Part Three: Modified Assessment

Old Assessment

Below is a quiz that I created for my middle school German 1 kids approximately 10 years ago. I have not used it since then as I'm not currently in the classroom. From what I can remember, the kids scored relatively well on this quiz, which makes sense given the translation-based nature of the assessment. I think that the description and reading sections did give students a chance to show their ability to use the language, but this quiz is decontextualized, and lacks authentic resources. There is also no interpersonal task.

Below is the modified assessment in IPA format.

Interpretive Task

You and are friend are taking a trip to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland to put your German skills to use. You know that, while (some) people in all 3 countries speak German, there are cultural differences. You are hoping to fit in, and not stand out like an American tourist, and want to plan your wardobe accordingly. Read the infographic and article from Vogue Germany below. Complete the comprehension guide.

Im Modevergleich: Der Stil der Deutschen, Österreicher und Schweizer

Trenchcoat, schwarzer Rolli, Skinny-Jeans und Sneaker – so sieht der Lieblingslook deutscher Frauen aus. Deutsche Männer tragen am liebsten Hemd, Jackett und locker sitzende Chino. Bequem, praktisch und elegant soll der Look sein, so der Anspruch der Deutschen laut dem Trend-Report von Zalon by Zalando. Für Trend-Pieces ist man hierzulande dennoch offen, etwa Jumpsuits.

Der Stil der Österreicher wird hingegen wie folgt zusammengefasst: natürlich, minimalistisch, traditionell. Auf der Shopping-List stehen Outdoor-Jacken und Sneaker bei den Männern, Röcke in A-Linie und Longsleeves bei den Frauen. Aktueller Favorit der Österreicher, der etwas aus der Reihe fällt: Logo-Shirts!

Und wie sieht der Stil der Schweizer aus? Abwechslungsreich! Auch Schweizerinnen lieben unifarbene Longsleeves, die Männer kombinieren am liebsten maritime Streifenshirts zu locker sitzenden Jeans. Bewährte Basics sind hier Blazer bzw. Anzug und schicke Pumps bzw. edle Lederboots. Interessanter Fakt: Während die Deutschen und die Österreicher bevorzugt mobile stöbern, shoppt man in der Schweiz gemütlich daheim via Desktop.

von: https://www.vogue.de/mode/artikel/deutscher-stil-kleidung

Comprehension Guide

Interpretive Rubric

Interpersonal

Now that you know a bit more about fashion in these 3 German speaking countries, discuss it with your travel buddy. What do you think of these different styles? Which style do you like the most? The least? What should you and your travel buddy pack? Be specific about the types and colors of clothing you will include.

Interpersonal Rubric

Presentational

It's time to pack for your trip. On Padlet, create an outfit for each of the 3 countries. Include images of each article of clothing or accessory. For each outfit, write up a description and rationale. What pieces of clothing make up each outfit? What colors are they? How can you describe them (think adjectives)? What do you think of them? Why did you choose this outfit for this country? How does it fit with what you know about fashion in that country?

Presentational Rubric

Further Reflection

The original assessment was completely decontextualized. The sections are in no way dependent on one another, and most tasks require only translation, so not a lot of higher-order thinking going on. There are also no authentic resources used in the original assessment, and there is no interpersonal task. There are tasks that could be considered interpretive and presentational, but they can be made stronger.

In order to improve the assessment, I started anew and created an IPA. I wanted to incorporate some authentic materials, and so found the infographic and article on fashion that are above. They still involve clothing and descriptions of clothing, but with authentic language from a German fashion website. I also decided to create a scenario that would carry students through all three sections of the IPA to give the tasks some context. I therefore am asking students to imagine that they are taking a trip, and doing some research to help them prepare. Students will complete an IPA to go with this section as I believe IPAs really help students comprehend authentic texts, and show their comprehension.

Next is the interpersonal task. There was no interpersonal at all in the first assessment, and I honestly rarely if ever did a summative interpersonal before. So, I added in the interpersonal, and made it a natural continuation of the context that utilized information from the interpretive. Then, students will create outfits for their presentational based on what they learned in the interpretive, and what they discussed in the interpersonal. I really love how interconnected this is, and again, the presentational task remains within the context of the IPA, extending it further. I graded the original assessment based on points per item. All three subsections of the IPA will be graded with the corresponding ACTFL rubrics. The new IPA gets students using the language in context, and requires them to use higher-order thinking skills while completing real-life tasks.