a given context?

• How do we appropriately assess materials for facilitating language development?

Skills

• To conduct needs assessments of students in a given context

• To assess language development of students in a given context

• To assess materials for facilitating language development in a given context

Survey Research

Concept

• Survey research

Issue

• How can survey research be used to inform teaching and learning?

Skill

• To use survey research to inform teaching and learning

COURSE TASK

Conduct a study based on survey research that examines the language needs of students and effectiveness of materials for developing language in an assigned content-area classroom.

GRADING

The following procedure will be used to determine a student's grade in the course and the weighting of these items and their contribution towards the final course grade:

Letter grades will be assigned according to the scale described below:

90 - 100% = A

80 - 89% = B

70 - 79% = C

60 - 69% = D

less than 60% = F

Please note that a grade of lower than “B” in the field of Education is considered inadequate. After all, would you want a “C” teacher teaching your children?

ADDITIONAL COURSE REQUIREMENTS

Field Service requirement:

Because students are training to become future ESL educators, students will participate in mandatory field service while in this course. Field service can be accomplished in a variety of ways, including

• verified and approved employment during the course semester as a language tutor or teaching-assistant at Kapi‘olani Community College,
• verified and approved employment during the course semester as a language tutor, teaching-assistant or instructor in an educational setting outside of Kapi‘olani Community College, or
• completing 20 hours of service during the course semester in an approved Service-Learning education-pathway site, such as
  • Palolo Pipeline (Palolo Learning Center, Palolo Head Start, Palolo Elementary School, Jarrett Middle School, Kaimuki High School)
  • Waialae Japanese School
  • Queen Kaahumanu Elementary School’s ELL Program
  • Farrington High School’s ELL Program
  • Kaimuki and McKinley Community School for Adults
  • Project SHINE
  • Foreign-language courses at KapCC (Filipino, French, Hawaiian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Spanish)
  • ESOL program courses at KapCC

Note: Because of the focus of the SLT program, field service must be completed in an educational setting where language teaching and learning is the goal of instruction.

Connection to Course

In each SLT course, students will complete a major course research project, including a final paper and poster presentation, which provides evidence that the students have engaged with, understood, and applied the course content. The field-service requirement provides a means through which SLT program students will be able to complete their research projects. Through their field service, SLT students will collect data by investigating issues, researching ideas, applying skills, testing hypotheses, and reflecting on experiences, which they will use to develop their course papers and posters. SLT students learn by discussing and doing: the SLT classroom is the discussion space; the field-service site is the doing space. Together, learning takes place.

SLT classroom + Field-service site = Learning

Support

Students are supported during their field service through the Laulima course site. Timely field-service information is posted in the Messages section of the course, based on the Timeline provided below. Field-service materials are posted in the Class Materials section of the course. And field-service reports are posted in the Discussion Board section of the course. In addition, regular updates about students’ field-service projects will be discussed in class.

During the first week of the semester, the course instructor will provide more information about the field service requirements, including paperwork from the Service-Learning office at Kapi‘olani Community College.

Field Service Timeline

Online class and email:

Students must be able to access and use our online course site located at http://laulima.hawaii.edu . Students will compile their course projects, access certain course materials, and complete certain course assignments on Laulima.

Students must use their hawaii.edu account or the Laulima mail tool for email communication to guarantee a response from the instructor. Students should expect an email reply within 24 hours. The instructor generally does not respond to email at night or on the weekends. Your understanding is appreciated.

Attendance policy:

Because this is a focused training course, students are expected to attend every class session and come to class prepared for classroom activities. Students are also expected to attend class observations and complete the service learning requirement as scheduled outside of class times.

CLASS SCHEDULE

SCHEDULE OF CONTENT/ TOPICS